The streets cannot be imagined without the e-bike. Pedelecs are a large part of the comfortable means of transport. They not only provide support in everyday life, but also bring advantages on excursions and bike tours – not least on vacation.
Many Flair Hotels rent out e-bikes.

Manfred Wilken has its premiere – and is a little excited. He will ride an e-bike for the first time today. “Let’s see how I take the place,” he examines his wheeled vehicle with a grin. After all, he is not alone: Simon Reute and Hermann Mangel – good friends – accompany him. They are also getting on their e-bikes for the first time. “We have often been going on bike tours together since we were at school,” says Manfred Wilken. “But it gets more and more strenuous with age, so we are now trying the e-bike as an alternative.”

The trio of retirement age is taking a few days off at the Flair Hotel Am Wörthersee in Carinthia, Austria, which, with its location in nature and directly on the southern shore of Lake Wörthersee, not only attracts nature lovers, but also active vacationers. From here you can go hiking or pedal directly. In the hotel, as in many Flair Hotels, you can rent e-bikes. The three cycle on so-called pedelecs. With these bikes, the motor only supports you when you are pedaling, up to a maximum of 25 km / h. The bicycles are legally equated with bicycles. This means: there is no need for a driver’s license, license plate, helmet or minimum age and driving on cycle paths is permitted. “Due to the higher speeds of the bikes, however, it is advisable to wear a helmet and to show special consideration for other road users,” advises Torsten Mendel from the safety expert Abus. Manfred Wilken and his friends therefore still tighten their bicycle helmets, then off we go.

The number of electrified bikes in Germany is estimated at over three million. The trend continues to rise. According to the Zweirad-Industrie-Verband e. V. (ZIV) the Pedelecs (from English Pedal Electric Cycle): Only those who crank are supported. Over 95 percent of all bikes, known for short as “e-bikes”, work in this way. The drive includes a torque sensor that measures how much force the cyclist applies to the pedal. For example, the bike recognizes: uphill, support is welcome – or you pedal easily and just need a little tailwind. With most pedelec drives, the level of support can be selected. The lowest level here is the barely noticeable boost with the lowest consumption, the highest level, on the other hand, quickly provides maximum support and accordingly uses up energy reserves. Pedelecs usually have a so-called pushing aid: a button or lever “accelerates” the bike to walking speed without any further action. A maximum of 6 km / h is allowed.

An e-bike has certain advantages when it comes to tours: the weekend excursion no longer only leads along the river or is done after 20 kilometers. Manfred Wilken and his friends feel that too.

the e-bike beginner is thrilled when he arrives halfway at Lake Ossiach. He has no problems operating his bike and the route doesn’t bother him either. “We have planned a good 60 kilometers – a round trip to Lake Ossiach and back to Lake Wörthersee,” he reports. “It’s really easy to do with e-bikes.” The e-bikes invite you to explore other paths and sights. “When you travel, you get completely new impressions of the region when you can ride a bit off the usual, heavily frequented bike paths. Even if a bit of stamina is lacking, the tour can be extended thanks to the electric motor, ”explains Stefan Stiener from touring bike provider Velotraum.

But there is hardly a bicycle segment that can still do without e-support. Racing bikes and children’s mountain bikes are now also available with a motor. E-powered cargo bikes seem to have become an indispensable part of the urban cityscape: “This is how children are driven to daycare and weekend shopping is brought home. The e-cargo bike is replacing the car in the city, ”reports Heiko Müller from Riese & Müller. The growing group of e-mountain bikers is a colorful example of the change in image. The ZIV specifies around 15 percent of e-bikes for their market share in 2016. Uphill you can explore completely new paths and trails. The bikes not only make you want to go downhill, but also uphill.

When it comes to batteries, too, technology is developing rapidly – for the benefit of consumers. The widespread lithium-ion technology already provides the necessary support for ranges of up to around 120 kilometers. Some manufacturers optionally offer a so-called double battery solution, in which a second battery is installed on the bike. “This means you don’t have to worry as much about charging and the range is significantly increased, which makes e-bikes interesting for touring cyclists too,” explains Heiko Müller. New cells have already been announced for 2018 that will provide more energy and also enable faster full charges. The prospect of charging times of around an hour makes the eyes of e-bikers light up. Lithium-sulfur batteries are also being traded as lighter alternatives for the future. Drives with hydrogen or a fuel cell, on the other hand, are not to be expected in the near future, at least across the board – although there are already prototypes here too.

Back at the Flair Hotel Am Wörthersee, Manfred Wilken is completely convinced of the e-bike. “It’s not difficult at all – on the contrary,” he says. “We hardly had to exert ourselves.” Happy about the successful experiment, the three of them return their bikes to the hotel. “But only until tomorrow,” says Manfred Wilken, who already has the next tour in his head.

These Flair Hotels lend e-bikes to their guests: