Sanny takes a journey over to the Dark Side and attempts to leave his preconceptions at the door as he dives headfirst into the world of recumbent eBikes. Was it a match made in Heaven or a descent into niche Hell?
“What in the name of Grabthar’s hammer is that?” I opined to myself as I tried to work out how exactly the twisted unwieldy mass of metal, cabling and electrics that stood before me, akin to some Geiger-esque nightmare, would transform from ugly duckling into graceful swan. I could definitely see a pivot, what looked like handlebars and there was the requisite number of wheels (three) but I was buggered if I could work out how this was going transmogrify into something that could carry me offroad in teutonic comfort. What I was looking at in growing befuddlement was HP Velotechnik’s three wheeled electric recumbent, the Scorpion, configured into what one might call “transport” mode. Ignoring my gut instinct to run away screaming, a bit of careful maneuvering and adjustment soon had me flying along my street at what felt like an indecently fast and gloriously effortless pace.
HP Velotechnick Scorpion with added oomph!
This, dear reader, was my first experience of the ultra niche-beyond-niche that is the world of off road recumbent e bikes. Despite a fairly inauspicious start, I quickly found myself being drawn into this world of the unusual with the unbridled enthusiasm of a true convert. My mind was racing with the possibilities unfolding before me. Recumbents are, rightly or wrongly, widely regarded as the preserve of the beardy weirdy but with my eyes and mind opened, I was alive to the fun that could be had taking this weird contraption on familiar off road trails. Everything about it should have said “Stay on the road, lads! Don’t go on the moor!” but when was mountain biking ever about being sensible and staid? Sod that, I had a new toy to play on and a plan was hatching.
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By day, Sanny plies his trade as a Chartered Accountant and Non-Executive Director. By night, however, give him a map and the merest whisper of a trail "that might go" and he'll be off faster than a rat up a drainpipe on some damn fool mission to discover new places to ride. Rarely without his trusty Nikon D5600, he likes nothing better than being in the big mountains, an inappropriately heavy bike on his back, taking pics and soaking up the scenery. He also likes to ride his bike there too although rumours that he is currently working on his next book, "Walks with my bike", are untrue (mostly).
Fat biking, gravel riding, bikepacking, road biking, e biking, big mountain adventures - as long as two wheels are involved, you'll find him with a grin on his face as he dives off the side of a mountain, down a narrow lane or into deep undergrowth in search of hidden trails and new adventures.
His favourite food is ham and mushroom pizza and he is on a mission to ride all of the Munros, mostly as it allows him to indulge in eating more pizza.
He has no five year plan, is a big fan of the writing of Charlie Connelly and reckons that Kermode and Mayo's Film Review Podcast is quite possibly the finest bit of broadcasting around.
