Ann Clark borrowed an electric bike for a month. After her a month of experience with it, is she going to purchase it? This is her electronic bike journey stated by her.
I borrowed an electric bike because I could not decide at that moment if I should buy it. The first question I had in my mind was the price. Is an electronic buy worth the money it comes for? My next concern was how often the bike would be used. This was easier to decide as I wanted to use it for commuting to and from work every day.
How was the experience? It was great to have the support of electric power to my bike. However, handling it was a bit difficult because of its heavyweight. Mastering to start and stop took me some time. However, once I did it, commuting became very easy and pleasing. The experience of riding and electronic buy is very different from a traditional bike.
I wanted an opinion from my husband on whether I should spend money on this. Although he is very supportive of the whole renting-bike episode, I know that he thinks that I do not need an electric bike because I am fit enough. My sister, niece, and colleagues at work said the same thing. I think they are right because I have a pair of strong legs that are enough to tackle the hills between my home and office.
I am aware of my strength from the daily walk with my dog. It is never only a gentle stroll but filled with marching, striding and tramping to hill frequently. This is a fixed routine in any weather.
To test my theory, I kept reducing the usage of the power boost. I wanted to see if my legs are enough to tackle the hills. With an electric bike, it was a bigger challenge because of the bike’s heavyweight.
Finally, I stopped using it and took out my old bike that uses no electric power. Now it was time to test if I was strong and fit enough to cycle for daily communication on a regular bike. I needed to stop relying on electric power and use the strength in my legs.
It was a relief that I was right, I could cycle with ease on my old bike. Now, I must say that the electric bike played a big role in bringing back my confidence. It provided me with its power boost when I did not know if I could tackle those hills on my own.
However, this is not the time for me to get an electronic bike as my old bike is good enough for now. If someday, I move to an even hillier land, someplace like the Sierra Nevadas, I will consider having a scooter-like bike that will help me go up the mountains.
When that time comes, I am well aware of where I can buy ebikes online or from a store.
