'Reactions ranged from enthusiasm to good-natured disdain' – why I turned to an e-bike to boost my riding, and loved it

It may have been surrendering to my fitness levels and weight measurements, which have been deviating rapidly in the opposite (and wrong) directions of late, but when I was given the opportunity to ride and review an electric gravel bike for a while recently, I grabbed it unapologetically.

I feel slightly ashamed to admit that the big, steep hill leading away from my village to some of the best riding around was falling slowly out of use by yours truly, and three other escape routes were threatening to go the same way. That didn't leave much.

In theory, solving the old fitness x weight equation is as simple as eating less and exercising more, and I reckoned that a little bit of extra horsepower would help with the latter at least, opening up new riding options that might help inspire and, at the very least, get me out more.

So I took delivery of a shiny new Ribble All Grit E AL. It's one of two e-bikes in this relatively new gravel range from the Northern England brand, and features and aluminium frame, 12-speed SRAM Apex XPLR and a Mahle motor in the rear hub kicking out 45nM torque.

James Shrubsall

Having been at Cycling Weekly for over two decades, and cycling a little bit longer, James is in a good position to tell you what's good and what isn't in the world of bike riding.

While I wasn't especially taken with the colour (matt pale blue, if you're wondering – a different shade is available), all the other pieces were in place for me, including a 90km range that meant it would cajole me up the hills and usher me along the false flats for the best part of four hours, perhaps even more if I was careful.

While this won't see me setting any distance PRs (a ranger booster is available to take this up to 150km), it does mean that longer, harder rides I might previously have decided I needed to build up to, have been unlocked.

I can imagine my (or anyone's) decision to go electric inspiring some fairly polarised opinions, from those who have done the same themselves and are fully on board, to 'grow a pair and ride harder, doughboy' (the ease with which that slipped out means I've probably told myself exactly the same thing already at some point). Equally, among my own ride mates (which don't number many – I mostly ride alone) reaction ranged from enthusiasm to good natured disdain.

But by my reckoning, however fit or unfit you are, anything that inspires you to ride more can only be a good thing. Because even the most fervent e-bike naysayers would surely concede that riding outside, in nature, with your heart rate raised (which it inevitably is at all times), is better than sitting on the sofa wishing you were fitter.

Recharging the social battery

Since taking delivery of the All Grit E AL, I've rediscovered hills, lanes and routes that I'd not explored for months. I've enjoyed longer, tougher rides with mates with whom I'd avoided riding for a long time because I knew I'd only turn their ride into a boring 'wait for me' festival. Now I can ride comfortably in that company, and that rediscovery of the joy of social riding has probably been the greatest aspect of my temporary ownership of this machine.

And those ride mates had no problem with me riding an electric bike with them, either. Given we're not racing each other, I'd argue it would be kind of strange if they did.

The All Grit will have to go back to the good people at Ribble at some stage, and I'll be left with just my legs again, but I'm working on that. Meantime, I'd urge anyone whose riding group has a request to join from an e-bike rider to say yes. Most likely they just want some ride mates they can keep up with, and who knows, they might turn out to be the best riding buddy you know.

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