Newbie from Tyneside

[Snipenose]

Hello everyone,

I have lived car free for the last 5 years. Bikes and e bikes for most transport now. Shopping is no problem as 2 panniers and sometimes a rucksack as well, can carry a lot.

I am also a member of Cycing UK, the cycling equivalent of the all powerful "Roads Lobby".

For many years I could not cycle at all, due to becoming ill with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME) when aged 34. After about 14 years I started to improve and this co-incided with the first practical e bikes kits. A Heinzmann Hub kit was found second hand, then fitted to my Raleigh touring bike. I had previously cycled a lot on this non assisted bike, before ME.

Over the years, I have been given one or two good e bikes by a friend and bought my E MTB 3 years ago, a Cube Reaction Race 500.

When out and about, sometimes people say "That's Cheating ". I always look around to spot a car, point to it and say something like "That's a powered armchair, if I stop pedalling this, it stops "

We have such along way to go in England, compared with many countries. Both non assist and e bikes, are technically very good on the whole, but the facilities for making full and safe use of them lag way behind.

I expect nothing will change very much, even after the Climate Change event in Glasgow. Great to be very wrong though.

Snipenose

 

[Teriatric]

Hi Snipenose, fellow new member and Tynesider here. I spent the last four years mocking the two lads I know with e-MTBs so I'm guilty as charged. However I broke my femur and shattered my hip at the end of May, and although I got back to the bikes 2 months later I found I couldn't do big climbs any more. So a month ago I invested in a Merida eOne and it's made me see the error of my ways. I've only done two rides on it with my ride buddies but it's brilliant to be able to go where they can again (all much younger than me). Enjoy your new passion, I know I will.

 

[The Hodge]

Good to see both of you are recovering from illness & injury ..
I've zero interest in using my ebike as a main mode of transport ..its purely for offroad pleasure ..as the roads are way to dangerous even ( if not more so ) where I live in rural Northumberland
Welcome to the forum

 

[Ogofmole]

I also run both a non assist and e bike and will use both, but as I'm on the waiting list for a replacement knee, I do find the ebike gives me more pleasure to just enjoy my off roading. I only do very limited road work as I was taken out by a car turning in front of me many years ago.