Ebikes are blowing up, and its bloomin glorious to watch.
No, I dont mean exploding, but people are buying them at the fastest ever rate.
But Im worried some of us are missing out, because were not appreciating the ugly ones.
Over the past year,electrified bicycles have come of age.
Its part of what the BBC calls, The great bicycle boom of 2020.
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Its common for new ebikes to have the motor and batteries integrated neatly into the frame.
They often come with GPS tracking to deter thieves.
Theyre at the pinnacle of the ebike market.
Take SpecializedsTurbo Vado SLandComo SL, for example.
These sporty ebikes have captured attention for their clean looks, low weight, and integrated components.
VanMoofandCowboyare two leading examples that are battling for the smart ebike crown.
In fact, every genre of bike now seems to have an electrified option.
But there was a time when there wasnt so much choice and ebikes were janky looking things.
Batteries were large, frames were utilitarian, and integration wasnt a word known by designers.
They were something you bought because you had to, not because you wanted to but they worked beautifully!
But why should we coddle these ugly ducklings, I hear you cry!
Well, for the same reason your grandmother loves them: theyre simple, practical, and affordable.
Its the trifecta of what makes any bicycle brilliant.
Let me paint you a word picture.
More modern and pricier ebikes tend not to place style over functionality.
All of these accessories make the town ebike incredibly useful in daily life.
Got some shopping to take home?
That chain case will prolong the life of your drivetrain and stop your trousers getting oily.
And the fenders will keep you dry and clean when roads are wet.
Reliable, discreet, and affordable
Electrified town bikes are also unpretentious theyre honest and humble.
This simplicity makes them reliable.
Theres less that can go wrong, and if it does, its usually a simple fix.
If the motor dies, its simply a case of replacing the front wheel and connecting it up.
The same goes for the battery: simply pull it out and stick in a new one.
As theres little to no integration of electrical components, removing and replacing failed hardware couldnt be easier.
Whats more, town ebikes rarely come with complicated apps which control how they deliver power.
Thats all you need.
When you want to ride, you switch it on, and you go no faffing necessary.
But you know what other perk comes with simplicity?
Most electrified town bikes cost comfortably less than $2,000.
High-tech, modern ebikes go for well over that price paying twice that price also isnt unusual.
These humble two-wheelers are undeniably the most affordable of the lot.
Indeed, Wells did not care what kind of bike a person rides, but simply that they ride.
For me, its the same, except with ebikes.
So lets not forget the humble and unassuming town ebike.
Like high-tech models, town ebikes too are great machines.
While they might be ugly, they are so much more.
They are practical, simple, and affordable and undeniably the best option for most people.
They are the egalitarian darling of electrified cycling, not a by-product of tech yuppie privilege.
They are the essence of what modern cycling should be.
Ebikes dont have to be overly complex and cost the Earth.
Do EVs excite your electrons?
Do ebikes get your wheels spinning?
Do self-driving cars get you all charged up?
Story byMatthew Beedham
Matthew is the editor of SHIFT.
He likes electric cars, and other things with wheels, wings, or hulls.
