Riding into the technological revolution
How science and technology is challenging cycling, and bringing in a whole new era of participation
by Robert Thorpe, with photography by Ben Thorpe
It was about 1994 I’d say. In the parking area to the rear of Thirsk Court House and Police Station – yes Thirsk. Home to the famous vet – James Herriot – of ‘All creatures great and small’ fame. A colleague of mine had turned an old steel butchers bike into an E-Bike, by using a washing machine spin drive and a car battery perched on the rear pannier. Yes, he was renowned amongst our group as a mad inventor!
Speeding around the small car park, he invited me to take a go, saying “with your light weight, we’ll get 20 miles an hour out of it!” The invitation was too good to miss! Needless to say, Perkins – his name – didn’t take the bike much further. He did however convert a Hillman Imp, and then a Nissan van to run on electric. The van even had a small wind turbine that came out the side, and which powered the stereo! I’ve always been a fan of tech, and working alongside my old friend and colleague, Perky, I was never short of new technology to take a look at.
The cycling industry caught up and overtook my friend though. Whilst Perky moved his attention to designing a small submarine, cycling was developing suspension forks, smoother gearing and lighter alloys to make bikes faster and more comfortable. The nature of our sport means that innovation and technology is always on the move and striving to improve the quality, reliability and efficiency of cycling. Marginal gains in cycling became a buzzword for Team Sky. However, I’m sorry to burst Sir Dave Brailsford’s bubble, but it had in truth been going on long before those heady days of Brit Pop road cycling success. The living legend that is Graeme Obree had tinkered with tech and challenged the UCI years before. And, right across the industry, cycling brands were historically consistent in their drive to innovate. Yes, technology and cycling go hand in hand – like coffee and croissants.
Technology and innovation for the masses
Cycling is hard work – especially as we get older. I live in the Yorkshire Dales, where they don’t even sign a gradient below 16%! There’s too many of them and they’d run out of signage! Whilst the hills aren’t as long as those in mainland Europe, they test you mentally, by frequently offering an amazing descent, then spitting in your eye as they suddenly produce another chain-busting climb. The mountain biking trails are even harsher. There’s a climb on the Nidderdale loop that looks almost vertical. Over the years, this landscape has kept cycling away from a large percentage of the population, too wise to suffer the pain that we cyclists take to like masochists.
Thankfully though, especially here in the U.K., the development of the E-Bike – both on the road cycling and the E-Mountain bike front – has turned the dial upwards, bringing more and more people into cycling. Both from a commuting perspective and a lifestyle and leisure point of view, the technology behind the modern E-Bike has done more for future cycling participation than our countries woeful and frankly pathetic attempts at a green transport infrastructure or half-baked policies ever could. Yes, you’re able now to easily ride your E-Bike into town, or into the hills – just expect to get a close shave from a car or lorry along the way! It’s sad that the U.K. establishment is literally quite pathetic at creating any form of cycling infrastructure and at the development of a joined up transport policy for the future. We seem to be too drunk on tarmac still, and bikes are too frequently seen as an offensive sight to U.K. drivers. Elsewhere in Europe, it’s a joy to cycle; which is why Euro Bike 2024 was such a great reflection of a cycling and technology future that we should all embrace.
Above images by Euro Bike Press Office
Health, wealth and the pursuit of happiness
Attending Euro Bike at Frankfurt this summer was enlightening. E-Cargo Bikes were in abundance. Our own Nadezhda took one for a spin, and did doughnuts in an E-Bike designed like a 2-seater space-age car. It was wonderful to see how Europe in particular is embracing cycling technology and innovation to change how we live and move in our towns and cities. Go to any mountain biking event these days, such as ‘Ard Rock, here in the Dales, or to Triada and the Trilogy in magical Transylvania, and you’ll see a huge rise in E-MTB numbers, allowing a new wave of riders to enjoy a sport that not long ago seemed out of reach to their fitness levels and aspirations. Add to this that places such as Transylvania are ahead of the game in cycling lanes for commuters, as they redefine their infrastructure for the new age.
Better still, the latest E-Bikes, such as the Orbea Rise, or the all-new DJI AMFlow are designed to work with you and not for you. In effect, the more that you put in yourself, the more fun and greater distance you’ll get out of the bikes! It can be a good physical workout now; but one that enables you to go further and for longer. Yes, seeing the latest lightweight and super powerful E-Bikes at Frankfurt was exciting – and testing the new technologies was doubly so. It took me back to 1994 and that butchers bike with a car battery strapped to it, at Thirsk! Perkins, you were ahead of your time, my friend!
One area that has change further however, is price-point – and it will need to, as cycling technology and engineering costs hopefully fall, through further innovation and increased sales. As it stands, an E-Bike can be very costly; which during a global economic crises is not necessarily good for the cycling industry. We’re in danger of limiting access to cycling once more, when we need to allow the exciting technological advancements and innovation to put even more people onto bikes.
Balancing lifestyle, health and wellness
To some degree, when we look at the overall health and economic benefits for a society where science and technology put more people onto bikes, there has to be an argument for more Government funding and support for the cycling industry – in several areas. After all, more people cycling means less obesity, better mental health and a more positive outlook on life. It means less pollution in our towns and cities, and less costs for road building. Travelling abroad is always enlightening; and in Switzerland and Germany this year, I’ve seen trams and trains with large areas set aside for cyclists. Yes, a truly integrated transport system, that’s embracing the new cycling technologies that Euro Bike continues to showcase so brilliantly.
Science and innovation in cycling isn’t simply about making it easier for the pro peloton to go faster. No, cycling innovation is all about giving cycling back to the masses. It’s about a renewal of the cycling revolution of the 1950s, when mass produced bikes gave people a cheap mode of transport for commuting. It’s about cycling technology allowing more people to find their own adventure and to relax on Bikepacking trips to far flung places, or simply taking a cycle touring trip into the hills, to escape the rat race for a few days.Yes, cycling is about the freedom to explore, and the E-Bike technology and innovation on show at Euro Bike typified this new drive – and it was amazing to see.
Above images by Robert Thorpe at Orbea, Ard Rock
