Many ask which ride is better? A bike or an e-scooter?
The invention of the wheel was a major game-changer in the history of mankind and human civilization. It’s simply impossible to imagine how modern life could be now without the wheel – no vehicles, no forms of transport, no mobility, no travels abroad.
“Reinventing the wheel” has come to mean in English wasting a great deal of time or effort in creating something that is already perfect. There’s just no point trying to make the wheel better. What one can do instead is to put the wheel to better use. And so, somebody thought about improving the humble bicycle by creating e-scooters.
Everything is electronic now to signify modernity, technology, and convenience. The simple mail turned into an e-mail, learning to e-learning, commerce e-commerce, and bikes to e-bikes and e-scooters. But does it automatically mean they are better? An improvement of their much beloved older versions?
Let’s take a closer look to see which is better: a bike or an e-scooter?
The humble bicycle
The humble bicycle has all the benefits you would associate with manual work, the most important of which is physical exercise.
According to the Better Health channel, if you regularly ride and pedal around your bicycle for two to four hours a week, you will achieve general improvement in your health. Another benefit of cycling from OutwitTrade is that cycling increases your cardiovascular fitness and it’s also a fun activity for the whole family.
Experts believe that amazingly, just riding your bike can help you prevent obesity, diabetes, bone injuries, heart problems, and even cancer!
The physical benefits of cycling are similar to those with what you get from running, but cycling is more fun and less strenuous. For this reason, riding a bike is also good for your mental health.
A healthy, stress-free ride
A survey conducted by Cycleplan determined that 75% of cyclists noticed that their mental health has improved, and some even said it helped with their stress, depression, or anxiety. According to scientific research by the University of Toronto, exercise (including cycling) not only treats depression but can also prevent it. Researchers estimate that you can lower your chances of being depressed by 19% if you exercise at least three times a week.
And if this wasn’t proof enough, a study by the YMCA also said people who are physically active have a well-being score 32% higher than inactive individuals.
Cycling Weekly said exercise boosts the release of adrenaline and endorphins, and so we feel more confident about ourselves and our abilities. Riding solo can give you time to process worries or concerns while being with a group broadens your social circle. It works both ways.
Like the wheel, the bicycle is simple and seemingly perfect. You don’t need to reinvent it but perhaps improve its application, thus the e-bike or e-scooter.
The trendy e-scooter
E-scooters and e-bikes are what you call personal electric vehicles and they provide conveniences that you can get neither from riding your bike nor driving your car. Two apparent benefits are comfort (no need to pedal) and mobility (no need to get stuck in traffic).
The e-scooter can get you to work, the mall, or anywhere you wish to go faster and easier. It can also take you farther than where you usually go pedaling.
An energy-efficient ride
E-scooters are energy-efficient, which means you exert little effort when going from Point A to Point B. You may not get the exercise you need, but e-scooters will take you to your destination without sweat and perspiration. They also allow you to carry larger loads when necessary.
You can do more with your e-scooter – cover a longer distance or carry more load with a more comfortable ride – if you do some upgrades. There are high-performing e-scooters with large pneumatic tires and suspension systems.
Another convenience is that you can carry around your e-scooter wherever you go. Once you reach your destination – work or the shopping mall, you won’t need to find a parking spot.
fold your e-scooter and take it with you as you go. Some lightweight scooters are under 30 pounds and they are as durable. You can easily fit your e-scooter in a tiny studio apartment or carry it up the stairs in your building with no elevator.
Speed is another point of advantage for the e-scooter. While you decide how fast you go on your bicycle, it is you and your brute strength that makes it move. The speed of your bike depends largely on how much and how fast you pedal (at least when not cruising downhill). The e-scooter, on the other hand, can go up to 22 mph without you moving a muscle.
A safe and cool ride
Safety can be an issue with both bikes and e-scooters. Your safety on the road essentially boils down to how safe you are like the rider. But when it comes to getting off easily and jumping to safety, it is the e-scooter that is safer. Scooters are lower to the ground, their wheels are much smaller and you are standing straight as you go. Getting off is simply taking one step off the scooter and onto the ground.
A Ph.D. student conducted a study on the road safety of e-scooters and this is what she discovered: “We are in the very early stages of road safety research on e-scooters. What I have learned so far is limited to my study site. This study suggests that e-scooters share similar vulnerabilities as cyclists, but they’re not necessarily more dangerous.”
Finally, there is a special appeal to an e-scooter simply because it is new technology. You can turn heads, as not many people may not have seen someone on a self-running motorized scooter before. We are used to seeing someone kicking the pavement to get their scooter running, but not anymore. There’s no stopping the growing popularity of e-scooters. People love them because they are a “cool, clever, trendy and fun way of moving around”.
Which ride is better?
So, there you go. Both bikes and e-scooters have distinct and convincing benefits and advantages over the other. Which then is better? If you were to make a choice, would you get a bike or an e-scooter?
Whether you choose a bike or an e-scooter, the safest and more obvious answer will depend on where you are going and why you are making the trip in the first place. If the idea is to have a leisurely way to exercise, then the bicycle makes the cut. If, on the other hand, you need to make a short trip to the grocery store and weave through traffic without breaking a sweat, then gear up for a quick e-scooter ride.
The choice is yours, depending on what you wish to accomplish. Like the lowly little wheel that was invented eons ago, bikes and e-scooters were created to make our life better and more fun. If you’re around Giethoorn and nearby areas, you can hire an electric bike here.
