Why do I feel like a cheat every time I ride my e-bike?

I love my e-bike but struggle with the shame that accompanies me on my rides. Why?

Depressed rider sitting next to e-bike
(Image credit: Future/Jo Fellows)

“That’s cheating!” The familiar, piercing accusation from a fellow cyclist fades quickly as I cruise by, leaving him to battle a beautiful yet brutal 15 per cent incline. As a Lycra-clad e-bike roadie, I’m accustomed to receiving comments like this from riders tackling the same cruel ramps of England's Cotswold Hills. Inevitably, I drop them with comparative ease, but the sense of shame is harder to shake.

I don’t need other cyclists to tell me what I already know. Deep down, I’m acutely aware that I’m a cheat. I slink into café stops avoiding eye contact, tormented with self-conscious angst, praying there’ll be a shady corner where I can hide my e-bike from the critical gaze of fellow cyclists.

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Simon Fellows
Freelance Writer. Former Tech Editor

Simon spent his childhood living just a stone’s throw from the foot of Box Hill, so it’s no surprise he acquired a passion for cycling from an early age. He’s still drawn to hilly places, having cycled, climbed or skied his way across the Alps, Pyrenees, Andes, Atlas Mountains and the Watkins range in the Arctic.

Simon now writes for Cycling Weekly as a freelancer, having previously served as Tech Editor. He’s also an advanced (RYT 500) yoga teacher, which further fuels his fascination for the relationship between performance and recovery.

He lives with Jo, his yoga teacher wife, in the heart of the Cotswolds, with two rescue cats, five bikes and way too many yoga mats. He still believes he could have been a contender if only chocolate weren’t so moreish.

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