Electric bikes really are game changers, as the young folk say

REGULAR Post correspondent P Collins has written in twice lately to tell us that creating cycle lanes and other bicycle friendly measures are all a waste of time because Bristol has a lot of hills.

Has our pessimistic friend been away for the last couple of years? Has he not seen the phenomenon of the Bionic Bristol Gran? Or cyclists of all ages easily peddling up hills like Park Street and the Wells Road, some even towing children.

As an elderly cyclist myself I was slowly peddling my way home up St Andrews Road, a steep hill here in Montpelier, a couple of months ago. I was feeling quite pleased with myself. It was then that I heard the impatient ringing of a bicycle bell behind me. There, mounted on a large black bike was a lady who must have been 70 years old at least. She glanced over her shoulder and after briskly overtaking me, shot off up the hill at around 20 miles per hour.

I was astonished and reminded of the opening sequence of The Six Million Dollar Man TV show from the 1970s.

A few days later as I cycled along Kellaway Avenue, my old friend Bert Harris flew past me on a bright red bike. When I caught up with him at the Tesco supermarket there 20 minutes later Bert had already finished his shopping and was having a cup of tea.

“Bert!” I said, “how did you get so fit? You were peddling along like the wind back there.”

Then the secret was revealed. Of course, Bert, and presumably the Bionic Lady mentioned above, were riding electric powered bicycles. For them Bristol’s hills are a thing of the past.

Bert said he can be anywhere in the greater Bristol area within half an hour and he’s 82.

These electric bikes really are amazing. Game changers as the young folk say. I am saving up my pension for one.

So, I say to P Collins and his fellow mature car-loving Bristolians come and join us.

There really is no excuse to be chugging around the city in a cloud of toxic fumes sat in a car these days. And with Marvin’s new cycle lanes it’s a lot safer too.

Ernest B Skidmore

Montpelier