My eZee Liv electric bike which provides me with almost effortless cycling and gives me an enjoyable break from the many hours couped up in my workshop
I think most will agree that model engineering is an ideal pastime for the mechanically minded during their retirement years.
To my mind though there is a real danger that you can become so absorbed in your hobby that you spend all your available time hidden away in the workshop. In my case my workshop is the domestic garage with hardly any natural light from which I ocassionally emerge blinking like a mole.
During the warmer days (remember those ?) I started to give myself ‘days off’ so I could get outside and enjoy a break from whatever project was dominating my waking and sometimes, sleeping, hours.
I reluctantly packed in my passion for motorcycling a few years ago and in its place discovered the world of electric bikes.
Electric bikes are power assisted cycles using low voltage motors normally fitted unobstrusively into the front or rear hub and powered by specially developed high capacity rechargeable batteries. This takes much of the hard work out of pedal cycling, increasing enjoyment yet retaining the freedom of a conventional bike. A good electric bike takes much of the pain out of climbing hills and provided you put in a reasonable amount of effort you can climb hills of 1 in 10.
Further good news is that there are very few restrictions. Maximum allowable speed is 15 mph under British Law and riders must be at least 14 years old. Apart from that you are as free as a conventional cyclist. You can legally use designated cycle lanes and the increasing network of cycle tracks that are sprouting up around the country. I often pop into my local market town of Wetherby, a round trip of about 10 miles, most of which is along an old converted railway track. I have even been known to travel as far as York and back a round trip of 30 plus miles and no parking problems when I get there.
The gentle cycling is good exercise and the fresh air and sunshine is a good antidote to those prolonged sessions in the workshops.
If anyone is interested in learning more I would suggest you take a look at OnBike – electric bike specialists. An excellent range of the latest bikes backed up by an enthusiastic team of e-bike specialists.
Here’s how OnBike summarise the benefits of e-biking…….
Economy
Electric bicycles are incredibly frugal compared with motorbikes and cars.
On average, they cost less than 2p to recharge which is the equivalent of 1000mpg (20 times the mpg of a small car)
They are treated just like ordinary bicycles for legislative purposes so there’s no need to worry about Log Books, MOT, Road Tax, Insurance etc.
Most of the working non electrical parts are standard cycle parts so day to day servicing like tire or brake replacement will seem very cheap for people used to paying for car repairs.
Health and Hills
It is said that a conventional bike will keep you fitter. That, of course, depends how much, if at all, it is being used. Because riding an electric bike is such a pleasure even in hilly country, or into the wind, their owners tend to ride them much more often than conventional bikes. The motor provides up to half the effort, but regular use means more exercise for the rider.
If you want some strenuous exercise you can always switch the motor to a lower assistance ratio or turn it off completely.
Fun
They are incredibly good fun. If you have never ridden one before you will find you get all the pleasure and fresh air of a bicycle, without the hard work, and all the excitement of a moped or a scooter, without the fumes, mechanical complexity, noise and cost.
First time riders invariably come back with a big smile on their face and many have commented “It’s like riding a normal bike only with a big friendly hand giving you a push on the difficult bits”.
Perspiration may not be a serious issue when out for a leisurely ride, but it’s more important when cycling to work. An electric bike eliminates the problem and allows riders to wear their normal clothing and really enjoy the journey.
If you are or have been a regular cyclist but are beginning to find it a bit too much like hard work then you really must try an electric bike. Suddenly those trips that seemed a bit too long will have halved in distance and those hills that were a bit too steep will have miraculously flattened.
Green
Using an electric bike is the best way there is to break the car habit. The average car journey in Britain is 5 to 8 miles and every day people in Britain make millions of small journeys to work or the shops and back that could easily be non-polluting bike rides – during rush-hour, a bike is twice as fast as a car – great if you hate jams!
An electric bike is completely emission free can be made genuinely sustainable by purchasing electricity from a ‘green’ supplier, or generating it via a roof-mounted windmill or solar panel. This will enable the vehicles’ fossil fuel consumption to be zero.