E-bikes opening up biking world to seniors

Most likely you’ve already seen them.

Folks are riding bicycles at unusually fast speeds up hills, yet don’t appear tired. Sure, some of them might be well-conditioned cyclists, but chances are you witnessed riders enjoying electric bikes, or e-bikes.

They are a fast growing new addition to the local bicycle community and are opening up the electrifying (pardon the pun) and exciting world of cycling to many people who may struggle riding a traditional bicycle.

There are no throttles on e-bikes. Instead the bike helps you along as you pedal. It feels like you are riding with a strong wind blowing you along from behind.

“The e-bikes are pedal assisted, so as you pedal, the motor has a torque sensor that fills in on the bottom end, giving you additional torque to power you up the hill or carry you at a faster rate of speed to make your commute easier,” said Jeff Cary, the new owner of Camas Bike and Sport.

In late July, Cary purchased the 10-year-old downtown Camas business from Ed Fischer. Cary has worked in the shop for 18 months and also works as an architect and interior designer.

The sales floor at Camas Bike and Sport now has plenty of new e-bikes and e-trikes mixed in with traditional mountain and road bikes.

Cary said the e-bikes are perfect for commuters who want to ride fast and provide freedom and fun to many seniors.

“If you’re not a cyclist, you might wonder, ‘How am I going to get on a bike and ride 25 miles to get back and forth to work?’ or, ‘If I go to the grocery store, how am I going to carry the groceries back home on my bike?'” Cary said.

With an e-bike, all of that is possible.

A fun way to commute

When Camas resident Anna Norris and her husband opened a painting and pottery studio in December, they soon discovered finding available parking at their new business near the new Camas roundabout was a challenge.

Norris had read about e-bikes and thought they might be perfect to help her commute to work from her Camas home.

“I absolutely love my e-bike,” she said. “Oh my gosh, how do you not smile when you get on them? I just smile like, ‘Yeah, this is the best,'” she said.

Norris admits she wasn’t in the best shape when she bought the e-bike from Camas Bike and Sport a few months ago, but soon discovered the e-bike instantly provided a fun and healthy way to get around town.

Besides commuting to work four days per week on her e-bike, Norris also uses her e-bike to ride into Lacamas Regional Park, carrying her easel and paint brushes to beautiful locations where she can be creative with nature.

She also uses the basket on her e-bike to get groceries from the store, but says the best thing about her new e-bike is how it allows her to take on all the challenging hills surrounding Camas and Washougal.

“Going up hills is the best thing,” Norris said.

Going down those hills is also something that makes her giddy.

“I think the fastest I got it was 32 miles per hour when I was pedaling flat out going downhill with assist,” she said. “Oh man, I love it. It takes you back to being a kid.”