“Marriage is a wonderful invention; but then again, so is a bicycle repair kit.” - Billy Connolly
This Monday I'm going to Norway and Sweden for three months. Various project are waiting for me there: New routes, fine-tuning of routes that are almost done, and maintenance of existing routes*. Even though this work is done by myself, I get an incredible amount of support. And without my Remy (husband), Ria (partner in crime) and all the Norwegians and Swedes I work with and/or receive me with literally open arms, I couldn't do it. I even did a bicycle repair course last week! Because since I have a husband and a Santos, I forgot almost everything about fix a bicycle. And it seemed to me that if something happens with my bicycle, it would be useful not to have to depend on others.
A couple of months ago, I got support from an unexpected direction: Santos offered me electrical support. "What?! Gea on an e-bike?", I hear you wonder. Well, maybe. Maybe not...
"I really don't want an e-bike, but my work in Norway and Sweden will be easier by a large margin", I said to Robbert, the founder of Santos Bikes. Spontaneously, he offered to let me thy it this summer with the Pendix-system. The advantage is, you don't need a bicycle, but put it on your existing one. And another advantage: it doesn't make cycling harder if it's off, so you can turn it on and off at your discretion. "If you don't like it afterwards, we'll remove it again after the summer, if you do like it, we can talk".
Ohh... how tempting!
When I'm researching and/or checking routes in Norway and Sweden, I cycle back and forth a lot. And up and down a lot as well. That is tiering and in the evening I need to process my notes. Then an e-bike is very convenient.
Between our cycling holiday in the England (last May) and my work trip to Norway and Sweden is a period of three weeks. That is too short to convert my bicycle. It would have to be done before our holiday, which means that I would have an e-bike during our cycling holiday. Even though I wouldn't want that, it does have its advantages. England is one of the hardest countries to cycle through, because of the countless steep climbs.
En still... After a couple of days I let Robbert know the following:
"I don't want an electric bicycle for cycling holidays and day trips (for now) and never had the desire to have one, but it would make my work in Norway and Sweden a lot easier. Chances are that I get used to it and keep the Pendix after the summer. I know myself: Of course I can turn off the support, but that little push in the back feels better with the wind along the coast and the hills and mountains during a cycling holiday. All my life, I struggle with one issue: being overweight. At the moment I have some control over it because of the many cycling trips, but I'm afraid I'll lose that as well.
These are other reasons, but this is the main one. I very much like to keep cycling on my own strength. Even if it makes my work in Norway and Sweden a bit harder. Some day, if cycling becomes too difficult, the Pendix would be ideal. But not at this time."
Before coming to this decision, I consulted two people. The only two who I knew, that would talk me out of it: Remy and Elise. And as expected, they gave me plenty of reasons not to do it. Reasons that I knew beforehand, but very much wanted to hear from experienced holiday cyclists and Gea-experts ;-). And Robbert himself only applauded my decision: "Keep doing human powered cycling trips and leave electrification for what it is. Because it is not only good for weight-loss, but in general good for mind and body as well."
So... how much will I curse myself for this decision while cycling up the umpteenth mountain in Norway and Sweden in a while or when I have to go up again because I forgot to take a picture or note the coordinates (really, I will cycle up that mountain again!). But still, I'm convinced that cycling by my own effort is for my health, and it provides me with (much) more contentment.
During my cycling holidays and my work in Scandinavia and all the trips in the Netherlands. And in England I never regretted this decision for a moment.
If there comes a point in my life that I have to choose between quit cycling or cycling with electrical support, only then will I choose for the support option. As long as the Netherlands remain flat, and I'm healthy, I see no reason not to use my leg muscles.
In the meantime, I not against the occasional push in the back...:
The excuse for this photo: I just recovered from a heavy bronchitis in March and needed a breather.
The excuse for this photo: at an inclination of 24%-30% I was not able to remain on my bicycle. Even pushing the bicycle up by foot was a really extremely difficult for me. Remy was still able to cycle, but had to stop every now and then to gather some strength before continuing. When He was at the top, he came down to help pushing me and my bicycle up. This was last month in England
Just a disclaimer: I don't judge people for having an e-bike. Everyone has their reason for having one. This is just my own consideration for not to have one (yet)...
"About that wedding ring... You wrote you lost it before me, but I think it was the other way around. So it isn't correct what you wrote". Remy came with this out of the blue. Two or three weeks after writing it. "I thought about it for some time", Remy continued. Even though I was sure that what I wrote was correct, I suddenly started to have doubts. "Is it important?" We started to wonder. No, it doesn't matter any more. We have new ones now. Yesterday evening, I took Remy's hand and looked at the ring. "In three months time, you can at least still recognize me by the ring when I get back". I said. "We're also registered in each others passports.", Remy said. Oh yes, that too.
I'll miss him the coming time. Unfortunately, Remy won't be able to come. It's not known where I am at any given time, and "hopping by" by plane is not something we want to choose for. Despite everything, I am very much looking forward to go on this trip, and I'm sure I'm looking very much to go home to Remy at the end of this trip. And fortunately I have a bicycle repair kit with me...
* It concerns the following routes in the map below (click to enlarge).
New routes:
- 5. the coast pilgrims route 'Kystpilegrimsleia', last year I cycled with Remy as a tourist, now the elaboration of this (expected release: end of 2025/beginning of 2026)
- maybe a new route in Sweden, more about this later...
Fine-tuning almost-finished routes:
- 2. On the way to St.Olav,On the way to St.Olav, from Oslo to Selånger
- 3. St. OlavsledenSt. Olavsleden, from Selånger to Trondheim
(expected release of both guides: late 2024/early 2025)
Maintenance, checking existing routes:
- 4. Gudbrandsdalsleden (cycling guide (English): Gudbrandsdalsleden, @2024)
- 1. Kristians Route (cycling guide (Dutch) Kristiansroute, @2023)
