Shameless plug for e-bikes... but at least I’m back in the saddle

I’VE recently acquired an e-bike. You might have seen in the news recently petrol is getting a bit pricey, so my idea is to swap four wheels for two as often as possible. And, because I’m in my 40s, I’m no longer fit enough or, more accurately, I simply can’t be bothered to ride up Derbyshire’s steep hills under my own steam. So an electrically-assisted bike has been a must.

You see, I’m something of a walking stereotype when it comes to cycling. I was mad keen on it when I was in my early teens. I devoured every copy of Mountain Biking UK and lusted after the latest bikes and kit, only to have my hobby cut short when some numpty gave me a driving licence.

As much as I obsessed over mountain bikes, the lure of my first car was too much, and my bike has been pretty much gathering dust ever since.

And now that I’ve come full circle, now that I’m ready to ditch a car for a bike, the arrival of the e-bike has come at just the right time. They are absolutely marvellous things.

I live in Ashbourne and if you’ve ever been to Ashbourne you’ll be aware that you can’t get out of our little “pudding bowl” without climbing a hill. Some of these hills are long and arduous, some of these hills are seizure-inducingly steep, but they all lock in the casual, unfit cyclist and you feel pretty stuck.

But with my e-bike I just turn the power assistance up a couple of notches and waft almost effortlessly up the hill and onward to freedom.

Most e-bikes – mine included – will run out of juice pretty quickly if you keep the power turned up, but a combination of being a bit fitter than I feared, and the ease with which you can ride a modern bike has meant I can leave it in its rangeboosting “eco” mode for longer.

I’m told my bike will cover a distance of 40 miles in the right conditions and, while I don’t believe a word of that, I reckon I’ll be good for about 20. And I’m genuinely not the sort of person who will choose to take my bike on a 20-mile round trip when there’s a perfectly good car on my driveway.

But for the occasional trip out to a meeting for work, for the odd run to the shops, or even popping across to the next village to go and see my mum, it’s absolutely perfect. I’m amazed at how useful it has become in such a short space of time.

The saddle soreness thing faded pretty quickly, a cheap set of panniers solved my storage issue, and I’ve finally figured out an outfit that strikes the right balance between being practical and looking like a wally.

The only thing that could stop me – and it hasn’t really been a problem recently – is rain. I know some of you might mock me for only being a fair-weather cyclist, but I really haven’t got enough to gain by turning up at a meeting soaked to the skin.

The winter months will no doubt prove a challenge. I’ll need a good set of lights, some decent gloves, and a prolonged drought to keep me in the saddle, but I’ll be keeping fairly fit and saving a bucket-load of fuel, so I think it’ll be worth it.

More than anything, though, there’s a certain sense of satisfaction knowing you’ve completed a necessary journey under your own steam. OK, I’m cheating and using an electric motor to take away the really hard work, but the more I cycle, the less I will rely on it because I’ll be getting fitter.

So if you’re wavering over the expensive step of buying an e-bike, I’d say go for it. I’d forgotten how much I love cycling and, while I don’t think I’ll ever cycle purely for recreation again, using a bike for the short trips I’d usually start the car for saves money and the environment. It’s absolutely brilliant.