The Health Benefits of Riding an E-Bike

Low-Impact Exercise: Riding an e-bike provides an excellent form of low-impact exercise. Even with electric assistance, riders still engage in pedalling, which helps to strengthen leg muscles and improve cardiovascular health. Unlike high-impact exercises like running, e-biking puts less strain on joints, making it suitable for individuals of all fitness levels and ages.

Weight Management and Calorie Burn: Regular e-bike commuting can help with weight management and weight loss efforts. By pedalling and utilising electric assistance when needed, riders burn calories and boost their metabolism, contributing to maintaining a healthy body weight.

Mental Well-being: The endorphins released during exercise can help reduce stress and improve mental well-being. E-biking offers the advantage of combining physical activity with the sheer joy of riding, allowing riders to unwind and clear their minds while navigating through scenic routes.

Enhanced Cardiovascular Health: Engaging in regular e-bike rides can improve cardiovascular health by increasing heart rate and blood flow. This can lead to reduced risks of heart disease, stroke, and other cardiovascular issues, making it a worthwhile investment for long-term health.

Improved Respiratory Function: As e-bike riders tend to travel at slower speeds compared to motor vehicles, they are exposed to fewer harmful pollutants, leading to better respiratory health. Additionally, the exercise from pedalling can strengthen respiratory muscles, benefiting lung capacity.

Integrating E-Bikes into Daily Life

Commuting to Work: One of the most practical ways to integrate e-bikes into daily life is by using them for commuting to work. With the assistance of the electric motor, commuting longer distances becomes manageable, while avoiding traffic congestion and reducing your carbon footprint.

Errands and Shopping: Replace short car trips for errands and shopping with e-bike rides. Most e-bikes come equipped with cargo racks or baskets, allowing you to carry groceries and essentials without a hassle.

Exercise Routine: Incorporate e-bike rides into your weekly exercise routine. You can alternate between traditional biking and e-biking, allowing you to challenge yourself physically while still enjoying the thrill of e-assistance.

Recreational Rides: Utilise ebikes for recreational purposes, exploring nearby parks, nature trails, or scenic routes. It’s an enjoyable way to spend time with family and friends while reaping the health benefits of outdoor activities.

Group Activities: Join local e-bike clubs or organise group rides with friends and neighbours. Group activities not only make the experience more enjoyable but also provide an opportunity to socialise and motivate each other towards a healthier lifestyle.

The post Embracing the Ebike Revolution: A Healthy and Sustainable Commute appeared first on Espokes.

“Choosing to support an independent business is an act of respect; it’s acknowledging the tremendous risk and challenges inherent to starting your own thing.” – Matt Kliegman, co-founder The Smile, The Smile To Go, Black Seed Bagels, via Forbes

Buy local and support a small independent business like us.

Small Business Saturday UK highlights small business success and encourages consumers to shop local and support small business in their communities.

Originally launched in the US in 2010 Small Business Saturday was scheduled to come a week after two of the biggest shopping days – Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

Small businesses are important to the economic and social fabric of our society, and all of you play a part in small businesses surviving.

We feel there are many reasons why you should support our small business and not those of our larger competitors. Here are our three main ones:

Personal Service

We like our customers to feel happy and relaxed. We will bend over backwards for every single customer because you all matter to us.  We spend as long as is needed with each customer, tailoring our service to suit you, so you can rest assured you will purchase the right ebike to fit in with your lifestyle and needs.  We really do care about each and every one of our customers.

Family Run

We’re independent and have chosen our suppliers carefully to bring you the best selection of quality ebikes. We’re family run and will treat you as we would expect to be treated. We also offer the very best after sales service, so you can leave the showroom confident, we will always be here to support you and your ebike.

Respond Quickly

We are able to be flexible to our customers’ needs. We respond to feedback and suggestions and can easily implement new products or services.

We are Basingstoke’s only specialist electric bike sales, service and test riding centre, as well as the only Bosch accredited ebike experts in the area.

This year we are celebrating small business Saturday by doing free test rides.

We would urge you to help us save our economy by buying local and invite you to our Basingstoke showroom where you can browse our range of electric bikes and accessories; talk to experts who will be on hand to answer any ebike related questions and take you for your free test ride.

