Dr Jonathan Leach used to drive to his surgery and then complete all his house calls by car. He’s now switched to a Brompton folding e-bike for both.
Speaking to Cycling UK, Leach listed three main benefits of using an e-bike: speed, health and cost.
The journey from Leach’s home in Worcester to his surgery in Bromsgrove is about 20km.
“Having an electric bike makes commuting to and from work a lot quicker,” he said. “I’m able to bypass traffic congestion in the town centre, which is a huge bonus – especially at rush hour.”
The same applies when moving around the area to call on patients.
“I regularly arrive at home visits on my e-bike, and for many patients, who are very frail, very elderly and very lonely, watching me pedal into their driveway on my e-bike is the highlight of their week.”
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Leach himself is in his sixties and says he values the opportunity to get regular exercise, even on busy days.
“I think that e-bikes are a real game changer,” he said. “They allow people to cycle who otherwise might not be able to. I always reassure patients that they’re not ‘cheating’ on an e-bike as they will get nearly all the same benefits as they would pedalling a conventional bike.”
He says he often encourages patients to use an e-bike for short journeys as they still provide the benefits of physical activity.
He also argues that they’re cost effective. “Using my e-bike has, without a doubt, saved me a significant amount of money,” he said, estimating that he has covered around 5,000km on his in the last year – far more than he has driven.
Power Switch
Have you or your business made the switch to an electric vehicle or vehicles of some kind? Maybe you’ve sold your car and you’re taking the kids to school on an e-bike these days. Maybe your firm has started doing all its deliveries by e-cargo bike. Whatever your story, we’d love to hear from you. Email us at info at info@ebiketips.co.uk to let us know how it’s gone.
