Gordon

I use my e-bike to get virtually everywhere now. I was never really much of a cyclist - although my wife is very keen. Because I work in the centre of Oxford, in a fairly manual job, and we live at the top of Headington Hill, I’d find any excuse not to do it; if it was raining, windy, there was a Y in the day... To be fair, I very rarely drove into work but I generally caught the bus. 

My wife’s friend, who does cycle training at Horspath Sports Ground, was running an e-bike loan scheme. If you lived in the right postcode and were going to use it to commute to Oxford, they’d lend you an e-bike for eight weeks. I took her up on it, borrowed it, and after about two weeks, I knew this was for me. I ordered my own e-bike through the Cycle to Work scheme and I’ve never looked back.

I just love the speed of it. Living in Headington, to walk to work on the Woodstock Road would be an hour; the bus would be at least an hour; and driving - the way traffic is - was an hour. But on the e-bike, I’m there in less than 15 minutes. And it’s the same going home.

Physically, I think it’s good for my health and for my mental health too; those 15 minutes to myself, through the low traffic neighbourhoods, are great for stress.

I love the convenience. And it’s cheaper. The Cycle to Work scheme saved me a lot of money and I’m no longer paying bus fares or scooter hire charges.