Click here to browse our range of stylish electric bikes

The post Buy Local – Small Business Saturday appeared first on Espokes.

Black Friday Ebike Deals are back

Black Friday is here once again.  If you have been thinking about buying an electric bike you could benefit from one of our super deals.

This year Black Friday is on Friday 23 November 2018 and Cyber Monday is on Monday 26^th November 2018.

We will be running several deals from now until cyber Monday and then two massive deals not to be missed – one on Black Friday and one on Cyber Monday. Visit Ebike sale page to take advantage of our current offers

If you have been wondering what Black Friday is and where it comes from, read on!

Black Friday comes from America and is the day after Thanksgiving Day, which is on the fourth Thursday in November and since 1952 has been known as the beginning of the Christmas shopping season. It is not an official holiday, but in some American states, it is seen as such by the State Government, who gives their employees time off in lieu.

It has become the traditional day for retailers to give big discounts to mark the unofficial launch of the Christmas shopping period.

It was named “Black Friday” by the Philadelphia Police Department in the 1950s and 60s. Due to the high number of shoppers out to get the best deals, cities became gridlocked and they described the chaos caused on this day as Black Friday.

Although this shopping phenomenon dates back to the Great Depression in 1939, it only came to England in 2010. As public awareness grew, 2013 was a real turning point with Amazon and Asda a subsidiary of Walmart announcing Black Friday deals which have led to companies now offering bigger and better deals each year.

At Espokes we run various offers all year long. Check out our demo bike page to pick up a fantastic deal on an ex-demo electric bike.

You could wait and see what we have on offer to take part in Black Friday and Cyber Monday, but there’s no need to delay as we will be giving up to £100 off all ebike purchases throughout the weekend; saving our two best deals specifically for the Friday and Monday.

Visit our BLACK FRIDAY page to keep updated on our offers through out the week or pop into our showroom for even more discounted prices.

We will be keeping our deal under wraps until the weekend in question – but if you want to hear about it first, make sure you sign up to our newsletter below

The post Black Friday Ebike Deals appeared first on Espokes.

Hands Up anyone who’s ever owned a Raleigh!! Mine was a Raleigh Silhouette! I attached a spare freezer basket on the front and a child seat on the back. Many an enjoyable ride followed with my daughter and Raggy Doll.

Here are a couple of pics of my daughter Laura on her first Raleigh. (I couldn’t find any pictures of my Silhouette!)

Sir Frank Bowden

One of the world’s oldest and best-known bike brands; Raleigh was founded by Woodhead and Angois in 1885; acquired by Sir Frank Bowden in 1888, who after suffering a spell of ill-health discovered a love for cycling whilst experiencing its health benefits first hand. Many years have passed, and Raleigh is still as strong now as they were when they were first established.

Now part of the Accell Group, a European-based company who own several Bicycle and Accessory brands throughout Europe and North America and are market leaders in electric bikes; invaluable to Raleigh’s product development; but bike design and wheel building are still traditionally done at Head office in their hometown of Nottingham.

In the 90s Raleigh was the first UK based company to produce and market mountain bikes and electrically assisted bicycles.

Low maintenance greatly priced with styles and performance to please everyone; the electric bike will improve fitness and wellbeing as well as reducing carbon footprint.

Let’s take the Motus range from the lightweight quiet cruiser with it’s Bosch active line at a remarkable price of £1650

to the Grand Tour, sleek and sophisticated with an award-winning Bosch Active + motor and 400Wh battery giving you a range of up to 110miles, perfect for city trips, relaxed tours and weekend adventures.

How about a bike that revolutionises the urban commuter ebike! Featuring a new frame design with adapted geometry to improve agility, Shimano Steps E6000 motor, carbon blades, hydraulic disc brakes and 400Wh Shimano battery. You won’t fail to wow on the Strada Elite, available in Blue or Silver at a stunning price of only £2250.

We don’t want you to miss out and have put this fabulous range in stock. So don’t dally, come and test ride BOOK NOW

The post Fall in love with cycling – own a Raleigh ebike appeared first on Espokes.

