Go gearless to make electric biking even more effortless – Alastair Dalton

The simplicity of the Cowboy Cruiser will boost new riders’ confidence but won’t be for everyone

By about now, that New Year resolution you made to be more active may well have fallen by the wayside and the gym membership you took out to get fitter left unused.

They were pointless without being part of a routine, so why not incorporate exercise into something you do every day, like your commute?

This could be the opportunity you’ve been waiting for to try abandoning that traffic queue or crowded train carriage – they are getting busier again – for the sense of freedom you get when cycling, which has been the main way I’ve travelled to work for more than two decades.

The Cruiser is made by Belgian firm Cowboy. (Photo by Cowboy)

But as liberating and fun it is to ride my bike, I grab every opportunity to make it even more enjoyable when offered an electric version to try out.

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The latest model to come my way included a novel feature which I hadn’t encountered before – no gears. It conjured up the thought of the effortless riding you associate with e-bikes but with even less effort, if that’s possible.

The Belgian-built Cowboy Cruiser has sleek looks to match, its only visible electronics being a line of lights to show the battery level. You can see all its other gizmos, and even switch the bike on and off, by attaching your phone to a bracket on the handlebars and logging into the company’s app.

I was immediately impressed by how smooth it was to ride – without gears or power levels to adjust, it was simplicity itself.

If you want hassle-free cycling, this is the type of bike for you, and for those new or returning to riding, having one less thing to think about is likely to boost confidence.

Prepare for the electric bike revolution

However, that very ease of use won’t be to everyone’s taste, as I found the Cruiser struggled to get me up some hillier Glasgow streets, while it also held me back when I tried to accelerate on downhill or flat sections.

For all their joys, buying an e-bike is beyond the reach of many – the Cruiser starts at £2,399 – but I’d urge you to give them a go such as via the public hire schemes in Glasgow, Aberdeen and Inverness.