E-bike sales are booming in mainland Europe, and they are becoming an increasingly common sight in Scotland. To find out why they are becoming so popular, The Courier has been putting them to the test. Mark Asquith is our picture editor — and a busy dad. Here’s how he got on going electric.
My cycling background
I’ve been a keen cyclist since I was young, and spent many years cycling on the hills around west Lancashire and then in the desert when I lived in the Middle East for a few years. For the last year I’ve been commuting to work on a regular road bike.
Why e-bikes interest me
With a growing family comes growing time pressures. It is difficult to fit in nursery runs, riding to work, and showering on arrival, and still be at my desk on time.
We already have one family car and do not want a second, but I like getting the exercise on a bike rather than commuting on a bus.
The thought of being able to step straight off a bike in shirt and tie, sweat and fluster free, appeals to me.
How I got on
I didn’t get chance to try out doing a nursery run on the bike but I got to do the commute for a couple of days.
To begin with the small boost you get as you start to pedal feels slightly unnatural, as does the fact the motor drops off once you reach 16.5 mph so this is as fast as you can go without putting in a huge amount of effort.
These two small issues, however, are very minor and really amount to a change of attitude when riding an e-bike – it is not so much head down and pound out the miles as sit up a little relax and enjoy the ride.
Tempted to buy one?
This first little taste of an e-bike has certainly got me interested. It could be a really helpful addition to the car and road bike we already use as a family.