Reasons for owning an ebike

Why own an electric bike? Beating the hills, exploring the world whilst keeping fit, saving money and having fun! That is what owning an ebike means.

Electric bicycles offer the same benefits as regular cycling; the difference is due to the motor and the power setting you choose. Every time the pedals are pushed you’ll get three, four, five or maybe even 10 pedal strokes more. This means greater distances and longer rides. Great news for the heart, lungs and blood pressure as endless scientific study has proven the link between regular exercise and reduced stress levels.

According to a report by the Transport Research Laboratory, regular bikes are taken out of the shed less than 25 times a year, with 46% being used just once or twice a week. In comparison, 30% of people with electric bikes use them every day, while 81% ride them at least once a week. E-bikes are also good for those whose fitness isn’t what it could or used to be due to age or illness.

The average speed of cars in central London is 7.4mph! On an e-bike 15mph can almost instantly be reached, making them safer than ordinary bikes as it takes a few vital seconds for a regular cyclist to build up speed when stopped at junctions, crossroads and roundabouts; which is where most bike accidents on the road happen; due to the instant acceleration from the motor a faster exit from the danger zone is achieved. Ebike riders are also less likely to jump a red light and are more willing to slow for bends and corners; where many cyclists come off. Finally, being able to keep up with the flow of traffic more easily means, fewer cars, buses and lorries feel the need to overtake, making for safer riding.

With the many choices of stylish electric bikes and accessories now available; many have swapped their cars saving money on commuting as well as saving the planet making ebikes the “coolest way to travel”.

Give it a try and hire an ebike for the weekend www.espokes.co.uk/ebike-hire/

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But what exactly are we meant to do with ourselves in that limbo time between Christmas and New Year?

We could start planning all our New Year’s resolutions, or maybe watching yet another feel-good movie won’t be so bad. That nearly empty box of Quality Street will certainly help you get through it, and well someone has got to eat all the coconut ones that have been left.

Or you could browse through our electric bikes and grab yourself a real bargain in our January sales, which we have started early just for you.

So finish off the leftover turkey, polish off the quality street and treat yourself to those yummy scrummy Turkish delights which have been twinkling away at you, but you have so far managed to resist.

After all with a shiny new electric bike about to land in your garage – you will soon be making excuses to go cycling, come rain, shine or snow.

Buying an electric bike is a good investment. With many car journeys being under ten miles – you could easily swap these for your electric bike. So not only will you be keeping your New Year’s resolution this year – you will be cycling off those mince pies and helping keep air pollution and congestion down.

Just think of all those pennies you will save on fuel as well. You will certainly have saved enough money to really treat yourself and your loved ones next Christmas.

At Espokes we have five ex-demo electric bikes in our January sales. These are ebikes which have gone out on short test rides or been taken to shows throughout the year. Some of them may have cosmetic imperfections and additional mileage. More information can be supplied upon request – and you are more than welcome to come and see for yourself. These are fantastic ebikes at bargain prices and all come with a one year warranty on the frame, battery and motor.

Here are our top three ex-demo ebike bargains in our January Sales.

RooDog Bliss folder

RooDog Bliss folding ebike – Buy now

Was £899 now £879 Save £20

A  few minor scratches.

The Bliss folding ebike is so compact; it will easily fit under your staircase cupboard or squeeze into that small space in your shed. The Bliss maybe perfectly small, but certainly doesn’t lack power. The Shimano 7 speed Megarange gears combined with the five power assist modes and an extra low first gear, means even a hill start will be a breeze.

EBCO UCL 90

EBCO UCL 90 electric bike – Buy now

Was £2,499 now £1,999 Save £500

A factory ebike with stickers over the paint.  It is in good condition with additional mileage.

The Stylish UCL 90 electric bike brings a new design concept to low step frames.

It is powered by the industry-leading Bosch Active Centre drive motor system, this combined with powerful hydraulic disc brakes and Shimano Alfine 8 internal hub gear system makes it a sophisticated and stylized class-leading ride.

Riese & Muller Charger

Was £3689 now £2999 save £690 – Buy now

A few minor scratches and additional mileage

With 27.5” wheels and powered by the industry-leading Bosch performance centre drive motor, this ebike will reinforce your own muscle strength with speeds of up to 15.5mph. Guaranteeing you a fast and comfy ride.

