Increasing Active Transportation Through E-Bike Use: Pilot Study Comparing the Health Benefits, Attitudes, and Beliefs Surrounding E-Bikes and Conventional Bikes

Taylor H Hoj; Jacob J Bramwell; Cameron Lister; Emily Grant; Benjamin T Crookston; Cougar Hall; Joshua H West

doi:10.2196/10461

Increasing Active Transportation Through E-Bike Use: Pilot Study Comparing the Health Benefits, Attitudes, and Beliefs Surrounding E-Bikes and Conventional Bikes

JMIR Public Health Surveill. 2018 Nov 29;4(4):e10461. doi: 10.2196/10461.

Authors

Taylor H Hoj¹, Jacob J Bramwell², Cameron Lister¹, Emily Grant¹, Benjamin T Crookston¹, Cougar Hall¹, Joshua H West¹

Affiliations

¹ Health Behavior Outcomes Lab, Department of Public Health, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, United States.
² Department of Sociology, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, United States.

PMID: 30497998
PMCID: PMC6293244
DOI: 10.2196/10461

Abstract

Background: The emergence of electric pedal-assist bicycles (e-bikes) presents an opportunity to increase active transportation by minimizing personal barriers of engaging in physical activity.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess the beliefs of individuals using e-bikes for active transport and report preliminary biometric measurements while using e-bikes for physical activity compared with conventional bikes.

Methods: Participants used both conventional bicycles and e-bikes to compare energy expenditure while riding on the study route. Apple smart watches were used to track each participant's heart rate, distance, speed, and time while riding both bicycles. A total of 3 survey instruments were used to estimate beliefs: one administered before riding the bicycles, a second administered after riding a conventional bike, and the final survey completed after riding an e-bike. Survey instruments were constructed using constructs from the theory of planned behavior.

Results: The study sample (N=33) included adults aged between 19 and 28 years. Paired t test analysis revealed that participants believed a conventional bike was more likely than an e-bike to benefit their physical health (P=.002) and save them money (P=.005), while an e-bike was perceived to be more likely than a conventional bike to save them time (P<.001). Paired t test analysis revealed participants significantly agreed more with the statement that they could ride an e-bike most days (P=.006) compared with a conventional bike. After participants traveled approximately 10 miles on each type of bicycle, participants' mean average heart rate while riding the e-bike was 6.21 beats per minute lower than when riding the conventional bike (P=.04), but both were significantly higher than resting heart rate (P<.001).

Conclusions: This pilot study suggests that e-bikes are an active form of transportation capable of providing much of the cardiovascular health benefits obtained during conventional bike use. E-bikes may help reduce some of the obstacles to conventional bike use, such as increased transportation time, decreased convenience, and physical fatigue.

Keywords: bicycling; cardiorespiratory fitness; obesity; physical activity; physical fitness.

©Taylor H Hoj, Jacob J Bramwell, Cameron Lister, Emily Grant, Benjamin T Crookston, Cougar Hall, Joshua H West. Originally published in JMIR Public Health and Surveillance (http://publichealth.jmir.org), 29.11.2018.