Electric bikes

No, I havent got one.
I did look into them, but they are super expensive.
Good idea for your husband though. I hope he has lots of happy times on it.

My brother is an electric bike enthusiast and has ridden long distances both in this country and around Europe. I have only ridden short distances but enjoyed it. He was even back on an electric trike a couple of weeks after breaking his thigh (not on a bike)!!

Very best of luck to your husband. I hope it works well for him.

Yes, we have them. We used them quite a bit when we bought them five years ago, but only on designated cycle routes as we found to our surprise that cycling along the roads was actually very unnerving, as we live on the outskirts of a city and the traffic is horrendous. It didn't help that the one I bought was slightly too big for me - I stupidly ordered it online instead of trying one out first.
So our bikes have been languishing, unloved, in our garage for over 3 years, and now the batteries need replacing (these are so expensive that it really isn't worth trying to revive our interest in the bikes!).
If we lived in a quieter area, I am quite sure we would have used them far more - our rides along cycle routes were really enjoyable, I absolutely loved the freedom of being on a bike and being able to stop whenever I wanted to without having to look for somewhere to park! We found we didn't need to have the motor running all the time - on level ground or downhill, we turned it off, only using it if we needed a boost going uphill, so this helps to extend the battery life between charges.

My daughter had one which she used in a city. She used it for her job and found it invaluable. Best of luck to your husband he will have a great time.

I think the one my OH is going for has a system whereby the motor cuts in automatically under certain circumstances - not sure what. He has researched it very carefully and gone for a stte-of-the-art jobby with a carbon drive belt instead of a chain. I am hoping it will be successful for him.

Thanks for your comments and advice.

I agree, soontobe they are eye wateringly expensive. I decided that as I lived in London I would probably be knocked off my bike within the first 30 minutes, similar to my motorbike in 1976.

DH has one and uses it a lot especially for short trips to shops, allotments, old house, etc. I'm not saying it's paid for itself yet, but the car tends to be used a lot less these days.

Charleygirl I was knocked off my Yamaha in 1967 on 'Scotty' Road, in Liverpool - by a corporation bus!

They are eye-wateringly expensive, but we do not go on foreign holidays, cruises, drink, smoke or otherwise indulge; so we are dipping into savings in the hope that this will improve OH's quality of life.

Luckygirl any money spent on improving quality of life for your H is money well spent in my opinion. I hope we get some decent weather for a few more weeks so that he can get some use of it before winter weather sets in.

Unfortunately the bike will not be delivered until the new year, so he has to wait patiently. There was a particular one from Germany that he wanted. Let us hope that as the spring arrives next year he will be out and about enjoying himself.

Thanks for your kind thoughts annsixty - I know that you understand how important it is to carpe diem when someone has a degenerative illness.

Anya I did it all by myself I did not need the help of a bus!

Very good luck Luckygirl- hopefully it will give your DH a new lease of life and as you said, improve the quality. He will be using muscles that he forgot that he possessed and it will be great to look forward to using the bike in spring

Thanks for your good wishes Charleygirl.

You " bikers " have brought a smile to my face. DH had a motorbike when we first met and we were invited to a bonfire and fireworks party at the house of one of his work friends. I had never met anyone and he only knew two of the men. He picked me up from work and off we went. I was suitably muffled up and on arriving went into the house to take of my helmet thingy and the scarf I had wrapped round my lower face. Now no-one had warned me about scarves and lipstick. There was a collective gasp from the girls there and one directed me to the bathroom. I looked like Coco the clown. I had lipstick smeared fro ear to ear and nose to chin. I didn't like the bike before and I hated it after that.

Luckygirl I don't think the 'eye-wateringly expensive' factor is an issue at all in your DH's circumstances. It is absolutely money well spent, no matter how big a dent it makes in your savings. His quality of life is so much more important than the price tag. Good luck to him! How lovely for him to be able to get around more easily once again.