With e-bike sales growing by leaps and bounds every year, the survey shows that the vast majority of e-bike owners are over the age of 55, with 48 percent of them over the age of 64. Why do older people make up such a large percentage of e-bike riders? Of course, there’s an obvious reason — cycling is fun! Many of us started riding as children and continued riding through our teens and into adulthood. But then, the busy lives of adults start to leave them without the time and energy to keep riding. On top of that, as body levels start to decline as we age, age-related diseases, such as arthritis, start to slow us down. I suddenly feel that riding a bicycle up a steep hill is too strenuous.

The emergence of electric bicycles has directly affected the speed at which humans respond to aging. According to statistics, if the elderly insist on cycling for a long time, the brain, eyes and nervous system will be fully and systematically exercised, which can reduce premature aging and aging of the brain and maintain the nervous system. of agility. E-bikes level the playing field, giving everyone the opportunity to keep up and do the things they love.

Even if you haven’t ridden a bike in years, you can still quickly find your balance on an electric bike, and the advantage of a powerful motor lets you take those steep hills that once seemed too difficult. Many seniors continue to ride e-bikes well into their 70s, and some into their 80s or beyond. So, today we will talk about the precautions for the elderly to ride electric bicycles.

The benefits of riding electric bicycles for the elderly

1. Exercise is the key to health and happiness. Electric bicycles provide the elderly with one of the most comfortable ways to exercise. Exercising mindfully is important, and it’s true for everyone.
2. Too many older adults are injured when they lose their balance and fall while walking or standing, not necessarily while working or exercising. Electric bicycles can improve the leg strength and balance of the elderly and prevent falls.
3. With many seniors on a fixed income, you can get around town on your e-bike for a fraction of the cost of driving. Remember, it costs less than five cents to fully charge an e-bike battery.
4. With an electric bike, it’s easy to get regular exercise, get outside, and vitamin D production starts immediately when the sun hits your skin. Fresh air and sunshine are good for your brain! They increase brain activity, which is great for anyone, especially older adults. The longer you spend outside, the more serotonin your brain produces, which helps control appetite and sleep. Exercise can also improve your mood, and remember, a good mood leads to a good body.

Choosing the Right Softail Electric Bike

First of all, electric bicycles are divided into many types, why is it said that softail electric bikes are the best choice for the elderly. Because full suspensiuon ebike has extra rear suspension than the hardtail ebike, bumps and vibrations are minimized while riding.

With a full suspension system, the older body won’t have to take rock hits and trail bumps. It allows you to enjoy a comfortable and enjoyable ride even after long rides.

Plus, if you like to ride over rough terrain, its ebike suspension system gives you excellent traction and grip as well as balance and stability. So you can easily control the bike and enjoy riding on rough terrain.

Start slowly

Whether you are a master of cycling or not, for the first time riding an electric bicycle, especially for the elderly, we still recommend that you take your time. Spend some time in the park or in the back alleys of your neighborhood and slowly start to familiarize yourself with your e-bike, focusing on how the throttle actually works, or what each level of pedal assist feels like.

Ride carefully

After getting acquainted with their favorite bicycle, the elderly should conduct a comprehensive and thorough inspection of all parts of the bicycle before formally riding, and carry commonly used repair tools and spare parts with them. When driving under special road conditions, pay attention to the speed of the vehicle, and slow down when encountering puddles or gravel. When traveling by bicycle, you should choose loose and comfortable clothes. During the cycling process, the amount of exercise should be arranged reasonably. It is recommended to take a break every 2–3 hours and keep driving at a certain speed. Here are some other tips that you may easily overlook:

1. For the elderly with aging eyesight, they should wear glasses when cycling. Cycling has relatively high requirements for vision. For some elderly people with degraded vision, it is still necessary to wear glasses when going out to ride.
2. Limit the speed of electric bicycles. For the elderly, the speed limit is still necessary. If the electric bicycle is driven too fast, the elderly will not be able to control it.
3. The importance of the bicycle rear view mirror is often overlooked by many elderly cyclists. With the rearview mirror, when the electric bicycle needs to change lanes, you can observe the rearview mirror left and right, and then change lanes when it is safe. Many safety accidents are caused by not looking at the rearview mirror, turning suddenly, causing the car behind to collide with you.
4. Front and rear headlights remain intact. When driving at night, you must turn on the lights. On the one hand, it is to illuminate the road ahead for yourself; on the other hand, it is to provide signals to others. People with poor eyesight at night must control their speed and turn on their lights.
5. Don’t run a red light. Because some of us feel that electric bicycles can complete running lights before motor vehicles start, but accidents often occur in one or two seconds. The probability of accidents caused by running a red light is also very high, so remember not to ride through a red light.
6. When it rains and passes through muddy roads, be sure to slow down to the slowest speed. After it rains, the road is quite slippery, and when there is a slight muddy road surface, it will slip.

Stay optimistic

Like many things in life, having the right attitude is key. Don’t be disheartened if you’re not ready to start your 30-mile journey right away. If they’re a little skeptical of you crossing the city to check out your favorite ride spots, don’t worry! There will always be a day like that. Put on your new suit and get ready for a smooth ride.