{"id":79359,"date":"2022-09-06T09:56:25","date_gmt":"2022-09-06T09:56:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fe.ampler.bike\/?p=79359"},"modified":"2022-09-20T15:14:01","modified_gmt":"2022-09-20T15:14:01","slug":"confessions-of-an-e-bike-virgin","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp.ampler.bike\/en\/blog\/urban-change\/confessions-of-an-e-bike-virgin\/","title":{"rendered":"Confessions of an e-bike virgin"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

I have just started working with Ampler. As an employee, I\u2019m lucky enough to have my own company e-bike for work and personal use. Now, as someone who enjoys riding a bike, and has used one for commuting since moving to Berlin, admittedly electric bikes were not something I\u2019d ridden before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A bit about me<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

I am by no means an engineer or competitive cyclist. I\u2019m a writer with marketing experience in the transportation industry. I believe in sustainability and I\u2019ve always aimed to work with good products and friendly, passionate communities that surround them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So the aim of this piece is really to highlight the things I\u2019ve noticed as a newly instated e-bike cyclist. If any praise comes off as biased\u2026 well, it would be strange if it didn\u2019t. Although I might not be able to build an Ampler from scratch – they\u2019re hand-assembled in Estonia – as a casual cyclist, I have good insight for many people that may be considering switching to e-bikes. So here are my confessions as an e-bike virgin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Initial thoughts<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

One thing stuck out immediately, the thing that sparked my interest and drove my determination to start working for Ampler. They\u2019re the best-looking e-bikes I\u2019ve personally come across. They look like a classic bicycle in chic European style with a hidden battery. They\u2019re also part of a movement to reinvigorate alternative and sustainable transport methods.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I was a bit nervous. Here is a bike that was clearly out of my league. Most e-bikes I have come across have been large, sullen-looking creatures. They are usually bulky, battery-exposed robotic-looking things that often run in packs rented out by tour companies. The Ampler before me was sleek and looked as though it could go fast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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I\u2019m admittedly someone who is a bit of a klutz and was concerned about personal safety. I was about to test ride a bike with an engine attached to it and the idea of that added speed was concerning. While I\u2019m comfortable on a bike, a mountain biking speed fanatic I am not. Plus, what would other cyclists think of me? A cheater? A fraud? Someone who can\u2019t get up a hill on their own?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finally, this bicycle was somewhat of a mystery to me. I had learned about how it operates, and its design from a marketing point of view, but now came the time to get to know the bike intimately. Besides being shown where the charger goes, how to turn it on and off, the gears, the lights etc, there wasn\u2019t much else in terms of instruction. Simplicity is part of the Ampler bike\u2019s appeal after all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What I experienced<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

I had a few choices in dance partners. There were the low-step models, the type of frame commonly seen in Amsterdam<\/a>, Stellar and Juna. Then there was also the more rugged Axel and Stout. Each had up to around 70 – 80 km of battery power and all the thrills like in-built lights and LED information displays. They all looked good and I was reminded that the heaviest was only 17.8 kg.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, it was the Curt<\/a> that was winking at me. This is Ampler\u2019s lightest bike at only 14.4 kg. It had a cool, lean frame painted black and came as an 11-speed. I had been in the market for a typical bike of this nature, and the idea of a motor-powered one was too thrilling to turn down. So I set out of the showroom with the push of a button and my life as a regular cyclist was over. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The first thing that came to mind was, \u2018wow, this is easy\u2019. That first kick of acceleration is exhilarating. While initially, you do feel that early surge it settles quickly and you realise that you are cruising at a good speed with very little effort. With the full motor assistance, it hardly felt like an effort. Naturally, I wanted to see if this applied to uphill cycling so found my first available slope at the entrance to the park near the showroom. <\/p>\n\n\n\n