The Peak District National Park, rolling across the Pennines, attracts millions of visitors every year.
Visitors keen to explore the Park’s stunning scenery, historic sites and beautiful villages often find one of the best ways to get about is by bike, however traditional bikes can prove a daunting prospect for some family members – novices, the out of practice, the elderly or those concerned about the fitness levels required.
Which is why, in an effort to encourage more people to take to two wheels, Park management have partnered with iconic, British cycle brand Raleigh (headquarters just down the road in Nottingham) to provide visitors with access to an e-bike hire fleet as well as conventional cycles, so many more visitors can enjoy the delights of the Peak District from the saddle.
Raleigh has provided the Park with eight new e-bikes from its exciting Motus range. These combine the latest riding technologies with a durable, high power Bosch motor.
The Motus e-bikes are pedal assisted with a motor that operates when the cyclist pedals. Ecyclists find even the most challenging hills and inclines a doddle whilst the 15.5mph limit and different settings for speed and amount of assistance required means you can safely cover good distances and keep up with the most energetic cyclists is in the family.
An approximately 100-mile range means there are also no concerns about the Motus running out of power on a long bike ride as you take in all the sites. It’s perhaps no surprise that the UK is finally waking up to the joys of e-biking and market growth is currently 20 per cent with this set to increase rapidly.
Helen Bower, Cycle Hire Centre Manager with the Peak District National Park, said: “We’re delighted to be partnering with Raleigh to expand our ebike fleet. Last summer with the increasing popularity of e-bikes, we could have hired out our fleet twice over, so it’s exciting to now be able to offer an increased capacity for our visitors for summer 2018.
“The perfect combination of e-bikes and traditional bikes means a whole family can explore so much more of the National Park within one day, including some of most dramatic landscapes like the Upper Derwent Valley, where the iconic Dambusters-inspired trails would otherwise be more of a challenge.
“E-bikes are ideal to either kick-off a family interest in cycling, or re-enthuse those wanting to re-visit cycling in later years. They help to get you moving again and there’s no better place to appreciate the joys of cycling than the Peak District.”
Alicia Wheatley, Raleigh Communications Manager, adds, “It’s fantastic that the Park recognizes the contribution that e-bikes can make in terms of encouraging cycling generally, and 2017’s experience shows that the demand from consumers is there. E-bikes provide a great opportunity for all the family to explore the amazing Peak District National Park out in the open as it should be enjoyed not through the windows of a car.”
