THE future of cycling is electric.
Pedal power is one thing, but when you combine the joy of cycling with an added electric-powered kick, you’ll almost feel invincible.
It’s almost like riding a bike for the very first time: That sense of unending freedom. Anywhere you want to go, you can go there. It’s up to you. On an electric bike, that capability is extended. You can go further, for longer.
Mountain biker Ben Innes of Shepparton is one proud new owner of an e-bike.
Few sports engender such passion, addiction and camaraderie as mountain biking. Mountain bike riders are nuts. They can ride all day, then spend all evening talking about it.
Ben grew up in Shepparton road and track cycling, showing a lot of promise as a youngster. But it was a trip to Mount Buller on an old mountain bike which changed his perspective.
From that day, he was hooked to the downhill and mountain trails. A few weeks later he went out and bought a better bike, and it started from there. That was 15 years ago.
“You ride more, and meet more people, so you go more often, and you just keep riding,” he said.
Now with kids, Ben is in the inevitable situation where he’s now pushing to keep up with his youngsters.
“Up until this, I was pedalling. For the last two years I’ve been way too busy for fitness. My young bloke is grown up and I can’t keep up,” he said.
“When you do want to ride, you ride for half an hour and then your knees are shot or something else. So, I moved onto an e-bike so at least I can do some more kilometres and enjoy it for longer.”
He said his first ride on an e-bike was incredible. He covered 30 kilometres when he would normally have managed only 10.
Ben’s Norco Sight VLT has three settings: Economy, Trail, and Boost. On economy, there is slight assistance to your pedalling. On Boost, you’re practically superman.
For Ben, e-bikes mean people can be out riding for longer, and more often. And that has to be a good thing.
He admits in the early days of e-bikes, he was suspicious. It’s cheating, right?
But now he sees it as the future. It’s still mud, sweat and gears, just with an electric boost.
