Transport stories: Rebekah from Dinsdale
How trying out hire-bikes, a bargain-hunting husband, and safe infrastructure created a new cyclist
We asked some Hamiltonians who had recently changed or shifted their transport habits to tell us about why and how they made that change. Dr Rebekah Graham lives in Dinsdale, and we recently ran into her on the Western Rail Trail.
Kia ora, my name is Rebekah. Full disclosure: I am a middle-aged, overweight, Pākehā woman with a moderate level of fitness, where moderate means I can walk about easily enough, but flights of stairs leave me sweaty and out of breath. I haven’t cycled as a means of regular transportation in some years.
While overseas in Europe on a Winston Churchill Fellowship I took some time out in Paris - and got my confidence up riding e-bikes (the type you hire for .50 euros an hour). Paris has recently put in a great deal of work to make the city cyclable, and it was thoroughly enjoyable biking along the many protected cycle lanes. I figured if I can navigate my way around a foreign city that I am wholly unfamiliar with then I can surely manage a trip or two back home in a city I know well.
I had been wondering about purchasing an e-bike, but the thousands of dollars and intense technical discussions online regarding brands and types left me reluctant. I didn’t want to spend a lot of money on something I may not use all that often. The type of e-bike that would replace a car for me is quite expensive - I would need one that could carry my ten-year-old (I’m often dropping her to school and back), and be able to manage multiple chores (like going to the supermarket). I don’t have the level of fitness or strength required to do this using a standard bike (also I get breathless and sweaty, and it takes me forever to get anywhere and is not very enjoyable).
But then! A change of tactic due to an online sale. The husband, ever keen for a bargain, snapped up a generic folding e-bike. The teenagers carefully constructed the couriered packages when they arrived and trialled the bikes out. I figured it might be handy now and then for the odd short trip.
Oh. My. Life. I have had to eat my words. I use the e-bike ALL the time. Most days in fact. I bike to appointments and to meetings. I biked to the University (10km and several hills away) and to Te Awa mall (10km in the other direction). I cycle to the bookstore and to the New Save to pick up veggies, and I meet friends for coffee. It’s so easy to jump on the e-bike and tootle about.
I love using it, I don’t arrive at places all sweaty and hot and red in the face. I enjoy the light movement and I like that I can choose the level of e-assist. I love that if I am tired I can just turn on the electric motor and use it like a fancy e-scooter. I do sometimes have helmet hair, but nothing a quick trip to the bathroom doesn’t fix (and in all honesty, it is no different to having windy or humidity hair anyway?)1. I feel terribly smug when I hurtle past a line of cars stuck at the lights. I especially enjoy the cycleways where there are no cars – marvellous! The e-assist lifts my cycling efforts and supercharges them to a solid 24km/hr. It’s a wonderful feeling, to breeze up the hills with minimal effort.
Hamilton City Council has put in a bit of work over the past decade and it is becoming a real joy to cycle around the city on the bike trails and in the cycle lanes. Some parts of the city still need work (Dinsdale, I’m looking at you and your terrible cycle paths and awful painted lanes). But, overall, I have found it incredibly easy to tootle about on my e-bike. So far I’ve clocked up over 150km in just under a month – and all of it on short local trips.
Mostly I’ve found car drivers to be pretty good - it’s hard when the road narrows and there isn’t really enough room for a car and a bicycle and the cars come too close for my liking. Newer roads have separated cycle lanes which are a joy, but other roads can be worrying. So far no near misses - fingers crossed that this long continues!
I still eye up the odd cargo e-bike, but for now I am very much enjoying cycling on my cheapie folding e-bike. 100% would recommend picking up an e-bike and giving it a whirl.
Dr Rebekah Graham is a registered community psychologist and researcher in the areas of poverty, health, and food insecurity. Rebekah also works for Parents of Vision Impaired NZ, advocating strongly and consistently for inclusion, accessibility and support. You can read more of her work at Dr Bex on Substack.
Full confession: I don’t really cycle in the rain. A light shower I can manage but cycling in a full downpour does not bring me joy. I also don’t enjoy wearing a helmet much – I do for safety reasons but I’d love to be able to cycle about without wearing one.
Hard agree with all of this - thanks for sharing! We are fortunate to have an e-bike at work and I should totally give it a go. My previous experience still haunts me, your article has gifted me some courage.