As a cyclist myself I'm reluctant to believe this, whether it's out of pride or pragmatism.
There are definitely confounding factors - e-bikes are considerably more expensive than pedal bikes (and I've never heard of anyone giving away e-bikes for free), so a different group of people purchase e-bikes. Bikes become a utility while e-bikes are more of a lifestyle choice.
The reasoning of "e-bike riders end up doing more exercise because it is easier" may make sense for casual riders, but anyone who dons lycra or even just thinks of themselves as a "cyclist" would likely not be trying for casual levels of exertion but rather to push themselves pretty hard. I personally will attempt the hardest climbs I can on my bike because of how rewarding they are to finish (and descend, which is honestly where all the fun is!). I will grant, though, enabling e-bike commutes that would be way too tiring on a pedal bike is certainly a big plus for casual/commuter riders.
And of course, I personally enjoy doing something out of purely my own physical power, and so clipping into a lightweight bike and reaching the top of Old La Honda is just beautiful for me. If I wanted the views from the top/the journey and the experience without exerting all that effort, I would drive to the top of Skyline instead (which I have done, often, and genuinely enjoy too! I'm not just ridiculing here).
I consider myself a "cyclist" (love OLH, but my personal favorite is Marin Headlands) and picked up an e-bike conversion kit a few years ago. I still have a separate road bike for exercise or adventure rides.
However, the e-bike is far superior when it comes to daily commutes or errands around the city - the amount of assist is adjustable, so where I would ordinarily talk myself into driving to a store if I was tired, now I can turn up the assist while still getting a little blood flowing. I find that it's helpful to be able to separate the times I'm pushing hard vs the times I just need to get somewhere.
I don't use the e-bike for rides with a view, but I also don't resent anyone who does - I know many people who would like to get up OLH, but can't entirely under their own power, so having a little help from an e-bike is perfect. (Using a throttle e-bike is a little different and more akin to motorcycle touring.) Without an e-bike, they wouldn't attempt it at all, which is a shame!
Yes the real bikers get more exercise on a bike than anybody else, but what's the size of the Lycra crowd versus the size of the commuter crowd or the casual rider crowd?
It's hard to quantify the differences in the intensity and duration of exercise too. An e-bike is heavier than a standard bike so it may take more energy. On the other hand, it might make pedaling so easy that the exercise is like 1/4 as effective overall.
A little anecdotal evidence, I've been car free for over 3 years now, and do everything by e-bike unless it's after dark, in which case I just get an Uber. About a year-and-a-half into being car-free I made the switch from a normal bike to an e-bike, and not long after began to make far, far longer trips as a result. Pretty much opened up the whole city to be.
Which is significant, as I live in Albuquerque. It's one of the least densely populated cities in the US. Everything's all spread out, and the difference in elevation from the highest to the lowest parts of the city is over 1,500ft
More anecdotal data. I ride with a group of retired folks. About 60% of the 75+ year olds ride eBikes. Riding an eBike enables them to continue riding with the group. We've got several couples where one rides a regular bike and the other an eBike so that they can keep up and not be completely worn out on longer rides.
My wife and I did a bike tour in southern France last year. She rode an eBike and that made the hills (and riding into the Mistral) doable for her.
My father got an eBike at 80 years old and rides it for most errands in his small midwest town when the weather allows, including grocery shopping.
So I can easily understand that eBikes can lead to more miles ridden.
My anecdotal data does not back up the claim that eBike riders log more miles than non-eBike riders. But we've got some exceptional older riders in our group with several logging 7000+ miles a year and one that logs 17,000-18,000 miles a year.
A little clickbaity title there, as it seems like the habits of riders with e-bikes on average does the trick, not the individual bike itself. That is, I suppose that measured along the same route the e-bike rider would get significantly less exercise, but overall usage patterns result in more exercise for those that have one.
Or, for a lot of people, if they can get less intense exercise, they'll get out more. Probably not all that different than if you give people the choice between jogging or sitting on the sofa whereas getting out for a walk may be a pretty good in-between option.
On average, studies have found that e-bike riders typically ride for longer periods of time than pedal bike riders. Not only do they log more hours, but they log a lot more miles, too. Even though they’re getting some pedal assist, they’re still doing a lot of pedaling – and in fact a lot more.
“ Of course, riders who use a throttle-enabled electric bike won’t reap the same level of benefits as pedal assist e-bikes that still require pedaling…”
That’s the buried lede. Most e-bikes I see are throttle enabled and used like electric motorbikes. Many look way too heavy to be pedaled any distance or up a hill.
There are definitely confounding factors - e-bikes are considerably more expensive than pedal bikes (and I've never heard of anyone giving away e-bikes for free), so a different group of people purchase e-bikes. Bikes become a utility while e-bikes are more of a lifestyle choice.
The reasoning of "e-bike riders end up doing more exercise because it is easier" may make sense for casual riders, but anyone who dons lycra or even just thinks of themselves as a "cyclist" would likely not be trying for casual levels of exertion but rather to push themselves pretty hard. I personally will attempt the hardest climbs I can on my bike because of how rewarding they are to finish (and descend, which is honestly where all the fun is!). I will grant, though, enabling e-bike commutes that would be way too tiring on a pedal bike is certainly a big plus for casual/commuter riders.
And of course, I personally enjoy doing something out of purely my own physical power, and so clipping into a lightweight bike and reaching the top of Old La Honda is just beautiful for me. If I wanted the views from the top/the journey and the experience without exerting all that effort, I would drive to the top of Skyline instead (which I have done, often, and genuinely enjoy too! I'm not just ridiculing here).