On a recent motorcycling holiday, I had occasion to spend a couple of days in Reggio Emilia in Northern Italy.
I've not been there before and I was very impressed, it's a beautiful town.
There were ebikes everywhere. In the first half hour ramble around the old part of the town I saw over 50 ebikes when I stopped counting. Some Kalkhoffs, Giants and lots of other makes I've not seen before, most were hub drives but crank drives as well. Throughout the old town there were no white lines directing traffic anywhere, just open season, and cars, bikes, taxis, buses, scooters, e bikes and pedestrians all share the same space with apparently no problems at all. At road junctions, mostly there were exclusive cycle lanes and as a result more folk were on bikes than any other form of transport.
It was lovely to witness such apparent traffic harmony, and the massive improvement in quality of life and air cleanliness that such an urban environment can provide. Perhaps the local culture differs from the normal British psyche, but to see groups of old folk meeting up in the centre of town in the evening, largely on ebikes, was inspiring. As a bonus, many gorgeous women, dressed in the very finest of designer clothing with huge heels on, were riding bikes, and appeared elegant and relaxed. Cars definitely were shunned in favour of a pair of pedals across all ages.
I wonder if this utopian scenario could be repeated in the UK, bearing in mind our narrow streets and narrow minded planning authorities, but then again, perhaps, some day, somewhere!
I've not been there before and I was very impressed, it's a beautiful town.
There were ebikes everywhere. In the first half hour ramble around the old part of the town I saw over 50 ebikes when I stopped counting. Some Kalkhoffs, Giants and lots of other makes I've not seen before, most were hub drives but crank drives as well. Throughout the old town there were no white lines directing traffic anywhere, just open season, and cars, bikes, taxis, buses, scooters, e bikes and pedestrians all share the same space with apparently no problems at all. At road junctions, mostly there were exclusive cycle lanes and as a result more folk were on bikes than any other form of transport.
It was lovely to witness such apparent traffic harmony, and the massive improvement in quality of life and air cleanliness that such an urban environment can provide. Perhaps the local culture differs from the normal British psyche, but to see groups of old folk meeting up in the centre of town in the evening, largely on ebikes, was inspiring. As a bonus, many gorgeous women, dressed in the very finest of designer clothing with huge heels on, were riding bikes, and appeared elegant and relaxed. Cars definitely were shunned in favour of a pair of pedals across all ages.
I wonder if this utopian scenario could be repeated in the UK, bearing in mind our narrow streets and narrow minded planning authorities, but then again, perhaps, some day, somewhere!
