Wednesday, May 03, 2023

Cycling options

 I used to ride Wendy‘s old bike when I came to Boulder, 





but Lux has grown, and claimed it for herself, which makes perfect sense. Lucky for me, Isaac has VERY kindly rented me an electric bike for my stay here. 






I rode up to school with Lux this morning and when I got home, Isaac asked me if I saw the bear.

“What??!”

“I’ve just had a text saying a bear has been spotted up near school.”

Hmm. That’s Boulder for you.

I’ve only tried an electric bike once before - I hired it from Hassop Station - and I thought it was rather clunky. This one is much heavier than my ordinary bike at home, but its great! It has meant I’ve been able to do longer and more interesting rides than I’ve done before. I can go as far as I want to explore, knowing that if I get tired on the way home, I can rely on the motor to help me along. 

I rode up the Boulder Creek Canyon the other day - something I’ve never attempted before - and it was lovely.








I’ve always thought that if I had an electric bike I’d get lazy and rely on the motor and I’d lose my (already dwindling) fitness. Dave has tried to persuade me otherwise, saying “It won’t move if you don’t pedal!” but I’ve been stubborn. Here I have no choice but to ride an electric bike and I’m liking it.

Because the Derbyshire Peak District is so damn hilly, my rides at home are severely restricted as I just don’t have the ‘go’ any more to tackle them. I’ve been saying “When I’m 75 I’ll get an electric bike” but now I’m thinking “Why wait?”

I have to admit that pride has also been a barrier. I haven’t wanted people to think I can’t cycle if I don’t have the assistance of an electric bike. Even this week, when passing walkers on the trail I have often switched off the motor, until I’ve been out of earshot. ๐Ÿ™„ 

My brother said on FaceTime this morning “Good grief! You’re 75  (73 actually) - some people don’t cycle anything at your age!” 

So…when I get home I might dip into my savings and splurge.

Here are some photos from my ride this morning. The sky really is this blue. It’s astonishing.









6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Beautiful scenery & look at that blue sky! Interesting regarding the electric bike. I've just had one for my birthday but I've only admired it so far, not rode it. I'm waiting for dry weather & a quiet, non-weekend /bankholiday... I'll let you know how I get on. Sally ๐Ÿšฒ๐Ÿ˜…

Sue Hepworth said...

Lucky you! I hope you love it.

Anonymous said...

I gather you can also have a motor put on your own bike, I have no idea how and if its cost effective or affects the balance of your bike but might be worth looking into? Jenetta

Sue Hepworth said...

Thanks, Jenetta. You can do this but it would be too heavy for my liking.

Anonymous said...

Sue. I’ve had an ebike in the states for 12 years. I’m 75 and do long week trips on it in the summer . Even Tuscany and Amsterdam . I love it. Makes my day to take short rides too .

Sue Hepworth said...

Thank you for this last comment. I have now bought one. Whooppee.