Ghost here to haunt

[ghost]

Hello, here to learn and contribute. age 34, Engineering background, like to push the boundaries.
Would like to promote e-biking as it has been so good for me.

 

[103Alex1]

At last - someone younger than me on the forum .

 

[ghost]

I wont ask how old alex! Hello to you.

I don't know what it is about powered transport but I am a big fan of cars, bikes, pushbikes and most of all electric bikes. If only I had more money to buy/build them.

I remember having to cycle home from work at 11pm when I was 16 in all weathers and I would twist the loose handgrip on the bar of my mountain bike closing my eyes and wishing it was a motorbike that would take me home.

Then one day I got a motorbike and it was great. But as time went on I missed the freedom of being on a lightweight machine. Fast motor bikes are cool but dangerous and any time saved over car travel is lost in donning all the stupid clothing.

I got a 50cc scooter one day sort of by mistake and realised I enjoyed riding it absolutely on the limit of its capability and never breaking the speed limit! No full leathers needed either. I am an environmental studies graduate so respect any technology that reduces energy consumption.

It was this that coaxed me into buying an e-bike and also the realisation that I could cut 6 miles each way off my commute car vs e-bike due to the construction of a new cyclebridge & path over a river near to me.

7000 miles in 2 years and counting saving over 14000 miles driving.

 

[103Alex1]

Great stuff. Got to say having to wear all that getup never appealed to me and put me off going down the motorbike route. I always loved scooters abroad when (like in the UK this Summer) you could ride along with a hot wind providing natural aircon. Up to 50-70mph in hot weather is exhilarating rather than freezing ! Was thinking about getting a scooter / small motorbike for longer distances but being sat on a scooter in wind and rain still doesn't appeal much ! If I lived in the Balearics I'd have one as my main mode of transport in a flash. With a pick-up as backup .

It's funny how your early experiences with bikes can be so off-putting. I used to absolutely hate bicycles. My only real experiences of them were cra**y old bikes at University which had no rack, panniers or chainguard and a rubbish lock meaning trying to cycle back from the supermarket with bags of wobbly shopping (un)balancing the handlebars or slipping off when I tried to turn corners and getting my trouser bottoms ripped up catching in the chain. All whilst puffing around feeling like the slightest hill was a hardship. I absolutely hated it and just viewed bicycles as irritations I'd have to make sure I could do without. So wound up limited to walking distance options - but was preferable to riding those contraptions - until I could afford to run a car ! Held that view of bicycles until a year ago when the car went and the 1st e-Bike arrived. It's hard to imagine not having one to ride now.

9 trains and £300 in train fares and taxis this week over 3 days sorting some client stuff out and probably more of this to come has reminded me that it's not practical long term to keep going without a car though. Not to mention having to sit in unventilated spaces surrounded by coughing and sneezing people, which to be honest is my biggest bug bear about using public transport as a back-up ! Sitting here with swollen glands felling rough as a badger's a*se it's the 1st real reminder in a year of cycling almost all the time in all weathers without a day's illness how unhealthy it is on public transport. Going to have to get a car tucked away by Christmas . The will has been there to give it a go without - and I've managed for a year now one way or another - but when I do I'm determined to try to keep cycling as much as possible and not lapse back into lazy habits of yesteryear.

... oh - and there's nothing quite like the feeling you get when you push whatever machine you have to its limits to see what it's really made of

 

[Ettica]

and getting my trouser bottoms ripped up catching in the chain.

boy do I remember doing that, especially with my 21" wide Birmingham Bags or Oxford Bags. Couldn't tuck 'em in 'coz I had 18 hole Doc's on so used a laccy band which invariably snapped and then you just suddenly slowed down because of your flapping kecks, next thing, RIPPppp, ...... "^ugger" !!

Dancing to Sweet's "Blockbuster" with ragged holes in my kecks at the Youth Centre, and falling over when I got my foot stuck in bottom of my bags..........

Loved it

 

[103Alex1]

^^ LOL. Yes - that's it .... gawd those were the days eh ?

I must have shredded the bottoms of at LEAST 2 perfectly decent pairs of '80s velour kecks on that thing .... scarred me for life !