The continuous NuVinci hub gears without gaps between shifts make for faster smoother gear changes and the Gates belt drive mean its low maintenance too.

Also up in the sale – we have a range of brand new electric bikes at discount prices. Stock on these items is limited, so you had better be quick.

Here are our top three discounted ebikes in our January Sales

EBCO UCR 60

EBCO UCR 60 roadster electric bike – Buy now

Was £1799 Now £1499 Save £300

The EBCO UCR 60 is a quality intuitive mid motor e-bike at a competitive, affordable price.

Powered by the reliable TranzX mid motor connecting directly to the chainring as well as a ride sensitive torque sensor which results in increased acceleration, efficiency and performance.

EBCO TL 60

EBCO TL 60 electric bike – Buy now

Was £1999 Now £1599 Save £400

The TL 60 uses the reliable TranzX mid motor system, components and batteries resulting in a quality ebike at an affordable price.

It uses market-leading technology and componentry incorporating CanBus?Logix computer diagnostic capability giving you more efficient and accurate information upon servicing.

EBCO UCL 70

Was £2299 Now £1999 Save £300 – Buy now

Ideal for that commute to work or a leisurely ride around town. The Shimano Steps mid motor system combined with the maintenance free Shimano Nexus 7 internal hub gear system give you a sophisticated riding experience.

So what are you waiting for – take advantage of these fantastic deals right away – visit our ebike sale

The post January Sales – Great electric bikes at massive discounts appeared first on Espokes.

Take a look at our perfect Christmas Gifts. Only ten cycling days left until you need to hand over those presents, and an electric bike could just make someones Christmas even more special than usual.

Electric Bikes are fun, they keep you fit, give you freedom and are good for the soul.

It is also a great way to start the New Year and getting fit will become not only a resolution but an excuse just to get out on your new ebike.

Due to the success of Black Friday – we have another unmissable deal.

Santa has told us he will be giving either £600 off the Riese & Muller Charger or a RooDog Bliss folding electric bike free.

The Riese & Muller Charger

The Riese & Muller Charger will set you back £3689. It is powered by the industry-leading Bosch Performance centre drive motor. This will help reinforce your own muscle strength with speeds up to 15.5mph. This combined with a 36V 500Wh lithium-ion frame batter, gives you a range of up to about 50 miles per full charge.

Its handlebar mounted Bosch Intuvia display is the control centre for the Charger. With a complete range of information delivered to the rider via the Intuvia including; battery status, range, daily mileage, total mileage, ride time, current motor power, time, speed and average speed.

It also benefits from a walk-assist function taking the bike up to 4mph, always handy when you are walking it through town centres etc.

The Charger is a multi-award-winning design, and it is hard not to fall in love with it. Every single detail delivers superb functionality. The cables even run hidden under the top tube and through the frame. It has a level of sportiness and outstanding riding characteristics. In the words of a Charger owner, “I now have a bike I can ride in great comfort.”

The continuous NuVinci hub gears without gaps between shifts make for a faster smoother gear change, and the Gates carbon belt drive means its low maintenance.

To ensure shorter braking distances, the Charger has hydraulic Shimano Deore disc brakes which don’t fail to impress with their superb braking performance.

The 27.5” wheels and Schwalbe fat tyres guarantee the ultimate in riding comfort and add to the athletic look of the bike along with the Ergon GP1 performance comfort grips.

As well as all this superb technology you have the choice of money off or a folding electric bike completely free.

The RooDog Bliss

RooDog Bliss folding ebike

The Bliss folding electric bike would set you back £899 if you were to buy it on its own.

The brilliant thing about the Bliss is that it is so compact it easily fits under your staircase cupboard or you can squeeze it into that small space in your shed.

If you need to take the car into the garage a couple of miles away or you are nipping on and off trains, the Bliss will be a lot easier to take with you than the Charger.

It is made from aluminium alloy 6061; this makes it both light and robust.

