Photo courtesy of my new eBike. Taken Fri 17th. Beach cottage, marked in red, is 2 miles away.
Hiya.
Each morning, wherever we are on this spinning rock, nature delivers us a brand new sky and we have an opportunity, maybe even an obligation, to make the very best of such a gift.
Sure. We may not always see the world that way but each of us have interests, passions or objectives to fulfill, even if that thing called life sometimes gets in our way or threatens to stall or halt our immediate plans or aspirations every now and again.
Holding a dream or goal or some obscure desire to accomplish something, (aside from some hard wired instinct of nature), may be considered to be a unique human characteristic, though perhaps it is the raw, driving force in every living thing on Earth.
Whatever it is, it is fantastic when such things are realised.
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I've recently taken delivery of an eBike ... to address and manifest some particular dreams of my own ... and can say that the experience, within the last 48 hrs, has profoundly exceeded and eclipsed all of my imagined expectations of actually owning and utilising such a machine.
I don't intend to reveal the make or model of my particular electric steed this very moment but would, instead, like to invite you to guess what sort of machine I chose ... based on my specific, particular location and requirements.
Here is the remit.
a) I always intended to buy a secondhand machine.
b) I didn't want to be liberated from having to exercise or exert myself. (Health wise, the concept of effortless, non physical, human input goes against my objectives).
c) I needed a machine with good torque and hill climbing characteristics. (I live in West Dorset).
d) I'm 6ft. BMI 26. That's a fit but still dead weight of 15 stone!
e) I wanted spare parts to be attainable. (I planned to avoid generic, Chinese brands).
f) Sealed lead batteries would be fine.
g) My budget would be £300 max.
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Yesterday, the machine took me to the very location that inspired me to buy it. A wild, clifftop venue less than 2 miles from home ... but, at 157m, (and off road), one of the highest promontories along the whole South coast of England.
Up extreme inclines, through rain sodden, muddy fields, within a few hours of the purchase, the machine had already rewarded me with incredible views of my Jurassic coastline.
I realised the dream of owning such a bike and was rewarded with a 20 mile vision of Chesil beach arcing away to the East, a vision of the whole of Lyme bay to the South and a spectacular, complete picture of the whole of my own county spreading out beyond and behind me.
Below, I noted the beach and rocks where I catch bass out of the surf and in the mid distance, just a couple of miles away, I was able to soak up the rugged beauty of my own local beach where I fish and metal detect regularly.
I photographed the vision for posterity. (Above).
The machine passed every test. It took me to my most favourite raw, off road cliff top location.
... and this evening, as an experiment, I rode from Beach cottage, (home), to the resort and harbour, (a mile from here), and back again, without barely pedaling at all... just to test the actual motor.
In the spring and summer, I shall be setting the alarm for an hour before sunrise, zapping down the bay to catch a half dozen mackerel and returning home before most of the town has even awoke.
