It is not just A&E nurse Carole Nicholas who thinks her e-bike is wonderful – her dog loves it too.
Carole is one of the latest converts to e-biking and uses her Oxygen Diva electric bike for the eight mile round trip from home to her busy London hospital and back.
She took the decision to go for an e-bike after becoming increasingly frustrated with commuting by car. As well as the expense, she was getting stuck in traffic jams, which meant she could either be late arriving for work, or delayed getting home at the end of a long shift.
The e-bike seemed to offer the perfect solution. Not only did it allow her to glide past queues of cars, having the reassurance of being able to call on a power supply made the idea of a daily commute that includes several hills seem far less daunting, especially for someone who hadn’t been on a bike for a while.
Carole says there have been many benefits to her decision including losing weight, getting fitter, not getting caught up in traffic jams and taking the chance to clear her mind after a day at work. Plus she is learning the art of taking her dog out for a gentle trot while she uses her e-bike.
‘I normally work four shifts and travel eight miles there and back to the hospital. When working day shifts I have to pay for car parking, which costs £25.35 for 15 days. Taking VAT and fuel into account I can save anything up to £40 per week by cycling instead of driving the car.
She explains: ‘It comes into its own when there are roadworks or accidents and I can also beat queues when they build up for supermarket car parks. Plus I no longer need to find road parking at my address as I can cycle to my front door. In fact I am never late any more, either getting to work or coming home.
‘The other big benefits include my weight dropping by five pounds in just a few weeks as I really try to beat my desire to use the motor and use it only when I have to and I am now busily learning how to walk my dog whilst on the bike, so he is benefiting too.’
Carole admits that she is so pleased with all the benefits that she is urging her staff and friends to get one too, especially as the savings on running a car and parking allows her to recoup some of the money spent on the bike.
‘I have been raving about it to my colleagues. I would say to anyone thinking about buying an e-bike, don’t put off the decision any longer, just do it. An electric bike is a great way of getting you off your butt and beginning a new chapter in returning to fitness.’
In fact, she is so enjoying the bike that she has started to incorporate it into her social life, using it for trips out to meet family and friends, which not only tops up the health and fitness benefits, the dog gets extra benefit from loads of bonus walkies.
She chose the £1500 Oxygen model from E-Bikes Direct because it perfectly suited her needs and the demands of her journey and says she was pleasantly surprised at how much choice there was available in both models and price. Although this was her first electric bike, Carole found the process of purchasing it very easy.
‘My biggest concern was buying such an expensive item online, but actually I needn’t have worried. The company I used, E-Bikes Direct, were very helpful from the initial inquiry through to arranging delivery, all I had to do was fit the peddles, straighten the handlebar and I was ready to go.
‘It is unisex and has a low step through frame and powerful 250w motor. Together with a rear-mounted rack big enough to carry my work gear to the hospital, it has seven traditional gears plus a selection of five power levels to flatten hills and add speed to the straights.
‘Despite the obvious lightness of the power pack, I was worried that the bike would be too heavy to pedal from stationary. So I had a real surprise having a motor to pull me away from the kerb. This took a bit of getting used to! But I now have no worries about pedaling away from lights, crossing intersections or being more adventurous in taking longer routes when the traffic looks dangerous.
‘I was very surprised how conventionally bike-like it was and how comfortable it is to ride. It is quite heavy to pick up, but it has a stand and is no harder to park in cycle bays then normal bikes. The battery lasts four days of normal commuting.’
Like every cyclist Carole has learned a few tricks to help stay safe and says she did worry about car speeds.
‘The ignorance of drivers was a real worry, especially when tired from a night shift. But I now avoid them by taking a longer, more scenic route through two parks. It is well worth it because although there are more hills the bike makes pancakes of them.’
But it is the fitness issue and improved well-being that really add up for Carole.
She said, ‘I expend a lot of energy at work as I’m on the go generally for 11 hours so the bike becomes a good way to de-stress on the way home. I’m glad I’m now getting all-round exercise and filling my lungs with park air and not exhaust fumes.’
‘It’s now become a question of will power and distance. On short journeys I tend to use the bike unassisted but I seem to be doing longer more complex routes with hills where I happily use the motor.’
Carole is the first to admit that she has been pleasantly surprised at how easy it has been to switch from a total reliance on her car to cycling. She says, ‘Not only is it healthier and better for the environment, just being out in the fresh air helps lift my spirits’.
To anyone thinking about making the change she says an e-bike is the perfect way to get back in the saddle: ‘I tell everyone, just give it a go and see how easy it is get started. Like me you’ll quickly get hooked. I rarely drive now because I know even on those days when I might not have a lot of energy, I can still make it up that steep hill, thanks to my on own personal on-board power supply. I just turn it on and away I go! Not only am I getting fitter, so is my dog who loves his gentle e-bike e-walkies on quiet, country cycle paths.’
