Simon Cowell regularly gives tough advice to people who think they can win his talent shows. After a fall from his newest e-bike, in which he seriously injured his spine, Simon is still full of advice. This time, he wants you to read the manual before hopping on to your new ride.

In addition to being fun to use, e-bikes are popular in business with some delivery services opting for them instead of motorcycles, which are pricier and raise concerns about the impact of carbon emissions.

What’s an e-bike? It’s a bicycle with a battery-powered “assist” that comes via pedalling and, in some cases, a throttle. When you push the pedals on a pedal-assist e-bike, a small motor engages and gives you a boost, so you can zip up hills and cruise over tough terrain without gassing yourself.

Getting an e-bike can dramatically increase how often you ride, according to a survey of nearly 1,800 e-bike owners in North America.

Are we likely to see this trend in Jamaica with motorcyclists turning to e-bikes and weaving through traffic? Could we expect that this would help reduce the accidents and deaths on our roads? Not likely in the immediate future.

You can’t really get a cheap e-bike just yet. But if you keep the car in the garage more often, you’ll save cash on maintenance and gas money — not to mention the added health benefits and potentially fewer sick days from getting more exercise.

Prices vary widely, but you should expect to pay at least US$1,500 for a decent e-bike, and considerably more ($2,500 to $5,500) for a quality bike with a motor system from a major manufacturer like Bosch, Shimano, or Yamaha.