When Bountiful resident Bill Ernest was 68, his longtime cyclist wife Ronda bought him an e-bike as a retirement present, thinking it would be a good way for him to keep up with her. She was used to grueling rides like the 50-mile Little Red and 100-milers in Hawaii riding her non-motorized bike, and had no intention of buying an e-bike.

That is until Bill started passing her up on hills. “He would ring his bell as he passed,” she said. “It felt like he was rubbing it in my face,” she said smiling.

Two years ago, she broke down and bought herself an e-bike. Now at age 70, she wonders how she ever used to ride up Emigration Canyon on her own power. She purchased a bike with low handlebars like she was accustomed to, and because she “didn’t want to look old.” She was surprised to discover she burned almost the same amount of calories on the new bike as long as she used the e-power sparingly.

Brady Edwards, owner of Bountiful Bicycle, is quick to agree that e-bikes can be great exercise and are definitely not for wimps. “I can still ride hard and get a workout by keeping the power low on my e-bike,” he said. “When I started riding my first e-bike in 2016, I lost 40 pounds.” 

That was the same year Bountiful Bicycle began selling e-bikes. Sales were fairly slow at first, according to Edwards, but their popularity has skyrocketed at the same time prices have dropped. Now e-bikes account for over 50% of sales in his three Davis County shops. National stats are much lower with reports that e-bike sales account for anywhere from 5% to 20% of total bike sales with predictions the market will continue to climb.

Edwards’ prices range from about $2,000 to $15,000 per e-bike with recreational e-bikes on the lower end and mountain and road-bikes on the higher. The 45 to 65-plus age range of his buyers mirrors national figures.

He isn’t surprised at the rising popularity of motorized bikes. In fact, once he started riding his e-bike, he never returned to what he calls his analog bike. “I can ride further on my e-bike in the same amount of time as on my analog,” he explained, “and I can hang with the younger crowd we employ here. My e-bike bridges the age gap.”

It helps that Bountiful City has been carving new biking trails for the past few years that are drawing increasing numbers of mountain e-bikes. “Places like Moab and Park City have significant regulations on e-bikes but our local trails do not,” Edwards said. 

But there are plenty of nearby paved trails and bike lanes for those who prefer a smoother ride, such as Bountiful Boulevard, Legacy Parkway, Murdock Canal, Parley’s Trail and Jordan River Parkway.

There are e-bikes to fit every type of rider from recreational to commuter to touring and more – bikes designed for comfort and others for style.

Bill happily rides a cruiser e-bike with higher handlebars and doesn’t worry about looking old. He likes being able to sit up and look at the scenery. He and Ronda enjoy riding locally as well as through small Southern Utah towns.

“If you keep your e-bike on low-power mode you get the same amount of exercise as with a regular bike,” Bill said, “but it’s more fun. You feel like you’re 10 again.”