AS someone who tries to avoid cardiovascular exercise as much as possible, I thought a bicycle fitted with an electric motor sounded like a fantastic invention.

Electric bikes – E-bikes – have been around in more cycle-friendly European countries such as Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands for years.

The idea is that when you reach a steep incline, if you lack a lot of strength in your legs, or are not super-fit, the electric motor on the bike will give you an added boost to help you reach the top of the hill or to make your trip a little less exhausting.

The harder you pedal, the less power the motor supplies, meaning that all the power is saved for when the journey gets tough.

To test whether E-bikes are effective, I visited All Terrain Cycles in Saltaire, where the Yorkshire Electric Bike Co has recently opened, to take one of their bikes for a test ride.

Managing director Tony Booth kitted me out with a Cube bike, fitted with giant ‘Arctic tyres’ which he said would stop me from going “too fast”.

From there, I decided to avoid anything too challenging, such as Silsden Hill with its maximum gradient of 23 per cent or Shibden Wall with a 25 per cent gradient, which both featured in this year’s Tour de Yorkshire, for a more gentle ride around the slight inclines and fast straights of Roberts Park.

As this was the first time I’d been on a bike that wasn’t stationary and in a gym almost four years, I felt that would be much better suited to my ability.

The bike had a number of different settings, including Eco to extend battery life, depending on how much assistance you want or require. I started on Eco as I didn’t know what to expect.

As I set off, the battery immediately kicked, and got me up to speed in no time.

Tackling the fairly small hills was easy with the added power, even in the highest gear. When tackling the straights and going as fast as possible, the battery was barely adding any help as it wasn’t needed.

When riding at a medium pace, the battery helps to push you along steadily ensuring you don’t end up gasping for air or dripping in sweat.

E-bikes would be perfect for commuting to and from work, and also for leisurely rides through the countryside.

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Prices for E-bikes start at around £1,500, with high-end models costing more than £4,000.

Tony said he expects the bikes to only become more affordable and the efficiency of the bikes to improve as technology advances.

E-bikes are perfect for people wanting to get back into cycling, who want to lead a healthier lifestyle, or simply who want an easier commute, and if they prove as popular in the UK as in mainland Europe, could mean we see a lot more bikes on the roads instead of cars in the near future.