What to expect when you ride an e-bike for the first time
A guy rides in and skids to a halt by our workshop. He’s fast but everything’s still standing. He stays for a quick chat, with his face lit up like a kid at Christmas, then he’s off towards the other door. He wobbles, staff and customers hold their breath, but he quickly straightens up and negotiates his way safely outside.
Who is this audacious guy with the nerves of steel that just rode a circuit inside our shop? He’s having his first ride on an electric bike which we custom built to his requirements in the Revolution Bikes workshop. This in itself isn’t unusual. We specialise in building beautiful bikes.
But the guy with the woohoo going on isn’t some kid. He’s not a gnarly mountain biker and certainly not a lycra clad roady. He’s wearing his gardening shorts and a baggy high viz vest. He’s over 70 years old. He flashes his gold card. He could be your dad or even your granddad. And he’s zipping around like a kid again.
I would probably get in trouble if I said he hasn’t had this much fun since he tried Viagra...
So is getting older boring? Not from where I’m standing.
Electric bikes make all sorts of things possible. Hills disappear. Miles disappear. Grown-up behaviour disappears! Fun and long rides with friends and a permanent tail wind are now yours for the taking.
Every week we meet new people who tell us the same thing, along the lines of:
“I tried out my brother’s electric bike and couldn’t believe how easy it was, soooo...”
We get down to the business of finding the right kind of electric bike for their needs. Like I’ve said before, it’s never a one-bike-fits-all situation, and anyone who tries to convince you otherwise isn’t listening to you. What you should expect is a bunch of questions about where you want to ride, the kind of distance you’ll do, any special features you’re keen on, and then finally, finally, you try out a few different brands and models for comfort so you can pick from the best. And then we look at what kind of customising it needs for you, often changing seats, adding baskets, bells, whistles, that sort of thing.
There’s quite a lot to take in so we’ve decided to run a series of Electric Bike Info Sessions from August to November on Wednesday next week. This will also be a good opportunity to meet other people to go riding with. So please join us at Revolution Bikes for the next session, to learn more about E-Bikes. Bring a friend, everybody welcome.