Making Everyman a Superman: Electric Bikes Gain Speed and Popularity - by Christian Wüst
The electric bike is increasingly popular with the mass market. But because it is capable of traveling at higher speeds than a moped, it is also rushing headlong into a gray zone where there is no speed limit nor any helmet laws.
It feels a little eerie, this bike. The electric motor -- barely audible -- hums along, providing a little boost to each pedal stroke and simulating the feeling of riding downhill even when the rider is traveling uphill. Riding the Kalkhoff Pro Connect S model, a cyclist in average shape can reach speeds of about 40 kilometers per hour (25 miles per hour) on flat ground -- that's roughly the average speed of cyclists in the Tour de France -- without over exerting themselves at all. The manufacturer refers to this effect as an "integrated tailwind.
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