So you want to get an e-bike? Here’s what you should know in Minnesota

Robert Smith said he was a “thriving alcoholic” when a doctor told him to find a gym.

He instead found an e-bike, and the purchase changed his life.

Three years later, the White Bear Lake man is hundreds of miles into a personal reinvention – and 40 pounds lighter.

“I see it as a whole new life,” said Smith, 64, who has upgraded from his original Velotric Discover 1 Plus Step-Thru e-bike to a lighter-weight, folding version that he takes on Amtrak to expand his bike travel possibilities.

Smith’s trajectory fits with a wealth of published research about e-bike use: They get people outside and moving more.

His experience also dispels the notion held by some people that getting a pedal assist is cheating. Luke Breen, owner of Perennial Cycle in Minneapolis, said most of his customers want to increase their cycling and “extend their range.”

“The nonelectric bike will get [the customer] a mile from home, but the person would like to do other things and go somewhere,” he said, adding, “it is more than extending range in some cases. The idea of having people walking in to buy this bike, to use their car less, that is huge. That is the majority of people walking in.”

The impulse continues to grow the market, too: More than 700,000 e-bike sales are projected in the United States this year.

If you hope to be one of the people buying them, there are some basics you should know.

From mountain bike to cargo, there are e-bikes to fit many riding styles.

A majority of the e-bikes sold are “utilitarian,” Breen said.

“If you are looking at 20 different e-bikes, my guess is 18 are going to be equipped to use them for commuting, recreating or riding to the gym,” he added.

Customers should consider how they want to use the bike, a process that can’t be addressed without test-rides, Breen said.

“Do you dream of parking your car for a month in the summer? Because, if you do, you are going to need a little different bike than if it is just recreational use,” he said.

Step-thru cruiser bikes, which don’t force users to lift a leg over the top tube, are popular and the most-versatile bikes on hard surfaces, said John Sheehan, owner of Roam Bike Shop in White Bear Lake. Troy Herlick, store manager at Gateway Cycle bike shop in Oakdale, said 95% of his e-bike customers are interested in step-thrus.

Amid those styles are three types of e-bike regulated by Minnesota law.

Anything sold as an e-bike that goes faster than 28 mph is technically not legal on roads, sidewalks or trails.

In general, bike prices range from the mid-$500s to several thousand dollars. Sheehan‘s average sale is about $2,000, but he has some models that go for $6,000. Still, prices overall have come down the last several years, he added.

Current prices have “changed daily,” Sheehan said, owing to the Trump administration’s imposed and threatened tariffs on countries such as China that export a lot of bikes and parts to the United States.

Torque vs. cadence sensors: A torque sensor detects the cyclist’s effort and adjusts the assist: The harder someone pushes on the pedals, the more boost the bike will give the rider. A cadence sensor measures pedal movement and triggers the assist, so accelerating is quick, Breen said. “There is no subtlety … in cadence-assist. I would have to power down to negotiate a parking lot.”

“The torque sensor makes for a smoother, more predictable ride,” Herlick said.

Watt-hours: This refers to the size of the battery and the amount of power spent over an hour. Watt-hours will dictate the range of the bike. A 500 watt-hour battery is a typical size. A customer should think through their cycling: What will a day look like? How many miles? And where? Most bikes can cover between 20 to 50 miles on a single battery charge, depending on the rider’s weight and the bike’s speed.

Speaking of batteries, most e-bike batteries are lithium-ion, which are lightweight and long-lasting. Heavier lead-acid batteries were the first batteries with e-bikes.

Some have batteries integrated into the bike’s main tube, while others have removable batteries. That is a big deal, say, for an apartment-dweller who might not be able to bring a bike indoors, Breen said. E-bikes shouldn’t be outdoors in weather colder than 20 degrees.

E-bikes’ electronics also present different challenges when it comes to diagnosing a problem and doing repairs. Many shops won’t or don’t have the tools or parts to work on bikes bought online.

“If a company doesn’t have dealers, you probably are going to have a hard time servicing it,” said Herlick of Gateway Cycle.

Breen advises buying from a shop where you can know you’ll be able get help with any fixes.

“It’s tricky,” added Herlick. “They are complicated machines.”

Different bike trail systems may restrict all, some or none of the various types of legal e-bikes, according to the Bicycle Alliance of Minnesota (Bike MN), which suggests looking for signage and checking ahead. Bike MN has an extensive list of resources, maps and guides to learn more about state and regional trail systems.

E-bikes are bulkier and able to go faster, so the handling will feel different.

Sheehan tells his prospective buyers to start out without the motor engaged to get comfortable with the weight and balance of the bike.

Class 2 bikes, which sport throttles, ride more like a scooter. The user needs to be more careful about the power level they are in, Breen said. Sheehan said the speed can jump “faster than the brain, and that is where we see people getting off to a wobbly start.”

Still, Sheehan said, the speed of the bike isn’t typically a concern. Most people are happy to go 10 to 15 mph.

Respect the transition to a new bike and “getting safe with it,” Breen said. The first 100 to 200 miles should be in a place that the new user is comfortable.

As with all bikes, helmets, reflective clothing, lights and riding in control are essential to staying safe. For e-bikes, a command of assist features adds an extra layer of preparedness.

Knowing trail rules and etiquette are extra important because inexperienced riders can move fast and quietly on e-bikes. Volunteers hand out etiquette cards for Gateway State Trail users in the east metro, which can get crowded with bikers, runners, walkers, Rollerbladers and more using the trail together. The cards emphasize tips such as passing safely on the left, communicating intentions and yielding to traffic at intersections.