E-bikes are growing fast in popularity, but the conversations around them don’t always keep up. It’s easy to reduce them to assumptions: that they’re effortless, that they don’t “count,” or that the people riding them are somehow different from other cyclists.
At the same time, there’s increasing confusion about what an e-bike actually is. As more electric two-wheel vehicles such as e-motos appear on roads and paths, the distinctions between them can get blurred. That can shape how people think about safety, access, and where different devices belong to the detriment of e-bike riders.
But behind every e-bike is a person with a journey and a reason.
For many riders, e-bikes make something possible that otherwise wouldn’t be: commuting without arriving sweaty, making routes for persons of varied abilities accessible, riding after an injury, keeping up with family or faster companions, facilitating the hauling of cargo or kids, or replacing car trips with a more sustainable way to get around.
With this project, we hope to make those stories more visible and put a face and story to the rider.
Today we’re launching the Meet Our E-bike Riders project. We’ll be collecting short quotes and photos from people who ride e-bikes across the Commonwealth, and we’d love to include you! We’re looking for simple snapshots of why you ride and what it helps you do. This is real people, sharing real experiences.
As conversations about e-bikes continue to evolve, it’s important that they’re grounded in a clear understanding of who is actually riding them and why. When we can see the people behind the bikes, it becomes easier to have more informed, thoughtful conversations about access, safety, and shared spaces.
If you’re willing to share your story, please complete our short Google Form.
About the Virginia Bicycling Federation
The Virginia Bicycling Federation (VBF) works to make Virginia the most bicycle-friendly state in the nation. Through advocacy, education, and community partnerships, we promote safe, accessible, and enjoyable bicycling for people of all ages and abilities. From historic trails to vibrant downtowns, bicycling connects us to our communities—and to Virginia’s rich past and promising future. Learn more at www.vabike.org.
To join or donate to VBF, an all-volunteer 501(c)(3) nonprofit, go to https://app.joinit.com/o/
This article was written by VBF board members Jenn Million, Susan Motley & Allen Muchnick.
I ride a Velotric E-bike . I live in Rocky Mount. I ride a little in town, but mostly in the country.
I ride for exercise. My e-bike makes it easier to climb the steep hills in Franklin Co.. I’m 69..
As Trek bikes says “ An ebike will change your life”, My goal was to have an ebike by my 60th birthday., could not wait! Got my verve 3 plus lowstep about a year earlier. No throttle for me, my desire was to pedal, help me up the hills, be able to keep up on group rides, go further and explore more! Now at 4 yrs and 3 months, 3000 miles later , I love my ebike and the confidence it gives me to ride anywhere and not worry if I can do it.
I am bicycling Barbara. I still have my drop handlebar and clip pedal Salza in the garage, but my upright electric pedal assist bicycle is what I am taking to ride across VA (BRAVA) in celebration of the 250th birthday of our country. Adventure Cycling rode bike route 76 in 1976 for the 200th birthday of our country. BRAVA, a ride coordinated by Sharon Bochman, Magical Mystery Bike Tours. We will ride 570 miles through 22 counties from Breaks Interstate Park/Ky line to Yorktown/Williamsburg for the July 4, 250 celebrations.
I bought my e-bike over two years ago and use it strictly as a car replacement. I am 74 years old and live in Roanoke City. I use it mostly to commute daily to the downtown Y – about 3 miles each way. I now have over 3,000 miles on this bike, which would have otherwise been logged driving a car. The e-bike helps me in traffic when I need quick acceleration (leaving a light or crossing a busy street), and it allows me to carry more gear than would be comfortable on my analog bikes.