Ask an e-bike owner if they like their ride and get ready to hear "...the most fun on a bike I've ever owned."

As aging or surgeries creep into joints, the e-bike phenomenon is gaining traction with riders who gave up traditional bikes because riding became difficult. Take, for example, Doug Stahl of Barter's Island.

He visited Pedego at Boothbay Harbor's small mall a year and a half ago to rent an e-bike. With ankle surgery eight months before, he couldn't use a regular bike.

"It was a nice day in September and I tried an e-bike in the parking lot," he explained. "Before I knew it, I was in East Boothbay." Stahl said riding the e-bike took him back 50 years. "After so many years I was able to get that back."

Boothbay's Ellen Newton discovered e-biking while she was visiting Bar Harbor with a friend and rented one. She was able to ride the Carriage Trail for hours and "fell in love" with the e-bike because riding a normal bike was challenging.

A summer rider, she bikes a couple of times each week. Last June, she took her e-bike to Prince Edward Island. "It's freeing," she explained. "You don't have to kill yourself going up a hill."

That's a frequently expressed benefit of e-bikes. According to Roger Mattews, who, with wife Lisa owns the area's Pedego store, "It makes a hill feel like you're on a flat road."

While similar in appearance to a regular bike, an e-bike has a battery, motor and in some cases a throttle along with gears so the rider can select the assistance needed for a comfortable ride. "The throttle allows you to take off from a standing stop," Roger explained. Some e-bikes have brake lights and turn signals.

But don't think "motorcycle." E-bikes do not require registration or a driver's license and are not permitted on highways. Riders need to follow the rules of the road as they would for a regular bike.

They operate on a "low draw" lithium ion battery – similar to a power drill – which can take two to four hours to charge and provide power for up to five hours or 80 miles, depending on the demands of the rider and size of the battery. "The best bike for any individual is the one that fits them best," Roger said.

He pointed out there are three classes of e-bike.

Top speed for a Class 1 is 20 mph and the rider must pedal for the motor to assist. Class 2 also has a top speed of 20 mph but has a throttle controlling the motor. Pedaling is not required for the e-bike to move.

Class 3 can reach 28 mph and has pedal assist and a throttle. Due to the weight of the electronics, e-bikes are heavier than normal bikes.

Health benefits from e-biking include weight loss and improved cardio vascular health, Lisa said. Stahl agreed, “I'm still getting the exercise but it's not debilitating."

Ocean Point resident Peter Panagore researched e-bikes before making his purchase. He has ridden a regular bike since childhood and found that Ocean Point Road can be dangerous. His e-bike is a fat tire mountain version, so he can ride it in the gravel at the side of the road, safely getting out of the way of traffic. He has put his e-bike to good use, riding almost every day and putting more than 7,000 miles on it in a year and a half.

Owners also say their e-bikes allow them to experience our area in a different way. "Instead of being hunched over riding a traditional bike, I can sit upright and see things I've ridden past before," Panagore said.

Matthews encourages those who would like more information about e-bikes to drop in to Pedego at the small mall. There, they can see a wide range of e-bikes and accessories for sale (prices are generally between $2,000 and $3,500) or rent and talk with Roger and Lisa for more information. The business also offers maintenance service on all bikes, including traditional ones. Training and coaching are also available.

E-bike owners agreed, riding an e-bike is just plain fun. "This is like being a kid again," Panagore said.