Charmed bike
When pedalling up a hill seems too much effort, a new bike allows you to switch mode so you whiz up it by battery power instead
Handsome, strong, reliable looking, extremely useful, and capable of easily carrying you off into the sunset – the Powabyke is all the things you’d want in a bicycle. It was love at first sight.
We all know that the bicycle was the forerunner of the motorcycle, which was invented by German, Gottlieb Daimler in 1885 when he attached an engine to a wooden bike, making it the the first “motorised bicycle”.
In the early period of motorcycle history there were many manufacturers, as bicycle makers adapted their designs, but as the engines became more powerful the designs outgrew the bicycle and its humble form.
It’s taken over 100 years for someone to have a second stab at easing the pain of those of us who use the bicycle as a mode of transport, not necessarily for health or environmental reasons, but simply because we don’t drive a car or ride a motorcycle.
Even better, these new-generation “motorised bicycles”, available from the same outlet that brought electric cars to the island, are healthy and environmentally friendly.
According to the blurb, Powabyke’s purpose-designed electric bikes offer all the benefits of traditional cycling – the freedom, the convenience, the practicality, but with none of the effort. That’s because you pedal only when you want to. The rest of the time, you can let the 200 watt motor take the strain.
Powabyke says it has transformed the lives of people looking for an inexpensive, reliable and carefree way of getting from A to B. The British company says it also serves a number of local authorities and police forces, “so we know our bikes are up to the test of being used every day, in all weathers and to their full capacity.”
Running costs are also low, clocking in at around one cent per mile, Powabyke says. The battery can go for 20 miles before needing a charge and a top speed of 15 miles per hour is achievable. And you don’t need a licence, road tax or insurance and you won’t incur parking charges either. But, I would advise investing in a serious lock.
Okay, we know love is blind and the test of that only comes when you establish a relationship, and like any relationship it’s not always wise to jump in.
The bike was so heavy I questioned whether I could even control it manually let alone on autopilot, especially when cars tend to pass within an inch of “pesky cyclists”, often causing you to almost lose balance.
So I walked around one third of the way home from Nicosia’s old town to Kaimakli before attempting anything. When I found a quiet stretch of road I jumped on and within a few minutes felt comfortable enough to whiz along as usual. By the time I’d reached the outskirts of Kaimakli, I felt confident enough to switch on the battery. There was also a hill directly in front of me that might have influenced my decision.
Little by little I turned the handlebar to rev up. By the time I reached home I was at top speed and enjoying the fun.
Next day was Sunday. I decided to give the bike a real test and headed off to greener pastures – a few main roads. I did a little shopping at the bakery, stopped off at the kiosk and negotiated a number of hilly bits without a problem. I did, of course, receive a number of curious stares from people seeing someone on a bicycle riding up a hill without pedalling.
I was so chuffed that when I dropped off the stuff at home, I decided to head off for another ride without the baggage. Before I knew it, I was almost in town. The best part was coming across a group of cyclists, pedalling up behind them and then zooming past without breaking a sweat or moving a muscle. Evil, I know.
I also knocked five minutes off my 20-minute cycle to work each day. That’s not really a big thing but it was a lot easier and I didn’t feel like I needed another shower when I got in.
In addition to the advantages listed in the Powabyke blurb, I found that I didn’t have those days where I don’t feel like cycling to work and usually take a bus or taxi. More savings, and by running the bike in economy mode, you can pedal when you feel like it and save the battery as well.
And when I am too old to balance on a two-wheeler, I’ll invest my pension in a Powabyke three-wheeler, complete with shopping basket on the back. This is definitely the beginning of a beautiful friendship.
Cheaper, cleaner option for getting to work
Avraam Hadjigiovannis and his REVA Phaedra Electricity Mobility Ltd are the pioneers of electricity-run transport in Cyprus, including cars, mopeds and now the bicycles, which went on sale just two months ago.
Powabyke is the market leader in the UK, where thousands of bikes have been sold, while Hadjigiovannis himself has been involved with the company since 1992 and helped develop the bike.
The good news is that since 1992, when the first bike went on the market, the price has dropped from £2,500 to the current £500-£800, depending on the model. “There are cheaper bikes around but they are not as reliable,” said Hadjigiovannis.
The “shopper” Powabyke, which Hadjigiovannis said appeals more to women, costs £490 including VAT.
“In Cyprus we sold our first batch of 30 bicycles and we have enquiries from hotels and from people renting bicycles and motorcycles for more,” Hadjigiovannis said.
During the summer the company ran a test at a hotel rental outlet, placing an electric bike for rent next to a bicycle and a moped. In every case, although the electric bike cost 50 per cent more to rent, tourists chose it over the bicycle and the moped.
“Everyone chose the bike,” Hadjigiovannis said.
The same phenomenon is being witnessed in Greece, especially on the holiday islands, he added.
Powabykes may seem expensive but when you take into account the fact that no car repayments, licence, road tax, insurance, petrol or parking are necessary, and the fact the bikes have a range of around 20 miles per charge, which can be doubled by pedalling on easy stretches, then there is no comparison.
“If you get on this bike and ride around, you will want one,” said Hadjigiovannis, preaching to the converted.
