However, various studies elsewhere have highlighted the high proportion of e-bike casualties among the fallen. In 2019, the German insurer Allianz released figures that suggested the five-year average risk of fatality on a bicycle is three times higher if you are riding an e-bike. 

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) has compiled several studies that suggest this is also a risk that increases with age. One study conducted in the Netherlands, where in excess of 420,000 e-bikes a year are now being sold, found that for cyclists over 75, the injury risk on electric bikes was twice that of conventional models. 

Speed is less of a concern than you might imagine. In the UK, all e-bikes are capped at a maximum speed of 15.5mph by law; any higher, and the motor cuts out. Average cruising speeds are broadly similar to those pedalling under their own steam. 

Cycling proficiency instructors say what is more of an issue is the increased weight and acceleration of e-bikes, which particularly older and inexperienced riders can find difficult to manage. “They are bloody heavy,” says 54-year-old Dave Burns, who runs a Harrogate-based cycling instructor business called I Want to Ride My Bike. “If people are older and a little bit more frail, that weight could take them over.” 

Burns has taught a number of cyclists, middle-aged and upwards, how to ride e-bikes, and says the initial burst of acceleration can definitely cause a few wobbles. “They set off quite quickly, so if you are a bit anxious, it can feel as if you are out of control.”

However, it appears to be a risk worth taking to keep fit later in life. Numerous studies have demonstrated the overall health benefits of e-bikes, even if riders are pedalling less hard. In one recent paper, Bristol University researchers compiled 17 different studies involving a range of groups that concluded e-cycling provides physical activity of at least moderate intensity.