E-asy rider...

BACK in the saddle . . . our Dave certainly looks the part

WHEN the boss said he had the latest electric Peugeot lined up for me to put to the test for the daily commute, my eyes lit up . . . no more buses and walking between Ashton and Oldham for the week!

After all it was the depth of winter, and that meant no freezing cold 6am start for my journey to work ­- or so I thought.

But there was a surprise around the corner to say the least when this piece of hi-tech kit arrived at the Chronicle offices . . . it had two wheels.

Fancied

Now back in the day, long before today's gods of cycling, the likes of Bradley Wiggins and Chris Hoy were even born, I admit I fancied myself as a bit of an Eddy Merckx, the legendary Belgian and Tour de France champion of the late Sixties and Seventies. So it was with great trepidation, and much ribbing from my colleagues, that I found myself back in the saddle for the first time in 40 years, not on my pride and joy boyhood Carlton Corsa sports bike complete with drop handlebars and wafer-thin tyres, but on one of the latest innovations in urban travel, the E-bike, courtesy of Transport for Greater Manchester.

Avoiding the madness of today's pot-holed roads I decided to use my familiar walk-home path, the splendid Route 626 cycle trail which I pick up at Alexandra Park and which meanders, traffic-free, through Park Bridge and into the heart of Ashton for the commute.

After a wobbly start, it's true what they say, riding a bike is, well, just like riding a bike. But this one had one big difference, the electric motor.

And how weird it felt for those first few miles, the bike is heavier than normal because of the motor and battery, it felt a tadge girly ­- it didn't have a crossbar, was a bit sit-up-and-beg and there I was kitted up with crash helmet and hi-vis jacket . . . attire that would have done your street cred no good at all when I was a lad.

Fun

But once I'd got in the swing of things it was pedal to the metal.

This is how the bike works. First things first, it doesn't pedal itself, you still need to do that. But this is the good bit . . . you have three levels of "assist", and that's when the real fun starts.

Stick it in power mode one and you feel the motor kick in, taking some of the strain as you pedal. If the going gets tougher flick the bike into mode two, and it's as if you have a good tailwind and slight hills are ironed out. And when the going gets really tough, power up to mode three and suddenly you are Superman!

Combined with a seven-gear shift even the steep climb out of Park Bridge was a doddle and, on the flat, you steam along with the minimum of effort which is just what you need when you've turned 60. It really is that good.

The Peugeot bike I trialled also had the advantage of superb lights and full wheel and chain guards to prevent you getting muddy. Charging is easy, just plug the battery pack into a power socket and an overnight charge did me for two days, or around 20 miles.

Saving the best experience to last however was the joy of powering past a Lycra-clad fellow biker going up a steep hill with my bike in Superman mode. The look on his face was a joy to behold.

While I am not 100 per cent convinced that E-bikes are the answer to town and city congestion, after all you do have the elements to contend with, I must admit they do offer a serious alternative for the work commute with the added benefit of keeping you fit.

And that must be good.