NEWS RELEASE
PR 1729
For Immediate
Release
11 May 2004
Electric bikes
trial for local people
PHOTO
OPPORTUNITY
HAVE you ever wished you could get
around Bath & North East Somerset on two wheels instead of using the
car but are put off by the area’s steep hills?
Well, the answer might be to get a
little extra power – a power-assisted bike that helps you get up
those hills. Bath & North East Somerset Council and Avon Valley
Cyclery want to help you decide if that’s the answer for you.
Two power assisted bikes will be
available for local people to hire once for a 24-hour period, free
of charge – so you can try out all your usual journeys and decide
whether it would make sense for you to invest in a power-assisted
bike.
These bicycles will be kept by the
Avon Valley Cyclery shop right behind the Railway Station in Bath
for the next eight months. Avon Valley carry a range of
power-assisted bikes.
The idea behind the electric bike
trial came from Cllr Gitte Dawson – Ward Member for Bathavon South,
who has a power-assisted bike herself.
She said: “Power-assisted bikes are
a great solution if you like cycling but are put off by the steep
hills. But they are not cheap!
“You need to be sure that this is
the answer for you before you spend your money.
Take one home with you – try all
your journeys – to work, shopping, out in the evening – and see if
it suits you.
“Work out how you could store it at
home and how to recharge the battery. Allow yourself a 24-hour
trial to make a considered decision!
“For my journey from Freshford to
Bath and back, a power-assisted bike is perfect.
It makes the journey manageable yet
still gives me the exercise and freedom I want.”
Cllr Sir Elgar Jenkins, Executive
Member for Transportation and Highways, said: “I welcome the
opportunity for people to try out a power assisted bike as part of
Bath & North East Somerset Council’s aim to promote cycling locally.
“These bikes are a solution for some
people who are put off considering cycling by the steep hills in and
around Bath.”
Gary Cooper,
Director of Avon Valley Cyclery, said “We are delighted to work with
Bath & North East Somerset Council to encourage more cycle use in
Bath.
“Statistics show
that 75 percent of all trips made are less than five miles long so,
with a range of over 25 miles, the electric-assist bikes become
viable. Despite Bath being a hilly area, these bikes are
surprisingly capable and many owners find they become fitter and
more adventurous.”
Using the lightest electrically
assisted bicycles to get a round means that virtually all trips can
be done with ease.
The batteries can be removed for
charging or charged in-situ. The bikes are so light they are
perfectly capable of being ridden without power-assist and are
styled around a comfortable town bike with rear rack, mudguards and
convenient lock.
To find out more about hiring one
the bikes contact Avon Valley Cyclery on Tel: 01225 442442.
Notes to Editors:
Cllrs Gitte Dawson and Sir Elgar
Jenkins will be test driving the electric bikes at Avon Valley
Cyclery in Bath at 11am on Wednesday, May 12. Photographers and
reporters are welcome to attend.
For more information, contact:
Alison Sherwin,
Pedestrian and Cycling Officer, on Tel: 01225 394049 or e-mail
alison_sherwin@bathnes.gov.uk
Gary Cooper, Director of Avon Valley
Cyclery, on Tel: 01225 442442
For comment,
contact:
Cllr Sir Elgar
Jenkins, Executive Member for Transport and Highways, on Tel: 07970
871070 or e-mail elgar_jenkins@bathnes.gov.uk
Cllr Gitte Dawson, Ward Member for
Bathavon South, on Tel: 01225 722511 or 07720 345 881 or e-mail
gitte_dawson@bathnes.gov.uk
Issued by: Bath &
North East Somerset Press Office, tel 01225 477827 or 477283, email:
pressoffice@bathnes.gov.uk |
