Did you know that e-cyclists get more exercise than traditional bike riders? Yes, you heard that right. E-bikers cover more distance and spend more time riding than traditional cyclists. But have you ever considered adding an e-bike into your workouts? An e-bike could be the missing ingredient to elevate your exercise routine. But you may be wondering, does speed play a crucial role in achieving a great e-bike workout? We'll answer this question and more as we delve into tailoring your ride to your own personal fitness goals.
Exploring the optimal speed for your workout
There's no one-size-fits-all answer to the question of the ideal e-bike speed for a work'out. A variety of speeds work well for diverse workouts, and its all relative to you. What may be challenging for one person may be a breeze for someone else; individuality is key. Rather than focusing solely on speed, proper form is the most important factor for getting the most out of e-biking sessions. Perfecting your cycling posture not only increases efficiency but also reduces the likelihood of strain or injury while riding. Check out our handy guide for e-biking form tips. Once you've mastered your posture, you're ready to ramp up the speed and intensity of your workouts!
Tailoring your ride to health goals
The beauty of e-biking lies in its versatility - you have full control over the intensity of your workout. Diving briefly into exercise physiology, the best way to accurately determine the physical exertion during your workout is through your heart rate. Measuring your heart rate can provide valuable insight into your exertion levels, with different heart rate zones indicating various energy sources (i.e. fat or carbohydrate stores) and targeting different fitness objectives. Let's break it down:
- Smooth leisurely rides, similar to a brisk walk, are ideal for burning fat and building endurance. The pace may vary depending on your preferred level of pedal assist.
- Moderate rides are those where you may break a sweat and breathe heavier and faster than usual. These rides should feel challenging, but you should be able to sustain a level of physical exertion for a mid-length duration (i.e. 30-60 minutes). Moderate workouts are where e-bikes really excel! These rides use a mix of both fat and carbohydrate stores and are ideal for improving speed endurance.
- Intense rides can be characterized by heavy breathing and leg power, will help to improve cardiovascular fitness, and are typically used for High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT). Typically, these intense bursts are incorporated into training plans and are appropriate for individuals with advanced fitness levels. The pace may vary depending on the nature of the workout, using sprints or hill climbs to elevate heart rate, and if the rider is very aerobically fit the pedal assist is likely to be turned off.
Factors that influence your ideal speed
Your ideal speed is subjective because it is relative to you. There are a number of factors that can influence this:
- Physical fitness strongly influences your ideal pace; it's the key factor that affects your heart rate, dictating how strenuous different speeds may feel to you.
- Some terrains are more difficult to ride on than others; challenging surfaces, such as sand, gravel or mud may require slower speeds to maintain proper form and therefore efficiency while riding.
- On a personal level, maintaining the ideal speed may also be affected by your own recovery status. Working out while not fully recovered from your previous session may lead to inconsistencies within your own personal pace window. Your heart may still be working hard, but you may be biking slower than you usually would, making slower paces feel more intense. Exercise recovery is affected by a handful of factors including sleep, nutrition, and water consumption. Getting your recovery under control is important for giving your next workout your best effort!
TENWAYS' fitness tips
E-biking isn't just a workout, it’s an immersive outdoor activity that has been proven to increase enjoyment compared to traditional cycling! E-bikes may be the missing piece in your current fitness routine. If you’ve already developed a consistent exercise habit, consider trading one of your weekly workouts for an e-biking ride, experimenting with different speeds and levels of assistance to ensure an effective workout. If you’re new to e-biking or exercise in general, start by incorporating e-biking into your daily commute and gradually increase the intensity as you build your fitness level. Pairing up with an e-bike workout buddy is beneficial for all fitness levels, as it promotes motivation and consistency while strengthening your friendship with each other!
As we can see, speed doesn’t really have anything to do with getting a great workout. E-biking offers a flexible, dynamic and enjoyable approach to fitness, that allows individuals to tailor their rides to meet their specific health goals. Whether you're seeking fat loss, endurance, or cardiovascular conditioning, there's a speed and intensity level to suit your needs. So, hop on your e-bike and discover the transformative power of pedal-assisted exercise.
