Today I returned my very heavy 31 kilogram workhorse electric bike to the very knowledgeable lady who runs the scheme in Radstock. I had not ridden it as much as I would have liked but I have discovered the following:

1. Once you have learned to ride a bike you never forget
2. Riding a bike is vulnerable because you are not protected by a steel case as is the case with cars and other vehicles
3. You are more susceptible to wind gusts and rain
4. You are vulnerable to inconsiderate drivers who go close to you although the majority of drivers, the vast majority, show respect.
5. You certainly noticed the hills wheres before you took them for granted and just pressed the accelerator.
6. The more visible you are the more safe you are and one of the signs you’re going to do something is to turn your head to the right
7. I think it is very wise not only to wear a helmet which these days are very comfortable and well designed but also to wear a high visibility jacket because if  you register with people even half a second earlier you are less likely to get involved in an unfortunate accident.
In 2023, there were an estimated 132,063 casualties of all levels in reported road collisions in Great Britain. There were also 1,645 fatalities.

This is the E-bike I saw in Cardiff. It looks good and probably IS good but see text.

I discussed with Liz whether I should get a Chinese bike and she gave several reasons for not buying one mainly because the service is entirely absent and the parts are substandard and also more difficult to obtain. Many local repair shops will not touch them for this reason and although you might save a couple of hundred pounds, a bit like a car, a car is only as good as the servicing you can obtain.

Those who have worked in bike shops say that people came in, spent a lot of their time and energy asking about bikes and then deciding to go off and buy one on the internet because it is cheaper. Than they have the cheek to come back and say that the bike was not right and could the shop do something. If I could put it politely, the answer would not be in the affirmative

When I was in Cardiff I met someone with a very good looking bike which costs £475 plus £42 for  delivery. This was being sold by Amazon. I wrote off to them asking if they had any service agents in the United Kingdom and I received no response.

I don’t think I would buy a car without having a service garage at hand so the same thing applies to a bike. Anyway the local supplier is going to purchase some lighter bikes which she added are unfortunately in the higher range of expenditure but said that this would be available in the new year so I will go along then.

I would always buy a very good lock which you can attach to a post and I would also make sure that the battery is detachable and lockable. The question is, what can be sold in a pub no questions asked.

I was grateful for my month’s experience and feel that it is a good and pleasant way to exercise and certainly a way of meeting one or two interesting fellow travelers.