As part of the Congleton Green Fayre, we, The Electric Bike Shop in Wilmslow, invited a few of the local Councillors to give ebikes a go! Congleton is, in some respects, a perfect town for people to take up cycling. With shops and services close by, cycling links via quiet streets, and areas of the town where 25% of people live under 10km away from work (UK Census data). 70% of journeys nationally are five miles or less (National Travel Survey), so as part of the Green Fayre, we thought it would be a great opportunity to show people a greener and healthier way to make those trips.
The route from Astbury Mere Country Park, through the town centre and Congleton Park, finishing at the top of the Eaton Bank Hill showed how easy it was to avoid the traffic on an ebike by flowing cycle routes like the 573 we followed, but also showed that there’s future work to be done.
Mayor Moreton certainly enjoyed the ride, taking him back to his youth, and his time on the old Royal Mail bikes;
“I've ridden post bikes for over 20 years, if E bikes had been in operation, then lots of postman wouldn't be struggling with bad knees, now. After riding around four miles with little effort I can safely say E bikes are the future!”
Cllr Meed talked about how an ebike would make “trips around Congleton easier” as it makes it far easier to conquer some of the sharp local hills. After riding up Eaton Bank hill, the difference was obvious.
Cllr Firkin talked about her rides on her current bike, and how an ebike might enable her to not only ride on the Biddulph Way, but cycle to and from it via quieter routes around Congleton.
We love being able to give people that new experience and show what a difference ebikes can make to people’s daily life. It really shows how fun getting around can be!
Last year there were almost two ebikes sold for every three electric cars (cyclingindustry.news and We Buy Any Car), and with ebikes being a far more cost effective and environmentally friendly choice.
The Electric Bike Shop will be at this Saturday’s Congleton Green Fayre on Saturday 30th September. We have a number of reusable tote bags and refillable water bottles to give out on the day just mention you've seen this article on our website to claim your free gift.
