Singing the Bicycle Electric
How Powered Pedaling Brought Fun Back to His Saddle
By Nick Welsh | January 27, 2022
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About 271 miles ago, I went over to the dark side — I bought an electric bike.
As a lifelong bicycle commuter, I had reservations. No longer. There’s something sublimely ridiculous about being able to power up Carrillo Hill going 15 miles an hour without breaking a sweat.
The bike I got — two years old but in pristine shape — can hit top speeds of 28 miles an hour. But only if I pedal.
I still ride my old road bike. Its sense of glide is still more nakedly friction free. But the e-bike allows me to drastically compress the time-space continuum. The wind is forever at your back. And no matter where you go, it’s downhill all the way. It’s kind of like cheating. Except not. With an electric bike, you won’t ride as hard as you would on your traditional road bike. But you will definitely ride faster. And farther. And a whole lot more.
All those errands you needed a car for? You can do most of them by bike. Yes, you can feel good about saving the planet and all that. But you will feel even better about all the fun you’re having.
Read all of the stories in this year’s Self-Care issue here.
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