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Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - It's not at all an uncommon sight to see, what appears to be a regular bike, buzzing down the street, sidewalk or path, and it turns out to be one of the many new e-bikes on the market.

The e-bike is growing in popularity in Buffalo, Western New York and beyond, with one e-bike retailer telling WBEN it's perhaps the future of transportation.

Jim Costello of Bert's Bikes and Fitness says the e-bike is more than just a bike. "It's transportation, it's recreation, and all of those things combined. So people can have a lot of different experiences on e-bikes," says Costello. In fact, some are buying e-bikes to use on their jobs, such as food delivery, and for others, it's replacing a second car.

Costello says consider what you'll use the e-bike for when you're looking to buy, particularly where and how you'll ride. "There's are more styles of e-bikes than there are regular bicycles, and there are lots of differences between them. So you really want to get something that is suited for what you want it to do," says Costello, who recommends a test ride similar to a test drive for a car.

Costello tells us the e-bike has opened the door for people with mobility issues to hop on as well. "We regularly sell e bikes, to people that haven't been able to ride for many years that have bad knees or bad hips. Now they can get on an electric bike or an electric tricycle, and actually be outside for multiple hours and experience things they haven't before," says Costello.

Costello says there are two main kinds of e-bikes. One has a pedal assist, where the motor assists your pedaling. "You'd be going 10 miles an hour, now you're on an E bike with that same effort and you're going 15," notes Costello. He says there's also one with a throttle, where you don't pedal. He says you do need more control with a throttle e-bike.

The e-bike is the future says Costello. "What we've seen not only in Western New York, but internationally, there are places around the world like Amsterdam or Paris, where you'll see more e-bikes than cars," notes Costello.