Riding an ebike? Isn’t that reserved for pensioners? I admit I was prejudiced, but, when I started working in the editorial office, I was put on a bike with a motor and told to hit the road. What can I say? It not only changed my attitude toward cycling but also that of my whole family. Read on to find out what happened and how ebikes gradually changed the way we live.
It’s nothing new that riding a bike is better than taking the car. However, even if the ride to work isn’t far, that little voice in your head is sure to come up with excuses: it’s too hot, too cold, it’s raining, it’s too late, you’re too tired, it’s too strenuous. We’ve all gone through it, always coming up with a good excuse to give in to the comfort of our cars.
Now, I suddenly had no excuse. I had the MERIDA eONE-SIXTY 10K (click for review) and the first quick test ride had already made an immediate and resounding impression: just step on the pedals and the motor surges forward. Awesome! Just what I need. Sure, you still have to pedal but you don’t have to break a sweat even on the climbs. The next day I empty my handbag, pack what I need into a backpack and ride off on the bike in icy temperatures and sunshine.
I head out of the suburbs, crossing fields and meadows and riding on bike paths instead of standing at traffic lights and getting stuck in traffic jams – what a way to start the day. In the field to my right, I spot a grey heron, welcoming the day with me. Despite the cold, I can’t help but smile and thanks to the motor, the steep climbs are over before I know it. Twenty minutes on and I’m sitting in the office with a big grin on my face, feeling like I’ve already accomplished something today.
The MERIDA eONE-SIXTY 10K is welcomed with open arms at home and immediately becomes a new member of the family. My daughter is the first to lay claim to it, getting back on a bike for the first time in five years. After a short ride through the local woods, she asks, “Can we keep it?” From then on, the bike is basically on a roster for who gets to ride it when. My son and daughter, both teenagers, use the bike whenever I don’t need it and the moped has started gathering dust in the corner. After all, with an eMTB you can practice doing cool jumps off curbs.
Even though I’d like some more time on the MERIDA myself, the whole thing has a positive spin: better they get outdoors and ride a bicycle than sitting indoors surfing the web.
My husband is equally thrilled. At the weekend, we immediately head out for a ride: him on his regular MTB and me on the E-assisted MERIDA, where I suddenly find myself having fun again! I don’t have to struggle to keep up and instead I´m the one waiting on top of the climbs. Even the suggestion to take a detour after 40 km only has me nodding in agreement. Before, on an analog bike, I would have been struggling to keep going after a ride like that.
The ebike has got me so excited that I’ve started thinking of planning a longer, two-day ride with all of our luggage. We even discuss a bike holiday at the dinner table. I notice that my goals are getting more ambitious because I know that I can do these things without it becoming overwhelming.
While a remarkable number of families in my neighbourhood have gotten a dog, we’ve decided to welcome a reliable two-wheeler to the family instead of a four-legged furball. Besides the occasional charge, it doesn’t demand much, always ready for a ride around the house or to work. Of course one doesn’t rule out the other either – I recently saw that my colleague has a dog trailer for his ebike. He could be onto something!
Conclusion
The MERIDA eONE-SIXTY 10K has become a part of the family and we’re excited to find out where it will take us next. What I know for sure is that we’ve become a lot more active as a family and for the first time in years, we’ve started planning bike rides at the weekend. Sooner or later, we’ll have to get a second ebike. Even the kids have gotten a taste for it and would love such a cool bike. This could get expensive…
We’re neglecting the car more and more. Sure, some weather conditions make the reasoning of that little voice in my head very compelling even if I’ve got all the right clothing. But then I reconsider, with the anticipation of a relaxed start to the day and the grey heron that waits for me on almost the same spot every time I pass enough to convince me otherwise.
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Words: Susanne Feddersen Photos: Robin Schmitt
