E-Bikes Good or Evil

I’m going to answer this in one line: good. Absolutely
amazingly good- and I’ve hardly even ridden one. Although I have answered the
whole question posed by the title of this article in less than three sentences
I would urge you to read on. It’s not just because they can make you go
further, faster and harder than ever before. Taking you places a ‘normal’ bike
simply couldn’t manage. Its far more than this; E-Bikes are great enablers. It’s
not the terrain and distance that you can achieve that amazes me but it’s the
people it can help.

I have been properly riding bikes for 2 years now, and I owe
all of this to a few mates of mine who suggested I gave it ago. Bikes have
changed my life. My bike means freedom, exercise, great times with friends, and
something that’s never failed to clear my mind of all my worries. Now, thanks
to E-Bikes they have changed even more peoples lives. My Dad, for instance, is
fifty-something years old, not fit, not active, has dodgy knees, the works. He swung
his knee over a Giant E-Bike little over eight months ago and now he can fly down the final decent of the Monkey trail at Cannock Chase. Granted Dad
has upgraded significantly (the bug has truly bitten him), and he is now the
proud owner of a Specialized Turbo Levo. I’m severely out-biked. But that’s
what I love about this sport: it doesn’t really matter what you are riding or
what gear you have. I’m now spending weekends with my Dad and we are outdoors,
getting an adrenaline rush that’s hard to rival. It’s much better than sitting
in front of the TV!  

E-biking has built my Dads strength up considerably. He’s
not yet capable of keeping up with me on a regular bike, but with a small
amount of E-Bike assistance we become a very even pairing. However, there are
steep inclines where an infuriating whirring sound and a smug look and I’ve got
no chance of keeping up with him. But that easy climb is leaving him fresh and
prepared for the next descent, and after all, crashes happen when we get
fatigued and run out of talent. Honestly, there is no way he would even
entertain the idea of a muddy, cold, wet ride around Cannock Chase without the
assistance of batteries, and there we have it again. Its enabling an experience
that otherwise wouldn’t have happened. I’m sure it’s the same for so many people
across the world, managing to continue riding their bikes as age, fitness or
injury gets in the way. 

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