The Sil River canyon of Galicia bends like a horseshoe in front of me; an azure blue river, curving around a bulking lump of steeply sloping granite, topped with a smattering of olive trees which, as I continue to pedal and the view expands, turn into vineyards and then Mediterranean shrubs.
I was writing a lot about mountain biking when I went on my first e-bike adventure. It was a ride along a section of the Camino de Santiago - the world's most famous pilgrimage trail. Specifically, we were going up and down (and then back up and back down) the rolling forests and deep canyons of Galicia, in northwest Spain, and taking in the vineyards and coastline for good measure.
This was in 2016, long before the concept of the e-bike - and particularly of an e-mountain bike, designed for adventure, rather than transport - had hit the mainstream consciousness. I remember telling a bike nerd friend of mine (his small talk is primarily about bike parts he's bought on eBay) about the trip, and his response being relatively typical of the opinion at the time. He screwed up his face, and said some version of: “An e-bike? But isn’t that cheating?”
After riding an e-bike for a week through the gorgeous green of Galicia, I lost any trace of such skepticism
The concept was equally fresh to me back in 2016, and I must admit that, at first, I was also a skeptic. Isn’t off-road cycling meant to be about sweating the uphills, going hard on the downhills and getting all dirty and dusty along the way?
Well, there is nothing like experience to dispel ignorance, and after riding an e-bike for a week through the gorgeous green of Galicia, it's safe to say I lost any trace of such skepticism. Fear not. You will still sweat on an e-bike, you will still struggle, and you most certainly will still get dirty and dusty as you ride.
You'll also find more time to socialise - to talk to others while you climb, or ride.
There’s no doubt about it. Today, e-biking is booming.
In the EU27 plus the UK, e-bike sales first exceeded five million units in 2022. Germany alone hit 2.05 million e-bike sales in 2024 and both Germany and the cycling-loving Netherlands have now passed a key milestone. In both countries, e-bikes account for over 50% of all bike sales. The US is getting in on the trend too. E-bike sales in the United States jumped 269% from 2019 to 2021 and they crossed the million-units-sold mark for the first time in 2022.
A 2025 ATTA report named e-bike adventures the third hottest trending adventure activity in Europe right now - and fourth hottest in the US. E-bikes are fast becoming an adventure travel staple; a new way to explore.
A big part of this is that riding an e-bike is very familiar - if you can ride a normal bike, you can ride an e-bike. The difference is you have a button you can push to give you a helping hand. Usually there are a few different 'modes', which give you a varying level of help, and take up varying levels of battery. And look, let's face it - we've all dreamed of having a 'help' button on a brutal hill climb before.
E-bikes also alleviate some concerns people often have about joining group cycling trips - notably ‘what if i’m slower than everyone else?’ or ‘what if everyone else is slower than me?’ They are the great equaliser; perfect for a group of mixed ability. They remove the fear of climbs and let you enjoy the day - to take in the smells of the flora you're passing; to read the road signs; look at the market stalls and to dream of that local wine you've been hearing so much about.
One thing an e-bike is not, however, is a fix-all answer to a total lack of fitness.
It might seem obvious, but it's important to highlight that an e-bike can run out of battery, and if you overuse the charge, and it does run out of battery, you are left with a rather heavy bicycle. So expect to still pedal! Use the help when you want or need it, and ease off it at other times. You'll find your flow. An e-bike is best seen as a chance to expand your limits - how far you can ride and how much you can see. It is absolutely ideal for a multi-day ride through a new country.
When I think back to that trip in Galicia, I think of the beautiful backcountry. I think of the dense forests around Pontevedra, lush with centuries-old oak and chestnut trees, with twisting tree trunks and roots which punctuated the trails.
You will still sweat on an e-bike, you will still struggle, and you will still get dirty and dusty. You'll also find more time to socialise...
I remember riding steeply up a muddy, rocky trail to reach the Mosteiro de Santa María da Armenteira, an active monastery dating back to the 12th century, and watching a wedding party burst out the doors. We reached a delightful viewpoint from Mount Castrove on that trip, an ancient pagan place of Spanish folklore and Galician magic. Nearly every old fort of relic in Galicia seemed to be subject to some marvellous story involving mystical birdsong or visions of the Virgin Mary.
I stayed in a spectacular hotel one night - the Parador de Santo Estevo - a huge converted Benedictine Monastery hanging on the edge of the Sil River Canyon. The baroque architecture was intensely dramatic, the Roman touches perfectly preserved and I remember waking up in the morning to watch the sun rise, along with the mist, over the river. I remember how the rain came and went with every half hour when we rode, and the gentle hum of the motor when I was working it hard on the uphills. I remember the elation of speeding up tough climbs and equally, the gentle anxiety that I would run out of battery (I did not).
Our climbs peaked at 1,150m and descended to viewpoints with vantage points over huge lakes, vineyards and wind farms. I will never forget arriving into the Santiago de Compestelo, later in the trip, and looking out over the Romanesque architecture of that tremendous city. And yes, we had a fine helping of local wine and of pulpo, a local delicacy of octopus served in oil, salt and paprika.
There is an ancient legend in that storied Spanish city.
It is said that each year on 25 July – St. James’ Day – when Santiago de Compostela descends into an all night carnival, the spirit of Queen Lupa, the most beautiful Queen in the history of Galicia, rises from her sleep to join the celebrations. If you see the Queen on the streets that night, it is said you will be blessed with beauty for the rest of your days. It seemed to me that the spirit of Queen Lupa had wandered much further than just the streets of Santiago de Compostela, though. All of Galicia seemed to me stunning.
And the e-bike? Well. It made this adventure possible. I remember the bike relatively well. It was black and red, slick and comfy, if a bit tougher to handle than my much lighter fleet of bikes at home. I don’t recall the specifics of the bike half as well as the green of the forests, the blue of the river or the red of the wine.
I see an e-bike not as a replacement for a regular bike, but as a different activity altogether. It is something which co-exists with classic forms of cycling.
There will always be a special place in my heart for the grit and gore of tackling a tough climb on a bicycle with only your own legs to power you - but e-bikes, when discovering a new place, are empowering. They are a passport to the wild.
Oh, and that friend who once called them ‘cheating’? Well today, he’s the proud owner of an e-bike. It seems the power-assisted pull comes for us all in the end.
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