Electric bikes are trending. Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, the bikes have skyrocketed in popularity across the country, and Burlingame is no exception. 

The electric bike, or “e-bike,” uses pedal-assist technology to allow its rider to choose how fast they would like to go with little physical exertion.

According to “Electrek” and “Grand View Research,” the United States is expected to sell close to 1 million electric bikes per year in the near future. Just last year, the market size for electric bikes worldwide reached $17.83 billion, and it is predicted to expand at a compound annual growth rate of 13.5% through 2030.

Electric bikes have caught on at Burlingame, as well. Sophomore Luke Levitt owns a bicycle developed by Rad Power Bikes, the largest e-bike maker in the U.S. Levitt rides his bike everywhere in Burlingame, and uses it to get to and from school, as well as other places in the neighborhood, quickly and easily. 

“You’re able to go at a really nice speed and also not put as much effort in,” Levitt said. “I’ve used it every single day, even on the weekends, to get everywhere — unless it’s pretty far.”

Forget cars: through trial and error, Levitt has found that electric bikes are the most efficient way to get from his house to 1 Mangini Way. 

“I’ve raced my sister who was driving a car, and it’s faster getting to school,” Levitt said. “The batteries [go] long enough that I could go there back, there back, and I just plug it in every day when I get home.”

Levitt’s Rad Power bike can reach speeds of 20 miles per hour with a range of 25 to 45 miles per charge, depending on the pedal assist, terrain and rider size.

Sophomore Momoko Egan also has a Rad Power bike that she shares with her twin brother Atom. Like Levitt, Egan said the bike is essential for everyday transportation.

“We needed a way to transport ourselves without having our parents drive us all the time,” Egan said.

Efficiency aside, Egan simply enjoys riding an electric bike more than a manual one. Her rides — especially when they involve hills — are far less exhausting on the e-bike.

Egan understands that the price tag for electric bikes isn’t inviting, but she thinks the quality of the bikes outweighs the cost. Sophomore Anders Gauthier, a salesperson for local bike store Summit Bicycles, made a similar argument.

“A lot of the companies that we use are going to be really affordable overall, some of them can range from around $1,600 all the way to like $4,000,” Gauthier said. “And considering the prices and the quality of the bike[s], they’re going to be really nice for the cost.”

According to Gauthier, customers don’t mind the price either.

“Since COVID-19 it’s been a hot sell for us, and [it] is probably going to be the same in the future,” Gauthier said.

Because e-bikes are more valuable than typical bikes, they are also more likely to be stolen. Junior Isaac Van Voorhis’s prized electric bike was stolen in March of this year.

Not long after his e-bike was stolen, Van Voorhis made the decision to purchase a new one. Riding his electric bike is something that he always looks forward to.

“It’s definitely one of my favorite parts of the day, and being able to get fresh air while going to school is a huge benefit in my book,” Van Voorhis said.