By Dawn Rainbolt, Marketing Executive
Published: Jan 17, 2019More by Dawn
Wilderness Ireland has updated our fleet of bikes – and this year, we’ve decided to add e-bikes to our fleet! Read on to learn more about this new option for biking trips.
Credit TREK bikes
If you’re imagining some kind of scooter, think again. In many ways, an e-bike, or electric bike, is a bicycle like any other in terms of use and design. However, e-bikes are specially designed bike to work in conjunction with a small motor. For the most part, e-bikes are regular bikes that have been fitted with a small battery that allows the cyclist to turn on the battery for a bit of a boost.
Our fleet of e-bikes are TREK Verve+ electric hybrid bikes – perfect for cycling on Ireland’s narrow and bumpy country roads.
There are plenty of reasons why you might choose an e-bike over a traditional bike. You might wish to join in on a bike trip but lack the ability or fitness to do the trip you want. For example, our new 2019 trip, Biking the Kerry Peninsulas, is a great way to explore some of Kerry’s classic sites from the seat of a bicycle. However, this trips is Blue 5 meaning that it is moderately challenging, and includes some decent climbs.
It also makes it easier to comfortably keep pace with a faster partner or friend – without detracting from your own experience. Even if you cycle often , for cyclists who are worried about their endurance levels over a week-long trip, an e-bike might be a preferable over a regular bike. And less effort means more cruising – better able to enjoy the views!
Credit TREK bikes
Not to burst your bubble, but sadly the e-bike doesn’t drive itself – you’ll still have to pedal. But the good news is that the Verve+ has pedal assist that help you amplify your pedalling effort. Simply pedal as you would any bike – but with a little extra boost. Trek e-bikes feature a Borsch system that can sustain speeds up to 25km/hr (15 mph).
It takes about 3.5 hours for a full battery charge and the mid motor placement keeps the weight distribution even and the centre of gravity low to provide a more comfortable cycle.
There are a few different settings depending on how much of a push you require. On the bike handlebars, there is a small monitor which will help you manage your speed and your assist, which buttons to increase and decrease the power.
While your guide will explain the settings to you at the start of your bike trip, essentially, there are a few different levels. The battery range will vary based on the levels you use, and for how long each level is powered on. The lowest level – we’ll call this Eco Mode – has the lowest pedal assist, but the electric battery will last the longest. The highest – let’s call this one Turbo Mode – gives you the most power but correspondingly reduces battery length. You’ll have to test out the settings for yourself when you get fitted for your e-bike, but as a general rule, it’s best to cruise on Eco Mode (or without any pedal assist, if you prefer), and crank it up to Turbo only when you approach the hills and big climbs.
It’s not as complicated as it might seem and having an e-bike will change your ability levels when it comes to joining bike trips through the Irish countryside!
Credit TREK bikes
E-bikes are great inventions, making biking and bike trips accessible to more people. The best part is that you won’t have to sacrifice what makes biking amazing. Traditional bike or e-bike, feel the wind in your face or the sun on your back. Covering more ground than you would on a hiking trip, the stunning Irish landscapes are more than just a blur out the window of a car.
On a biking trip, you’ll take time to explore the Irish countryside at a pace that allows you to best appreciate the wonders of the great outdoors. By bike, you’ll have the freedom to stop along the way to admire the view, photograph the jaw-dropping beauty, and check out any points of interest. E-bikes allows you to simply cruise – making it easier to sit back and enjoy the views.
If you aren’t confident with the milage on the trip, or if you’re worried that you don’t have enough endurance, an e-bike might be the right choice for you. You’ll still get the advantages of a cycling holiday – but with a little extra boost on Ireland’s hills!
If you plan to travel with your partner or spouse who cycles at a different pace than you, an e-bike allows both of you to pedal at the same pace, making your holiday more enjoyable! They are a great equaliser, allowing people of various fitness ride together, or choose a more difficult trip.
Biking in Kerry’s Gap of Dunloe
Irish roads are known for being meandering and picturesque – but these charming country lanes are also mean some difficulties for cyclists. The roads in Ireland (especially on the dramatic west coast) are rarely straight or direct, and the surface can often be uneven. Irish roads follow the contour of the landscape – they traverse rolling hills, follow along the shores of lakes and rivers, and bend around trees or farms or cottages. In Kerry (the southwest) and up in Donegal (the northwest), the landscapes are even more mountainous.
Ireland’s varying and sometimes challenging terrain means that e-bikes are a good option, especially for cyclists who are trying to match a faster partner’s pace, or who are less confident in their abilities or endurance. E-bikes open up the ability to cycle Ireland’s stunning countryside to everyone!
So you’ve set your heart on a bike trip in Ireland via e-bike. To reserve one, start by having a look at our biking trips to identify which itinerary you find best suits you. As we have limited e-bikes – available on a first come basis – before you book your trip, it’s best to get in touch with our Sales team to request an e-bike for those dates.
If an e-bike is available, our Sales team can reserve it for you as well as book your place on your trip. If there isn’t one available at the time you wish to travel, our trip designers can help find another trip/date that works for you.
The price to rent an e-bike for a 1-week trip is €380.
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