Today the whole country seems to be celebrating the power of black and silver, so I’m delighted to introduce you to Gail and her gorgeous step-through shiny black Pedego Boomerang bike, aka “Black Doris”!
Why yes, I am going to segue from our victorious lads in black into introducing you to some women at the top of their game when it comes to how they get around our city. (After all, the boys in black certainly know the value of a good bike ride – how did Sam Whitlock recover from the semifinal in time for the big match?).
Gail lives in Devonport, works as a nanny and dog walker, and has clients all over Auckland. I met her today at Devonport’s New World supermarket bike stand. She beamed while unlocking her bike, and told me how this practical, powerful e-bike (yes indeed, Black Doris is electrified, as well as very handsome!) has transformed her life. She’s loving the freedom of having disposed of her car, happy in the knowledge she’s no longer adding to Auckland’s air pollution. She also mentioned she’s revelling in her liberation from traffic jams and arriving at work appointments refreshed, on time and smiling.
Before elegantly pedalling off up the hill near the supermarket, Gail told me she’s keen to encourage more offices to get smart about e-bikes. Apparently, leading architects Jasmax provide a couple of e-bikes for staff meetings around town, and they’re always in use. Imagine the saving of time and traffic hassles if other businesses followed their example!
Or, think of it the other way around – here’s a glimpse of rush hour in Utrecht, in the Netherlands. We’d look a bit more like this if we swapped a few of our short, local, single-occupancy car trips for just hopping on a bike. It’s a no-brainer.
Gail is just one of the many powerful advocates for e-bikes I seem to meet every day. That little bit of extra oomph for hills and headwinds can truly transform a life. On Friday, for example, I bumped into Maureen on her gorgeous Pedego at Glen Innes’s ‘Nosh’ gourmet food outlet. Maureen lives in St Heliers, and is yet another Aucklander who no longer owns a car and is delighting in easy, healthy and convenient travel to shopping and appointments.
To complete this trifecta I can point to our wonderful blog editor, Jolisa, who has a classy new e-bike that is her pride and joy. Shortly after she started her work with us I asked Chris and Darleen at ECycles Waiheke/Bikes & Barbers Newmarket to supply her with e-bikes to try, as I knew it would add to her already impressive allurements and reflect well on Cycle Action when she arrives at meetings. [Ed: that reminds me, we need to catch up on those e-bike reviews and unveil the new bike!]
I have a dream that another impressive woman will soon be out and about on a super classy e-bike. I won’t name her, but I can hint that she’s turning heads all over Auckland as she bikes between appointments, breathing new life and fresh perspectives into a highly influential Auckland organisation. Any day now I’m expecting her employer to supply her with an e-bike of her choice, branded with the organization’s colours and logo.
After all, ambassadors should arrive in style, even – or indeed especially – when their limo is the two-wheeled kind!
