Energy and Environment Assistant, Tracy Gwynne shares her experience of trialling and then buying an ebike.
I saw an entry on the Staff Intranet about NHS Staff being given a free three month trial of an ebike. I looked into this, got in touch Forth Environment Link, who run the scheme and, just two weeks later, I took delivery of my very own ebike.
At first, I wasn’t sure if I would like it as I thought it might defeat the purpose of cycling as the battery would do all the work. How wrong I was. I realised very quickly that if I stopped pedalling, the bike would stop. After getting the hang of the bike and using the electric assistance to go up hills – there was no stopping me. I was out on it a lot more than I thought I would have ever been, especially during the Winter.
I liked the ebike so much that I started looking into buying one for myself after the three-month trial had ended After looking online, I found one that I liked and picked it up two days later. I’ve been out on it every day since I got it, yes, even in the bad weather! I’m out on the bike at weekends and I’ve been cycling to and from work. Not only does this benefit my health, but I am doing my bit for climate change in reducing my emissions by not driving my car. Also I found out I can get to work in about the same time that I would if I was driving.
I’m now looking forward to getting out more in the better weather and to venture further afield and see what else is out there at a slower pace than in the car.
I would highly recommend trialling an ebike and then buying one.
