While engineers and developers work out the safety kinks in self-driving cars, software-enabled electric bikes can be taken for a ride today. While they aren’t self pedaling, the sensors and electric motors can help cyclists shorten commutes and conquer steep hills and rough terrain. They’re already big in Europe and getting bigger in the U.S. — thanks to new regulations.

The bikes’ software changes cyclists’ riding experience, according to Jonathan Weinert (pictured), sales and marketing manager at Robert Bosch North America Corp.

“You’re riding on software,” Weinert said. “And we have three sensors that are capturing your input — torque sensors from the pedals — how fast you’re pedaling and wheel speed. And those three sensor measurements go into the electronics and tell the motor how much extra oomph to give you.”

Weinert spoke with Jeff Frick (@JeffFrick), host of theCUBE, SiliconANGLE Media’s mobile livestreaming studio, during the InterBike Marketweek event in Reno, Nevada. They discussed e-biking in Europe and the U.S.

 Mapping the future of e-biking

These bikes merely assist riders — they don’t throttle, according to Weinert. The Bosch e-bike system can be found on 70 bike brands worldwide. With its speed system, riders can go 28 miles per hour, “which is great for people that have long commutes or they want to do these huge adventure rides,” Weinert added.

Bosch is now outfitting its e-bike systems with internet of things sensors that can monitor heart rate. “It’s our first step into connectivity. Many more connectivity features will follow.”

E-mountain biking is huge in Europe and is reinvigorating ski resorts there, Weinert pointed out. It’s showing up in U.S. ski resorts as well.

Bosch and others have teamed up to flesh out a framework around regulation of e-bikes. They’ve set e-bike laws in California and nine other states. With clear-cut regulations, adoption in these states is picking up, Weinert concluded.

Watch the complete video interview below, and be sure to check out more of SiliconANGLE’s and theCUBE’s coverage of the InterBike Marketweek event.

Photo: SiliconANGLE