Years ago a new type of bicycle appeared. One that made pedaling easier and allowed those cyclists who couldn't before overcome slopes. At first they were seen in dribs and drabs, now everyone knows them.
And yes, indeed, we are talking about electric bicycles. One of the most decisive evolutions, if not the most, of recent decades in the world of cycling.
E-bikes have only gotten better. From the integration and capacity of the batteries to the efficiency of the motor, through a clear weight reduction, a much more attractive style or an increase in the reliability of the electronic components.
On the other hand, there are more and more models of electric bicycles. The most popular are mountain bikes, which were also the first to go into mass production.
Recently, road bikes and gravel bikes have been incorporated into the endless world of e-bikes. In the second case, that of electric road bicycles, you may not get much use out of them in mostly flat areas. But things change radically in mountainous territories, like Andorra.
“E-bikes are very useful for areas like ours: long, hard climbs, with hardly any breaks, and often above 2,000 meters in altitude,” says Jordi, head of Jorma Bike, the leading cycling store. in Andorra.
“Electric bicycles are also designed for active people. They are ideal for cyclists who have few hours to train or who are no longer in such good shape, but want to continue enjoying routes worthy of the professional peloton. We could say that they are designed to break our limits.”
Precisely for this reason, brands are designing lightweight pedal-assist models with moderate battery capacity, finding a balance between performance and weight.
“We can now find electric road bikes under 13 kg. This was unthinkable a few years ago,” says Jordi. “In addition, there are increasingly more specific components: brakes, transmission chains, tires… This makes reliability much higher, since these components are built with more resistant materials and adapted to the driving style of e-bikes. ”
At Jorma Bike they are convinced that e-bikes will continue to take on more and more prominence. “The industry is working with revolutionary components. Automatic gearboxes are on the way, and will allow us to achieve never-before-seen efficiency. The batteries may be even smaller in size, which will entail complete integration of the power unit, almost invisible at first glance.”
And although there are never 100% reliable predictions, this one is very close to the truth. The expansion of the cycling public, together with the people already loyal to this sport, predict an evident consolidation. Along with the purchasing support of these two groups, technological advances will make a difference. Of course, if the current pace continues, we will find truly cutting-edge gadgets in a short time.
