Jane and Ken’s electric bike
- sustainableoverton
- 7 hours ago
- 2 min read
We bought our e-bikes about eight years ago, after seeing a friend in the village zipping around on one. She let us try it out, and it was so easy! The electric assist gently boosts your pedalling, so you still feel like you’re cycling – just without the struggle on hills or into a headwind. It’s so much quicker than walking, and we can pop up to the village shops and bring the shopping home in our saddle bags. There are plenty of places to lock a bike up in the village centre, which makes short trips very convenient.
For anyone who hasn’t tried one, e-bikes (also known as electrically assisted pedal cycles, or EAPCs) only provide power when you pedal. You can choose how much assistance you want, which makes them suitable for all ages and fitness levels. They’re particularly helpful if you’re returning to cycling, carrying shopping, or riding longer distances. Many people find they use their bikes far more often once they have electric assistance.
As our bikes are relatively old now, they have a range of around 30–40 miles on a single charge, which is more than enough for our regular journeys. Newer models can travel much further – often 100–120 miles depending on the battery size, terrain, weather and how much assistance you use. It takes around 2–3 hours to charge ours up from empty, and we simply plug them into a normal household socket. The running costs are very low compared with a car, and maintenance is similar to a standard bicycle.
E-bikes are a great way to reduce car use for short local trips, helping to cut fuel costs and carbon emissions while also improving air quality in the village. They’re quiet, efficient and a sociable way to travel – you notice much more of your surroundings than when driving.
Our advice is to have a go on one and see what you think, then buy the best you can afford, paying attention to battery range, comfort and after-sales support. We are very happy for local people to have a try on ours – just get in contact with Sustainable Overton and they will put you in touch.
Jane says she can get to her friend in Deane in 15 minutes – it’s a doddle!
