Electric bikes

I was planning to cycle along a converted railway line in Ireland, and my bike provider told me quickly how he had cycled the line and back just the day before, made it to the nearby island for lunch, and back to base for an evening pint before the clouds opened. And he still felt like he had had a workout. As he chatted, he was wheeling out an impressive, shiny German Kalkhoff model. I was relieved that it looked pretty much like any hybrid bike, and that I was actually going to get to pedal, having been naively worried that I might just have to sit on it and be shimmied, sloth-like, behind my kids. Next stop: Zimmer frame. In fact, the opposite is the case; the more you pedal, the more speed you generate from the battery’s power supply, so you can give it as much welly as you can muster, and trick those you overtake into thinking you’re breezing it on your own ‘someone’s had their Weetabix’ stamina. There is even an eco setting to make sure you don’t use up too much of the battery.

So, just as years ago, if you suggested an ‘eco’ vacation to someone they would have assumed you meant a woodland campsite, with vegan food and a long drop loo, I had my e-bike epiphany. These are fun, exciting, allow you to be outdoors without having to make it too much hard work, great value and get you to places you might not otherwise reach in a few hours on foot. Plus, and I would never admit this to my kids, cycling does knacker my knees these days. The E Factor for me was that I could cover good distance in a stunning landscape, and still feel like I had done my body good, and the environment too for that matter. And the knees were almost begging for more at the end of the day.

Sometimes called an e-bike, others may call it a pedelec, they are sturdy bikes that are fitted with a lightweight battery and an electric motor. They do not burn any fuel and are therefore emission free. They are very different from a moped or scooter, and definitely feel and move much more like a traditional bicycle. You have to pedal, and indeed you can pedal pretty hard, and you can also use gears, while choosing when and how much power you want to give it – if any at all.

As with all bikes, electric bikes vary in weight, as do their lithium ion batteries, although this is improving all the time. The heaviest bikes suitable for touring weigh around 25kg although for really sassy saddles you are looking at around 12kg. Sometimes you may want to carry an extra battery, which will add weight. But do check these details with your vacation company. Given that most cycling vacations provide a luggage transfer service from one accommodation to another, all you have to do is check in and charge up. This takes about four to six hours, while you bliss out at a bar, beach or in a hot bath. Or all three. If you are traveling a long distance, your tour operator can advise you of charging points along the route.

Yes! Initially I didn’t contemplate one as I thought it would not keep me fit and I saw the bike to work as part of me keeping fit, but an electric bike is an assistive bike so you still have to work at it; the more you put in the faster you go. It means I can now cycle in any weather and more times each week, thus improving my fitness. On my ordinary bike it would take longer and I wouldn’t even think about cycling in poor weather, let alone windy conditions. The electric bike wipes out the wind issues wonderfully!

For me it has been worth the investment and definitely had a good effect on my health... I cycle at an average 16 mph for 1.5 hrs a day... that's got to have some good effect on your system and seems to have helped my stamina a bit, as recently tested out on Haytor Hill on Dartmoor… on a normal bike!!!

Photo credits: [Top box: Bad Kleinkirchheim] [The E Factor: Michael Button] [Helpdesk: Catherine Mack] [On the move: k.steudel] [Vacations with an electric bike: Ciclismo Italia] [What made you decide & How do others respond?: Lyn Hill]