Keen to cycle to work but don’t want to get your business attire all sweaty? Or has old age, injury or disability left you unable to pedal hard? Then an electric bicycle could be the answer, writes Jack McKeown.
We’re on the pavement in Kinross town centre making last-minute seat adjustments to our electric bicycles.
My other hat is The Courier’s motoring writer, and I have to admit it’s been a few years since I’ve last been on a conventional pushbike, never mind an electric bicycle.
Rory MacLeod, who looks after marketing for the Scottish eBike Centre in Kinross, assures me there’s nothing to it. And as it turns out, he’s right.
I ease gingerly off the pavement onto the road and begin pedalling. A moment later an invisible hand seems to push the bike forward. I’m turning the pedals, but I’m no longer putting much effort into it and the bike is licking along at a fast jogging pace.
I pedal slightly harder and the bike’s power increases to match my pace. We whoosh forwards. I think I’m going to like this.
The Scottish eBike Centre is owned by AlienOcean, a company set up by 56-year-old entrepreneur Bob Watson after he became frustrated at being left behind by his wife and son on family cycling trips.
To keep up, he invented an electric bike sourcing motors, controllers, throttles and batteries from China and fitting them all together back in Scotland.Street legalThis is the business model the company continues to follow today, albeit on a larger scale. Parts sourced in China are put together at their premises in Lochgelly, then sold through their retail outlet in Kinross and online, with the company offering a next-day delivery service throughout mainland Europe.
Anyone over 14 can ride an ebike. British law means the electric assistance is not allowed to take you over 15mph on public roads, though you can pedal to go faster than this. Off road, the battery can propel you as fast as you like, and some ebikes can take you into the 30-40mph realm.
The ebike range starts at around £500, with a good road going example costing anywhere from £700-£900. That’s not much more than it costs for a reasonable conventional bicycle, and according to the company’s figures it costs nine pence to fully charge a typical ebike battery.
For those who are attached to their own bike, the centre offers conversion kits starting at £420, comprising a battery and motor, which you can either fit yourself (instructions are included) or pay to have fitted.
The eBike centre is located yards away from the road leading down to Loch Leven and its surrounding heritage trail. We scoot along there, dodging the speed bumps that now blight roads everywhere, past the car park and onto the track that hugs the side of the loch.Whiz kidRory encourages me to try the electric only mode. I flick a switch, stop pedalling, and use a motorbike-style throttle on the right-side handlebar to control the speed.
The bike is now running on electric power alone. My feet are merely resting on the pedal and I’m watching the scenery go by as we whiz along.
“You can either run it in pedal assist mode, as you did earlier,” Rory explains. “Or you can put it into full electric mode and have the bike do all the work.”
Doesn’t this undermine the health aspect of cycling?
“We’re not aiming at fitness enthusiasts or budding Chris Hoys,” Rory counters. “People who are into cycling will be fit and won’t need one of these.
“We’re aiming at people who wouldn’t or couldn’t get on an ordinary bike. Myself for example.” He pats his knee. “I’ve got a very bad knee which means I can’t operate a normal bike.
“This allows me to get on a bike and at least do some pedalling while the motor helps do the rest.” He pats his stomach. “It’s a step in the right direction and it might help me shift some of this.”No sweatAnother target for the ebike marketer is the business community.
“A lot of people want to cycle to and from work but have to wear business attire,” Rory continues.
“They obviously don’t want to get sweaty on their way to work, which means they have to bring fresh clothes and get changed or showered at work. Most people just give up and take the car.
“With an electric bike you can go to work on partial or fully electric power so you arrive fresh, and then cycle home on pedal power alone so you get your blast of exercise. Or you can pedal to work but just use the motor to get up hills so you don’t have to build up a sweat.”
The bikes have a range of 15-30 miles, depending on the weight of the user and how much they rely on the motor for assistance.Helping hand”Some of the bikes have variable level of pedal assist, from just giving you a wee helping hand to doing most of the work for you.
“If you’re light and do some of the pedalling yourself, the battery will last a long time. If you’re heavy and run it on battery power alone, it’s going to be more like the 15-mile mark.”
Of course, if the battery runs out, you can just pedal an ebike exactly as you would an ordinary bicycle. The battery and motor unit is housed in a metal cassette the size of a small shoebox. It locks into place and can be removed and taken into the house to be charged up.
A couple of miles round the Lochside, we stop and swap bikes. I’ve been on the Synergie Typhoon, which meets strict new European standards for road-going electric bicycles, while Rory’s been on a more powerful non-road legal bike designed for off-roading.
This one is a revelation. The throttle takes slightly longer to respond, but when it does there’s an almighty shove and you rocket forward.
I stand up on the pedals, going for maximum speed, and rocket past a lycra-clad fitness cyclist as if he were standing still. It’s a bit unfair, given that I have a 48-volt advantage over him, but it feels terrific nonetheless.
I think I’m hooked.No sweatAnother target for the ebike marketer is the business community.
“A lot of people want to cycle to and from work but have to wear business attire,” Rory continues.
“They obviously don’t want to get sweaty on their way to work, which means they have to bring fresh clothes and get changed or showered at work. Most people just give up and take the car.
“With an electric bike you can go to work on partial or fully electric power so you arrive fresh, and then cycle home on pedal power alone so you get your blast of exercise. Or you can pedal to work but just use the motor to get up hills so you don’t have to build up a sweat.”
The bikes have a range of 15-30 miles, depending on the weight of the user and how much they rely on the motor for assistance.Helping hand”Some of the bikes have variable level of pedal assist, from just giving you a wee helping hand to doing most of the work for you.
“If you’re light and do some of the pedalling yourself, the battery will last a long time. If you’re heavy and run it on battery power alone, it’s going to be more like the 15-mile mark.”
Of course, if the battery runs out, you can just pedal an ebike exactly as you would an ordinary bicycle. The battery and motor unit is housed in a metal cassette the size of a small shoebox. It locks into place and can be removed and taken into the house to be charged up.
A couple of miles round the Lochside, we stop and swap bikes. I’ve been on the Synergie Typhoon, which meets strict new European standards for road-going electric bicycles, while Rory’s been on a more powerful non-road legal bike designed for off-roading.
This one is a revelation. The throttle takes slightly longer to respond, but when it does there’s an almighty shove and you rocket forward.
I stand up on the pedals, going for maximum speed, and rocket past a lycra-clad fitness cyclist as if he were standing still. It’s a bit unfair, given that I have a 48-volt advantage over him, but it feels terrific nonetheless.
I think I’m hooked.