e-Bikes have become a familiar sight on Auckland’s congested roads but how much faster than other forms of transport are they in reality?
More people on e-bikes - and losing control of them - have contributed to a Bay of Plenty-wide spike in the number of riders getting hurt.
ACC figures released to the Bay of Plenty Times showed up to of 17 people were injured in e-bike incidents in the Bay lastyear. This was more than double the eight injured in 2017, which itself was a jump on the fewer than four people injured in 2016.
In Tauranga, eight e-bike claims were made with ACC compared to five in 2017 and fewer than four in 2016 while in the Western Bay of Plenty, fewer than four were made last year and none the previous years.
In Rotorua, five people made e-bike injury-related claims in 2018 and fewer than four in 2017. In 2018, there were fewer than four claims from Whakatāne and none in the previous years.
Of these, most injuries were sustained through a loss of balance or personal control.
Rocket Bikes co-owner Angus Couper said he was not surprised more people were buying e-bikes, with much of the market over 40.
E-bike buyers were using them to get out and about with the ability to go up steep hills or through howling headwinds, "whereas they wouldn't [bike] normally", Couper said.
Couper said about 80 per cent of e-bike riders had not ridden a bicycle in a long time, which he believed was why some ended up injured.
Rocket Bikes co-owner Angus Couper says more people are buying e-bikes to get around town. Photo / Andrew Warner
"They are not going at their own propulsion speed, they are going at an e-bike speed which is a lot faster ... faster than their own ability. That's the issue. The people e-biking aren't necessarily knowing how to control them at the high speed."
Maungatapu woman ErenorScott said she loved using her e-bike to get around but took a cautious approach.
The 67-year-old bought her e-bike in November and has not suffered any injuries from riding but said e-bikes were heavier than regular bikes and she made sure she practised with it around her neighbourhood before using it to commute.
The senior citizen, who is also a driver, was mindful of cars as well and often rode on the footpath to keep safe.
Scott biked four days a week to work on Hewletts Rd at Mount Maunganui and said there was no way she would be doing the same on a regular bike.
"The reason I bought it was because fuel is going up. I'm 67. When I stop work I'll be on the pension so I'm trying to be pro-active and cut costs down."
Scott has already noticed the savings, saying the e-bike purchase was a win-win.
She just hoped infrastructure would continue to cater for cyclists in the years to come as she expected there would only be more on city roads.
E-scooter related injuries
There were 10 e-scooter related injury claims lodged with ACC in 2018. Of these, seven were soft tissue injuries, and the others were either cuts or not stated. All 10 were caused by a loss of balance or personal control.
