What Are E-Bikes?
Like many people, I’d previously had a few misconceptions about how e-bikes work. I thought they were like motorbikes, and that when you got tired you could just turn the motor on and relax. And whilst there are some e-bikes that come with a throttle, most still require you to move under your own steam - they just give you a bit of a power boost as you’re pedalling. That was certainly the case with my bike, a brand new Giant Fathom E that was about to get put through its paces.
An Early Start
Despite the early hour, when I arrive at the Mr Biker HQ in southern Saigon it’s already a hive of activity. These guys are logistical geniuses and, with their team heading to Buon Ma Thuot for a race the following day, serious preparations are in progress. After being introduced to the team, including Bo, the Mr Biker dog (and hands down the cutest pup in Saigon), and taking my bike for a quick test run up and down the street, we’re ready to depart.
Mr Biker offer two options for this tour - you can take a minivan out to the countryside and start there, or you can ride out through the Saigon traffic. For most visitors the former option is recommended, but as a veteran of Saigon’s random, often crazy roads, I risk the latter. I quickly get the hang of the e-bike, which essentially works by using an electric motor to boost your pedalling. You can quickly get up to decent speeds, keep up with younger, fitter riders, and breeze up hills and bridges like a Tour de France pro. It also comes with several power settings so you can choose how much of a boost you want - I start on the lowest setting, but by the end of the ride I’m getting as much help as I can…
E-Biking to the Mekong Delta
The Mr Biker team, led by founder Mr Thai and two of their top cycling team members, set a cracking pace as we ride out of the city and we are in the countryside in no time, cycling along narrow paths alongside rice paddies and coconut trees. They make group riding easy and safe - there’s always a rider in front of and behind you, warning you about approaching traffic, pointing out turns, and stopping at sites of interest. If you’re worried about safety and fitness levels, their Vietnam e-bike tours leave you nothing to fear and even a horribly unfit guy like me can not only keep up but actually enjoy the experience.
After around 30km we stop for a welcome breakfast at a local coffee shop, a delicious banh mi washed down with gallons of fresh orange juice and strong Vietnamese coffee - the perfect cycling fuel and sorely needed after my early morning exertions. This leaves us with around 20km to go as we head back to the Mr Biker depot, and their team really put the hammer down - even the e-bike struggles to keep up. I crank the power up to the max and pedal like crazy, and the final few kilometres are a real struggle (note on a normal Mr Biker tour the pace would be a lot slower - this is more of a training ride), but I arrive at our destination just about intact, where I’m greeted by Bo the dog and litres of cold water.
If you’d told me a few days ago that I’d be cycling from Saigon to Long An and back, at 7am, with a group of racing cyclists, I’d have asked you what planet you were on. But with an e-bike, even the most out-of-practice cyclists can ride serious distances and enjoy bike touring without too much suffering. Well, a little bit, but as the old saying goes, no pain, no gain.