E-bike sales rose during the pandemic, around 240% from 2020 to 2021, according to global market research company NDP, and sales are expected to keep on growing. But even though e-bikes are part of the future of transportation, some question their usefulness. Ian Bogost is a contributing writer for The Atlantic and wrote an article titled, “The E-bike is a monstrosity,” delving into the pros and cons of owning an e-bike.

“Marketplace” host Kai Ryssdal spoke with Bogost to talk about his experience riding an e-bike. The following is an edited transcript of their conversation.

Kai Ryssdal: Alright, so I’m going to quote you to yourself, “A cyclist I have never been but perhaps an e-biker, I could become,” discuss. 

Ian Bogost: I really wanted to ride to work, you know, I don’t want to drive in anymore. I thought the e-bike would be a good way to do it, where I could get some exercise. I could be outside, but wouldn’t be all sweaty when I got there.

Ryssdal: And yet, you have some misgivings.

Bogost: Well, you know, the devices are incredible. And I certainly do get there without being sweaty, and it’s fast and kind of scary, actually. And I think the thing I realized when I got my e-bike was that it wasn’t just a bicycle, it was kind of souped up. And it’s certainly not yet a motorcycle, it’s kind of a whole different beast. 

Ryssdal: Well, you call it a chameleon, right. And it incorporates the best and and also the worst aspects of various modes of transportation.

Bogost: Yeah, that’s right. And if you think about some of those features of bikes that you really love, like, you know, it’s quiet, and you can be outdoors. And you know, you’re not producing carbon emissions, those are present. But then some of the downsides, too. It’s, you know, with the e-bike, you’re motorized, so all that sense of getting exercise or being physically active is somewhat changed and downplayed. And, you know, you also turn into a little bit of a jerk on a bike in general and an e-bike, in particular, and I find myself looking at the other bikers going slowly and going ‘just get out of my way.’

Ryssdal: Wow, it really did turn you into a jerk. 

Bogost: Yeah, kind of did you know, and I was thinking about it, too, you know, the way that the transit and transit infrastructure kind of works. And you know, a lot of bike advocates will say, it’s not about the bikes, it’s just about the infrastructure, get the paths and get the roads and get the cars off of them. And then we can go, but in some ways, any kind of multimodal transport, where you’ve got, you know, joggers, and people pushing strollers, and people on normal bikes, and people on e-bikes all together, it’s gonna create a problems, because those kinds of transit modalities, they don’t mix as easily as we might like to think, especially in America.

Ryssdal: We ought to be clear here. And so, cards on the table, I ride mountain bikes up in the hills early in the morning, and sometimes I see people on e-bikes up there with me on the trails, and I’m like, ‘come on, man, you’re not really riding a bike.’

Bogost: You know, I felt this way. I thought it was really cool. At first, I was bragging to my friends and my colleagues, hey, I got an e-bike and rode in and they were like, ‘oh’, you know, I didn’t expect that reaction. But yeah, I was definitely there. I think there’s a sense that there’s something illegitimate about e-bikes. And you know, many of the bike advocates have told me ‘Well, you know, just slough it off. You know, don’t worry about it, do what you’re gonna do.’ But that’s not really how we work in America, is it? 

Ryssdal: Yeah, no, it’s not. It is true that some people in this economy simply can’t ride bikes, mobility issues, what have you, and this is an avenue for them.

Bogost: It is, there’s a lot of folks who you know, for whatever reason, have a difficult time riding a bike and an e-bike gives them you know, a leg up as it were, you don’t have to pedal as hard and as long as you’re pedaling, then the bike kind of transports you along. And some of the higher end devices have a throttle even. But when we’re talking about biking, I think it’s important to distinguish biking as a hobby, biking as a sport, biking as exercise from biking as commuting. And we just don’t always make all of those distinctions. There’s a lot going on in the bike universe.

Ryssdal: Are you going to stick with it? 

Bogost: Yeah, you know, I rode in today. I’ve been riding, I like it, but it’s strange. And I think resolving that strangeness is, you know, something that we need to work on collectively over time.