I love my e-bike because it gives me freedom. On my lovely Kuo A2B  Plus I can freewheel down hills with the wind in my face, and then fly effortlessly back up them feeling just a little bit smug.

I’ve got multiple sclerosis and so getting around can sometimes be a challenge; my legs can feel heavy and painful, and my walking gets slow and wobbly.

Exercise is important to keep healthy and happy with MS, and to manage the ‘need-a-nap-now’ fatigue which is a common symptom.

I don’t have to use the car, or wait for a bus, or walk when I don’t feel up to it

Living in North London, all my routes home involve either a short, very steep hill, or a very long, slow hill: my e-bike has made this final part of a trip to the shops much less daunting. Actually, it’s made it fun. I can go faster the closer I get!

I don’t have to use the car, or wait for a bus, or walk when I don’t feel up to it.

I’m using it to cycle to the swimming pool and gym four days a week, rather than driving (Just need to jog up and down the garden for a mini-triathlon).

My new bike lessens the fear of my body’s battery running out of juice on the way home

MS is unpredictable, with symptoms changing daily. On good days, I can test myself with the e-bike by keeping the power-level low; let’s try this hill on two instead of three today, or some of it at least.

On other days, I can give myself a break and knock it up to five; no pressure required, but still some valuable exercise.

My new bike lessens the fear of my body’s battery running out of juice on the way home – as long as I’ve remembered to charge the bike’s battery .

And I can be the speedy kid I never was, regardless of MS, and again, that’s fun.

The extra boost lets me pull away from junctions quickly, safely and with confidence

The extra boost lets me pull away from junctions quickly, safely and with confidence, and the weight adds stability stability. A slow-and-steady approach is needed when moving the bike, and removing the battery for charging.

And e-bikes have meant my lovely partner Ben and I can cycle together again: I struggled on my traditional bike and he’d be stuck perpetually in granny gear as I tried to catch up. It made me feel very grumpy.

One go on my bike infected him with the e-bike bug and now he’s commuting several days a week on a very smart Moustache.

I felt triumphant after we made a return journey to the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park together last weekend – with a break in Westfield Stratford City, which has a proper bike park.

It was incredible to travel that far under my own steam

It was about nine miles each way, with some tough hills, and a glorious stretch along the banks of the River Lee Navigation.

Not a huge distance on a bike, you might think, but for me it was incredible to travel that far under my own steam – with just a little bit of help from the battery.

We bought our e-bikes from the friendly folk at Fully Charged, who I’d recommend if, like me, you didn’t know where to start.

Meet my business alter ego at thomasediting.co.uk 
Ok, it’s just me, writing about words rather than MS 🙂