In a place like the Tweed Valley where pedal power is king, the notion of getting around using electric bikes will have some scratching their heads. But that has not stopped new Visit Tweed Valley member E-Motion Bikes from seeing huge interest in rentals of its top-of-the-range electric bikes.
Based at Cardrona, E-Motion rents (and sells) a variety of electric bikes that enable visitors to explore the Tweed Valley without having to worry about climbing the area’s many hills. Designed in Germany by premium electric bike manufacturer A2B, the main hire bike available – the Hybrid 24 – is ideal for experiencing the wonderfully quiet B-roads, cycle paths and forest fire roads that are all around.
Bikes can be rented for a half or full day, with delivery to several rental points across the Tweed Valley, including the Macdonald Cardrona Hotel, Peebles Hydro Hotel, Tontine Hotel and Traquair Arms Hotel.
“The big appeal is the effortless cycling,” explains E-Motion Bikes founder Rod Mitchell. “The bikes are pedal-assist so riders are in complete control of the level of assistance that they apply. They are great fun and allow young and old to really get out and cover good distances.
“Adding a motor to a bike enables accessibility to those who would otherwise struggle. Going up any hill is a breeze, giving confidence and support to those who need it. These bikes are pedal-assist not ‘twist and go’, so you still have to pedal but can achieve so much more with less effort.”
This year, E-Motion has already seen a wide variety of customers, from young couples to families and small groups. “For most of them, it is the first time they have ridden an electric bike and they all really enjoy the experience,” says Rod. “We even had a gentleman celebrating his 80th birthday with his family who hired a bike so he could cycle up into Glentress forest and watch his grandchildren at the Free-ride Park!”
Another recent customer was a lady who had not been strong enough to ride a bike for several years, but who managed to get around one of the green routes at Glentress. “The motor really helped me get up the slopes,” she reports. “It was like having a gentle hand pushing me up and it's not something I would have been able to do under my own steam.”
With this being the first full season of offering the bikes – E-Motion only launched in late-summer 2014 – Rod anticipates a rapid increase in rentals now that local hotels and guest houses are aware of the service on offer. “We are also looking at setting up additional hubs such as at Tweedbank where the Borders railway will terminate,” he adds.
For more information, check out the E-Motion Bikes listing here (plus see reviews on TripAdvisor here).