“I’ve lived all my life in the Mallow area and I feel that I never really knew the area until I cycled it”

Paddy Lane, Mallow

We live near Mallow and have been cycling electric bicycles for seven years. We had never cycled as adults and we never would have believed how much they could enhance our lives. It surprised us at the start that we could get on a bike and cycle 60kms or more and get up the following day and want to cycle more.

Living in a low-lying area like Mallow, the electric bicycle flattens the surrounding hills and enables us to explore the wonderful landscape of North Cork. I’ve lived all my life in the Mallow area (Paddy) and I feel that I never really knew the area until I cycled it. It’s been a great joy.

We used to go walking but you feel a lot better after cycling and we can cover much longer distances and discover far more secluded areas that we would never have discovered in a car. You can stop a bicycle almost anywhere to take in the landscape.

People sometimes think, because it’s an electric bicycle you don’t get the exercise but the bicycle won’t cross the road until you cycle it. You have different levels of assistance so it’s the best kind of exercise.

From a mental health point of view, there’s a sense of total freedom which I love (Anna). I love free-wheeling down the hills. You’ve no distraction, no phone so it’s really quality time together. The pleasure we’ve gotten out of the bikes has been absolutely amazing.

I did question were we wise spending the money on an electric bicycle (Paddy) but it was the best money we ever spent on ourselves. There’s a whole new world out there for people and you can make the best of it while you have the health to do it. It’s been a great experience, it really has.