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Ka, electric bikes.
The Ka's exhaust died last week, so Monday it went in for a replacement and the service I'd been trying to put off until the MOT was due (I had changed the oil). Vaguely starting to think about what we'll do when it dies - the rust on the door sills is only cosmetic now, but I suspect it won't last more than two years. By which time both boys will be at secondary school, so I won't be taking them to school before commuting.
I did call in on the electric bike people on Mill Road again recently (after looking at tape decks in Cambridge Resale, having finally got around to starting to transfer story tapes to MP3 and finding mine had died, but I'll see if Satchell can fix the old one first). They've sold out of their current kit, and looking at improvements before restocking. Wednesday's cycle commute I averaged over 15mph (the UK legal limit for electric assists) for the commute both ways - I've only managed it one way previously, depending on the wind. But an assist should keep up the speed into more of a headwind, or when feeling under the weather. But while I'm nowhere near being able to cycle the whole way every day yet, I have done 1000 miles so far this year, according to what I've recorded on http://www.bikejournal.com.
I did call in on the electric bike people on Mill Road again recently (after looking at tape decks in Cambridge Resale, having finally got around to starting to transfer story tapes to MP3 and finding mine had died, but I'll see if Satchell can fix the old one first). They've sold out of their current kit, and looking at improvements before restocking. Wednesday's cycle commute I averaged over 15mph (the UK legal limit for electric assists) for the commute both ways - I've only managed it one way previously, depending on the wind. But an assist should keep up the speed into more of a headwind, or when feeling under the weather. But while I'm nowhere near being able to cycle the whole way every day yet, I have done 1000 miles so far this year, according to what I've recorded on http://www.bikejournal.com.
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There are very heavy ones with based on not very good bikes that cost a fair amount, and there are better ones which cost rather more than a cheap second-hand car, money which could buy a very nice unassisted bike. And if I keep cycling more I ought to get fit enough to cycle even more without help - eventually.
Hence the fact I've been dithering about whether one would be worthwhile for some time without doing anything. Well, that along with my natural dithering tendencies.
Battery technology is improving over time.
The Cambridge people are http://www.electricbikesales.co.uk/, selling bikes which aren't listed on the A to B site but seem to be at the better end of http://www.atob.org.uk/Electric_Buyers'_Guide.html#other, and a nameless Chinese kit that they have done a fair amount of development on fitting.