Just don't blog while biking....

In New York City, sales of electric bikes rose 50 percent this year, according to NYCeWheels and online, Amazon.com reports demand for electric bikes skyrocketed 6,000 percent in July.

Elsewhere, electric bikes are viewed as an attractive alternative to cars, especially when navigating narrow European roads are confronting increasing urban traffic. Nearly 90,000 electric bicycles were sold in the Netherlands. In Germany, 60,000 electric bikes were sold, according to area associations.

In terms of price, it often depends of the battery. Amazon.com sells an IZIP bike using a lead-acid battery for less than $1,000, For slightly more, you can buy a bike powered by a nickel-hydride battery. For more than $2,500 you can purchase an electric bicycle powered by the same lithium-ion batteries that are in your laptop computer.