Whoever said Wellington is too hilly for cycling?
I have been commuting by bus between Wellington city center, and the hilly northern suburbs for several years now, contending with late buses, periodic breakdowns, passengers that appear to have an unhealthy vendetta against deodorant and a service that is simply going down hill – excuse the awful pun – so last year I decided enough was enough.
I needed to find a new way of commuting to work and back!
‘Could I hire a parking space near my office and travel by car?’ I pondered to myself, but then I would only be contributing to Wellington’s ever growing traffic woes, not to mention the pricey parking. Being an advocate for sustainability, I just couldn’t accept this option.
One day, during a ride home on the bus, I looked out of the window while the bus crawled along Thorndon Quay at snail pace, when a cyclist came zooming passed, bypassing that long line of endless traffic.
‘How dare you get home faster than me!‘ I uttered to myself, but then it occurred to me, why not start cycling? But then I remembered that mountainous climb back to my suburb, and the idea went straight out the window.
A few months later, that’s when I stumbled across the so called e-bike!
Suddenly I had found a mode of transport that may just be my holy grail. It was a push bike assisted by an electric motor. It could climb Wellington’s hills with relative ease, give me a brief workout, and allow me to bypass all that traffic.
No fuel costs and no parking fees!
That’s when I purchased the Wellington designed Smartmotion Catalyst, an E-Mountain Bike.
While the initial price of an E-bike is still a little steep for some, the prices are falling alongside battery technology, and depending on how much you use the bike, you will soon find yourself saving on transport costs.
It has become my primary mode of transport to work, and I haven’t turned back since!
This video is now my typical commute into work.
