Get on e-Bike to help make a greener Badenoch and Strathspey
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For all the controversy over electric cars, it is clear that locally at least that interest in electric bikes is growing all the time.
It is big business now – especially for those who want to find a working alternative to the ever-rising costs of car transport.
ACE – the Active Cairngorms e-Bike project – is picking up speed.
ACE spokeswoman Sally Devlin, of Mike’s Bikes in Aviemore, explained: “ACE was set up by the Cairngorms Trust in 2020 and now operates from Aviemore Bikes.
“The project covers the Badenoch and Strathspey area and includes a range of standard e-Bikes, Cargo e-Bikes and an e-Trike.”
Its aims are threefold, she expanded.
“Firstly, we want to support social prescribing of e-Bikes in Badenoch and Strathspey; allowing those that have health conditions access to an e-Bike as a beneficial way of getting exercise.
“Secondly, the idea is to allow those who are finding the cost of car transport prohibitive access to an e-Bike to see if it would be a viable option for them to commute to their work or for their everyday journeys – shopping, transporting children to school and so on.
“And thirdly the trust wants to encourage residents to increase their leisure time spent on a bike and make the switch from short car journeys to cycling, with the hoped outcome of cycling for leisure, everyday journeys, and commuting.
“e-Bikes make cycling a more realistic possibility for people due to their relative speed and energy needed to cycle them; however, they are expensive to initially purchase.
“The Cairngorms Trust is delighted to continue to offer residents the chance to have a loan of up to six weeks to trial an e-Bike.”
Applications for the scheme can be made at Aviemore Bikes or by emailing acebikes@aviemorebikes.co.uk for an application form.
“Once a completed application is received you will be booked in and we’ll take you through an introduction into riding the e-Bike, show you how to charge it and provide you with what you need to ride here at the shop, or we can deliver e-Bikes if collection is difficult.”
