This month’s Star Letter is from a born again biker who rides an e-bike to bridge the gap between what he is and what he always wanted to try to be.

Keep on huckin

I drive an HGV for a living, which gives me a lot of time for thought. No, I’m not 25 stone, and I don’t eat pies and drink beer all day. I’m 160lb, 5ft 9in, teetotal and eat a low carb, high fat diet. Despite that, I’ll never recover the fitness I had 30 years ago when I started riding, it’s never coming back, despite what your mind tries to tell you. (My wife will tell you I’m a child all the time.)

These thoughts filled my mind constantly and I’m not sure when it actually came to the front but I decided to research e-bikes. I read voraciously and the upshot was a trip to Bicycle Chain in Bridgwater to try the Specialized Levo Comp in the Quantock Hills.

I cannot express to you the joy that ride gave me. That bike bridged the gap between what I am and what I always wanted to try to be. I only used the Eco mode using 25 per cent assistance, which was all I needed to keep up. I came back and place my deposit for a Specialized Kenevo.

Am I cheating? To many, yes I am but they are usually the smug 20-somethings to whom age and life has yet to happen or take a toll on. Totally by accident on my test ride I was climbing back up the road from Great Wood to Triscombe on the Levo when the uplift Land Rover came past towing the local downhill boys. One shouted out: “That’s bloody cheating mate.” I think the irony of his comment didn’t really lodge in his mind.

I hope we will always seek change and improve the lot of our love of riding. Yes, we will castigate ourselves along the way for “straying from the true spirit” etc but I hope we always evolve and allow everyone at all levels to enjoy the sport that we love.

– Ian Jeffery

Contact us: mbr@timeinc.com

All Star Letter correspondents win a Madison Zenith waterproof jacket worth £99.99.