By Everett Potter

I recently rode an e-bike from Meiringen to Interlaken in Switzerland, from Reichenbach Falls, where Sherlock Holmes nearly met his demise, and along the mountain-clad shores of Lake Brienz, with a travel company called to out & ABOUT – Switzerland Trekking. I traveled on twisting two-lane roads and gravel paths with some very steep inclines. The experience was like a return to my ten-year-old self, feeling the freedom and ease of bicycling in a landscape that was the far side of idyllic. This time, it was on a power-assisted bike and a breeze to pedal, especially on those winding uphills.

Whether you call them e-bikes or the more formal electric assist bikes, they can offer a new way to see the world. Simple to use, a bit trickier to master, they provide a welcome boost of power when heading up a hill in Switzerland, navigating the rolling Tuscan countryside, or touring the South of France on two wheels … continue reading