Feeling Younger — and Feeling Better About Getting Older

Bicycling has a revitalizing effect — put simply, it makes us feel like kids again. 

“It’s [one of] the first physical activities we learn to do as humans. We walk, and then for many of us, we learn to ride a bike as a kid,” says Tami Reilly, Quinnipiac’s director of fitness & well-being and master instructor for the Spinning® program.  “As a senior, being able to get back on a bike and go up a hill because you’ve got that little electronic boost you need to make it less daunting? That’s huge.”

In this way, the appeal of the e-bike is self-explanatory. 

“For people who are older and have always been very active, the idea of slowing down physically is hard,” says sociology professor Catherine Richards Solomon, chair of the sociology and anthropology department, and director of aging studies. “E-biking is a great way to cope with and adapt to those changes, while staying active.” 

Solomon has direct personal experience with this trend, in fact. 

“My in-laws have been very active their whole lives, but they’re slowing down a bit. They’ve both bought e-bikes in the last few years,” says Solomon, who’s taken up e-biking as well to ride with them. 

She says her father-in-law, who is 81, has been riding 20 miles a day. “He can ride for a long time, and it’s easier on the joints,” she laughs, adding, “It’s easier on my joints, and I’m only 51!”

Fitness-forward seniors like Solomon’s in-laws have been an especially active generation and are eager for options to continue that activity, Solomon says.

While that wasn’t necessarily the reason behind the creation of e-bikes, the timing is fortuitous. Americans aged 65 and older increased 3.1% to 61.2 million from 2023-24, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

In addition to exercise and fun, e-bike riding can also be a way to help older adults get around for practical reasons. 

“Community engagement — being able to access your community, to get to your doctor’s office or pharmacy, to access social, cultural or religious events — is a component of healthy aging,” says Nicole Fidanza, director of the occupational therapy doctorate program.

For someone unable to walk as well or as far as they used to, and/or with a physical condition that limits their mobility, having an e-bike could be just what they need to maintain those connections.

The health and wellness benefits are immense for riders regardless of age, Reilly says. “Whether you’re a senior or you’re just a deconditioned person — someone who isn’t working out a lot — movement is medicine. Movement, on the whole, is good for both our physical and mental well-being, but you have to be motivated to move. If this makes it fun and exciting for you, you’re going to stick with it.”

What to know before investing in an e-bike

We got a few more tips from Dr. Fidanza about some things to consider when deciding if an e-bike might — or might not — be the right fit for you or a loved one.

• Assess cognition, vision and hearing. Be mindful of the safety concerns associated with e-bikes — it is, after all, still a motorized vehicle. In fact, in 2025, Connecticut enacted a law preventing children under 16 from operating “Class 3” e-bikes, which can reach an assisted speed of 28 miles per hour. “Consider your [or your loved one’s] capabilities, both motor and non-motor — meaning the cognitive and the sensory — just like you would for any other mode of transportation.”
• Stay safe and aware, and always familiarize yourself with an e-bike before purchasing or riding it. “It’s just like any other bike or vehicle — know the bells and whistles before you take it out and start joyriding. Learn about the safety features,” Fidanza advises. And when preparing to go out, make sure you’re familiar with the route as well as the visibility, weather and terrain.
• Be cautious of the potential to become over-reliant on it. Fidanza acknowledges that this is a more nuanced therapeutic concern, but she did express some worry that e-bike overuse could replace beneficial, rehabilitative movement that riders could do themselves. “It’s not meant to replace functioning in someone who can [pedal] on their own, or is, say, recovering from a knee replacement and needs to use their legs as part of the rehab process … but it would be a great assist for someone who needs the extra help.” Of course in most cases, e-bike users are seeking e-bikes as a source of physical activity rather than an end-all, be-all mobility aid.
• Consult a medical professional if you’re unsure. The nuance Fidanza describes is why her follow-up suggestion is to speak to an occupational or physical therapist. Even your own physician, she says, could help you determine any potential risk factors for e-biking.

Read more from Quinnipiac’s experts in our Wheels and Minds in Motion feature.

Photo (from left to right): Tami Reilly, fitness & well-being director and master Spinning® instructor; Catherine Richards Solomon, sociology and anthropology department chair; Nicole Fidanza, occupational therapy doctorate program director