On yer bike

2:23pm Monday 4th August 2008

The other day I was overtaken on the steep bit of Divinity Road. This is not altogether a shock given that I ride a bike without gears and have to stand in the saddle from half way up. What really upset me though was that the woman who overtook me was riding one of those half-ton Dutch-style bikes.

They are super-slow on hills and it was only when I caught her up on the flat that I realised how she'd managed it. There was a discernable whirring sound coming from the rear hub, louder than a conventional dynamo. It was an electric bike.

I panicked. The very thought of an electric bike filled me with existential horror. The most efficient method of propulsion known to man - the beautiful, simple bicycle - sullied by electrification?

Before my panic spiralled out of control, I rushed to The Electric Transport Shop in Magdalen Road to investigate. So, what is an electric bike?

An electric bike is a bike frame with a battery-powered motor in either the front or rear wheel hub. The batteries are periodically drip-fed from your domestic mains supply.

With some, there's a throttle on the right-hand grip that operates in the same way as on a motorbike. You can accelerate (slowly) without pedalling at all. With others, you have to be pedalling for the motor to kick in.

The motors on all the bikes propel them to a maximum of 15 mph, which is the legal limit for pedal-assisted bikes. If you want to go faster, you'll have to find a steep hill - and pedal hard.

Their range depends entirely on how much you use the power. If you pedal a lot and only use the motor to top up your own efforts, the battery could last 20 miles on a single charge.

The more you rely on the battery power the less range you'll have.

If you buy electricity from a "green" supplier, say using 100 per cent wind power, then you'd have a carbon footprint of zero using one of these machines.

I was alarmed by the prospect of Magdalen Bridge humming to the tune of thousands of electric bikes on a rush-hour morning. But the shop's manager, Mickie Claassens, says that it isn't your regular cyclist who's buying the bikes.

Electric bikes are for, say, drivers who want to save money on a five-mile commute but who don't want to arrive at work sweaty from cycling. Or for people who can't cycle up a particular hill or who have general mobility limitations.

Your regular cyclist would be better off spending their £600-1,500 on a conventional bike. A beautiful super-light carbon fibre racer wouldn't need a motor to help you up the hills.

The overall verdict then?

They are a good thing for those that need them, and they will help get people out of cars - but you won't catch me riding one.

The Electric Transport Shop sells a wide range of electric bikes, and I spent a couple of hours test-riding three of them. Read my reviews in this column next week.