The 250watt rear hub motor will assist you up to 15.5mph and is powered by a 36 volt 10Ah lithium-ion battery. This will give you a range of up to about 30 miles per full charge.

The display shows the battery indicator, management of five speeds, and powerful LED lights for the front and back.

The Shimano 7 speed Megarange gears mean you won’t have any problems taking on those hills and the extra low bottom gear means hill starts are a lot easier too.

The 20” wheels make it easy to fold away into the boot of your car and with the aluminium alloy zoom suspension, v brakes front and rear, this makes the Bliss very good value for money.

Our last day to guarantee your delivery in time for Christmas is Monday 18^th December. We will be open in Basingstoke until Saturday, December 23^rd. If you wish to visit us in Wincanton, please call to book an appointment 01747 840210

To order an electric bike or top up on your stocking fillers with our wide range of accessories head over to our website www.espokes.co.uk

The post Christmas Gifts – Santa’s Ebike Special appeared first on Espokes.

Come to our showroom in Basingstoke, our Wincanton outlet or we can even come to you.

Anyone who has ever ridden an electric bike will know what I mean about the ebike smile.

Even those of you out there who are still non-believers of the pedal assistance. I challenge you to not come back with a massive grin on your face from speeding away on two wheels.

At Espokes we could talk all day about the benefits and joys of riding an electric bike. We believe for you to truly understand the concept of pedal assistance – you need to try it for yourself, which is why we offer you free tailored ebike test rides on our demo electric bikes.

We are very lucky at our showroom in Basingstoke. We have a large amount of unlimited free parking and can accommodate everything from a bicycle right through to a horse box.

Located on a side road, we have a relatively traffic free area for you to test ride.

Those of you who don’t mind riding on the road and require a longer test ride, we have a nice little route we can take you on. Booking for the longer route is required in advance.

Equally, you may be more comfortable in your own surroundings. Test riding on roads or tracks you already know. If you take a look at our range of electric bikes and tell us what your main use for it will be, we can bring a selection of various ebikes of styles and price ranges to your home.

With bases in Basingstoke and Wincanton, we are regulars of the A303 corridor. We can easily cover Hampshire, Berkshire, Somerset, Dorset and Wiltshire.

If you wish to book a test ride on any of our electric bikes please call us on 01256 353465 or email info@espokes.co.uk

The post Free Ebike Test Rides – We’ll even come to you appeared first on Espokes.

Small Business Saturday UK highlights small business success and encourages consumers to shop local and support small business in their communities.

Celebrating their fifth birthday in the UK this year Small Business Saturday was originally launched in the US in 2010 to come a week after two of the biggest shopping days – Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

We feel there are many reasons why you should support our small business and not those of our larger competitors. Here are our three main ones;

Personal Service

It is important to us our customers feel happy and relaxed. Espokes will spend as long as is needed with each customer, tailoring our service to suit you, so you can rest assured you will purchase the right ebike to fit in with your lifestyle and needs.

Family Run

Being independent means we have been able to choose our suppliers carefully to bring you the best selection of quality ebikes. We’re family run and will treat you as we would expect to be treated. We also offer the very best after sales service, so you can leave the showroom confident, we will always be here to support you and your ebike.

Respond Quickly

We’re able to be flexible to our customers’ needs.  Respond to feedback and suggestions, we can easily implement new products or services.

Espokes are Basingstoke’s only specialist electric bike sales, service and test riding centre, as well as the only Bosch accredited ebike experts in the area.

This year we are celebrating small business Saturday by holding an open day.

You are invited to our Basingstoke showroom where you can browse our range of electric bikes and accessories and talk to experts who will be on hand to answer any ebike related questions you may have. We have three organised rides at 11 am, 1 pm and 3 pm where one of our team will take you on a short ride so you can test ride the ebikes for yourself. Once you arrive back at the showroom there will, of course, be a mince pie and hot drink waiting for you.

Please note;

You will need suitable clothing, a helmet and photo ID

Before you ride you will be asked to complete a waiver form

Ebikes offered on a first come first served basis – no booking necessary

We look forward to seeing you all on Saturday.

Click here to browse our range of stylish electric bikes https://www.espokes.co.uk/product-category/electric-bikes/?orderby=price

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