1 Introduction
E-bikes are equipped with a power source and therefore offer unique
opportunities to monitor and understand usage and their interaction
with the urban environment with potential benefits for both
e-cyclists and conventional cyclists. A detailed understanding of
the usage of e-bikes in specific geographical and cultural contexts
can help to understand and communicate their potential benefits
for sustainable transport and beyond.
The term ‘e-bike’ in this paper refers to bicycles equipped with a
small motor and battery where riders always have to pedal, but can
switch on electric assistance (usually with a choice of low,
medium or high settings) if they wish. The assistance cuts out
when pedalling ceases or the speed of 15 m/h (25 km/h) is
exceeded. These e-bikes are often referred to as pedelecs and are
popular in many European counties. Other types of e-bikes exist,
for example, those where assistance can be used without pedalling
– these are especially popular in many Asian countries (see e.g.
[1]) but are not within the remit of this research. Many
configurations of motor and battery are possible on e-bikes [2, p5]
with the models used on this study representing two of the most
popular designs: (i) crank-driven motor with central battery and
(ii) a front-hub motor with a rack-mounted battery (see Fig. 1).
E-bikes are rapidly becoming mainstream in European countries
with developed cycling cultures, appealing to both existing and
new cyclists [3]. For example, in the Netherlands, sales of e-bikes
equal or exceed those of conventional bikes in value; in Germany,
one in ten bikes sold is an e-bike; and there are estimated to be
over a million e-bikes in use across Europe [3]. However, they are
still not well-known in England. A better understanding of how
people in the UK engage with e-bikes could help to identify issues
for policy, design and research that could lead to a higher uptake
of e-bikes. The 2011–2014 ‘Smart e-bikes’ research project [4]
works on this and the smart e-bike monitoring system (SEMS) has
been developed as part of this work. The monitoring system is
implemented on a fleet of 35 e-bikes in Brighton (UK) (see Fig. 2)