New York Times: TECHNOLOGY has eliminated many of life`s milder physical demands, like getting off the couch to change the channel, or going to the store to buy a book. The latest exertion to be conquered: biking uphill. Electric bicycles — a regular pedal-driven bike with a motor for steeper slopes and an optional extra boost — is an idea that has been around for more than a century. But while e-bikes have caught on in certain parts of the world, particularly China, where tens of millions …