The study examined how e-bikes can change transport behaviours and shows trial users would consider purchasing their own bike
A University of Limerick research project examining e-bike use has found that a considerable percentage of those who took part in a study would be willing to purchase their own bike.
ISCycle (Inclusive e-bike uptake and Sustainable use) is an innovative UL-led research project examining how e-bikes can change transport behaviours to improve health and protect the environment.
The project aims to generate evidence for more inclusive cycle access policies and schemes and has been examining the impact of e-bike loans in workplace settings since 2022.
The team has received funding from the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) to move to a second phase to examine the potential impacts of widening access to electric bikes for health, environment, and inclusion.
This second phase – ISCycle2 – was launched by Mayor of Limerick John Moran at the Citizen Innovation Lab in UL’s City Centre Campus.
The four-year project will explore the effects of e-bike access for parents and older people, while also studying the environmental impacts of rising e-bike ownership in Ireland.
The project builds on ongoing UL research looking at the impact of e-bike loans in workplace settings. Four workplaces are taking part with employees loaned an e-bike and cycling accessories for 4-12 weeks.
Among people who already completed the initial study measures, 43% said they intended to purchase their own bike, with a further 35% still deciding (based on 126 responses).
While poor weather, traffic safety, and practical obstacles were identified as barriers to e-biking by those who took part, reported advantages included saving time in traffic, being active on the commute to work, cycling with children as passengers, and benefitting the environment.
Moving beyond workplace settings, ISCycle2 now aims to involve people who are not positioned to benefit from existing bicycle access schemes such as the Cycle to Work Scheme, including people who are retired from employment and parents who are at home full-time.
Speaking at the ISCycle2 project launch, Mayor of Limerick John Moran said: “Changing behaviour is about changing minds. The ISCycle2 project is an innovative opportunity for more people in Limerick to try out new ways of travelling around the city and its surrounding areas. The project is responding to the known benefits that can be felt by individuals and communities if more people take up sustainable and active forms of transport.
“This project offers people a chance to experience cycling firsthand and the variety of ebikes available means people can travel further, even carrying passengers, without depending on a car. By removing the upfront financial barriers to bicycle access, ISCycle2 opens up our active travel infrastructure in Limerick to more people, prioritising social inclusion and participation and will be particularly important in some areas of the city where up to 40% of households do not have a car.”
Professor James Green of UL’s School of Allied Health and Physical Activity for Health Research Centre, Health Research Institute and lead investigator at ISCycle, explained: “The community take-up from the first phase of ISCycle has been amazing, with a number of inspiring stories from people who have not cycled in decades finding that an e-bike enables them to travel by bike in ways they didn’t previously consider possible.
“Electric bikes in particular have the potential to be transformational, enabling people to travel further, to be able to carry children, cargo, and passengers, making them a plausible car replacement. Having a range of different styles of e-bikes has allowed us to include people with different transport needs and purposes, such as parents and older people.”