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Jun 01
in Adventure, Cycling, Nature, The United Kingdom 0 comments tags: Bedgebury Pinetum Forestry, EMTB, New Forest, Nicola Ann Art, Nicola Ann Beykirch, Surrey Hlls, The Devil's Punch Bowl

Electric Mountain Biking is a New Addiction

NEW FOREST, LYNDHURST 

Oh, the thousands of wild ponies scattered throughout the New Forest. Seeking them out while exploring on an electric mountain bike (EMTB). A first EMTB experience. Almost fifty kilometres, and so much breath left; I could have gone on and on and on… 

I had ridden mountain bikes throughout South Africa and had developed my skills when riding with Ama Angles “single track minded” – at Holla Trails in Ballito, KwaZulu-Natal – a few years ago, when I came close to living back home indefinitely.  

“Wild horses

Couldn’t drag me away

Wild, wild horses

We’ll ride them some day…”

                                                                                    Lyrics by The Rolling Stones

SURREY HILLS AREA OF OUTSTANDING NATURAL BEAUTY

We experienced so much fun EMTB the weekend before, we had to do it again. This time through the hills of Surrey and its outstanding beauty. Five out of five for the diverse terrain and technical challenges overlooking The Devil’s Punchbowl. 

We hired The CUBE REACTION HYBRID Pro 500 from Surrey Hills Cycle Hire at the village of Hambledon.  

BEDGEBURY PINETUM FORESTRY, KENT & SUSSEX 

Resistance was futile… EMTB for a third weekend in a row. This time whizzing along graded trails in Bedgebury Pinetum Forestry, bordering Kent and Sussex.

By accident, okay, I broke the chain of the Haibike Hardseven, and was upgraded to the Whyte 2nd generation. My word! It felt like six upgrades with the rear suspension alone. You get what you pay for, right? Sadly, they had fixed the Haibike upon our return for lunch and I had to return the Whyte. If only we never had returned for lunch. Back on the Haibike and a third way through the red route the motor died. And then the motor died. I had to cycle six kilometres without electric on a heavy bike – I cursed the saints – after doing almost forty kilometres, going all out to beat my time along the red and mini black routes (mind the torque through all the s-bends). At least I was given a discount from Quench for all the trouble experienced. 

SWINLEY FOREST, SURREY & BERKSHIRE

A little dirty, dirtier and then filthy. Oh, what a rush EMTB in the rain and through the slush, splattered with mud and soaked to the bone… Forty-one kilometres along the bewitching blue and raging red routes in Bracknell Forest, Berkshire. What a ride on the VITUS E-SOMMET VRS on hire from Swinley Bike Hub. This has been the best EMTB to ride on our journey of discovery thus far. 

THE DEVIL’S PUNCH BOWL, SURREY HILLS

A return to Surrey Hills to explore more of the Devil’s Punch Bowl by EMTB. Back to the CUBE REACTION HYBRID Pro 500 hired from Surrey Hills Cycle Hire. They met us outside the Hambledon Village Shop, near the cricket ground, where we collected the bikes and head out to The Devil’s Punch Bowl, a 282.2-hectare visitor attraction and biological Site of Special Scientific Interest. A total of forty-one kilometres with challenging terrain, with at least thirty kilometres of single-track! Back to the CUBE REACTION HYBRID Pro 500. 

Definitely single-track minded!

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About the Author: Nicola

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