What Is the Easyride E-bike Initiative?
The Easyride e-bike initiative creates opportunities for individuals to experience how an electric bike could fit into their work commute and lifestyle, without the initial financial commitment.
For a small fee, participants receive an e-bike on loan for five weeks, along with accessories (helmet, bell, lock, charger), and Making Tracks safe cycling training to take to the streets and trails with confidence.
Participants will be surveyed before and after their loan period to explore the integration of biking (electric or otherwise) in participants’ daily life and any changes in attitudes toward cycling.
Barriers like distance, topography, and fitness level can discourage individuals from thinking of biking as a viable transportation option. Electric pedal-assist bikes (e-bikes) reduce these physical and perceived barriers to biking, however they are more expensive than conventional bikes, and there are few opportunities for people to try before they buy in settings representative of real-world use cases.