A wee bit about me – A Scot in Austria
I am a Scot living in Austria. Leaving home in Scotland at 18 to pursue my love of skiing, I came to Austria. I even met my husband, Pete, here; it’s over 30 years ago, but we met in Mayrhofen when we were both working for a Tour Operator. After 12 years of skipping between winters skiing in the Alps and summers in the Mediterranean & America, we decided that Austria was where we felt most at home. And the rest, as they say, is history.
Why I took up cycling
I took up ebiking over a decade ago because my husband is fitter than I am, and we were looking for a sport to do together during the summertime. Pete has always been a bike enthusiast. Coming from the London area, cycling was the easiest and fastest way to get around when he was a kid. Road biking was his main love. But now he has a gravel bike and goes off on adventures with his tent and sleeping bag. Mix that with cycling with me on a mountain bike; you get the picture that he is a keen cyclist!
We have skied together every winter for three decades and used to hike in the summer. But with the ageing process and injured knees, hiking was becoming difficult to do. I have always liked going for a tootle about on my bike but could never go very far as we live in the mountains, and to get home, there was always an uphill to tackle at the end of the day, which would cause pain and/or tantrums! Pete came home one day and said, “How about trying an ebike?”. I can still remember it so clearly, as it sounded great fun and something I could definitely do, but I had no idea how addictive it would be.
With the explosion of ebiking over the past decade, we have seen a massive surge in the sport’s popularity in our area of central Europe. The majority of people we see out and about are cycling for pleasure. Cycling holidays are on the increase as people want to explore the countries on their terms as well as appreciate the benefits to body and mind.
Cycling benefits
Physical health
Getting an ebike changed my life completely. I know this sounds a little dramatic, but it is true. All of a sudden, a whole new world opened up to me. I used to have a very stressful job, and I spent much of my time travelling and being pretty sedentary. This was a recipe for poor health, physically and mentally. Getting my ebike changed that. I loved being outside, I slowly got fitter, and my stress levels were reduced by taking holidays where I got to see unique places from 2-wheels and feeling tired and happy at the end of a long day. What’s not to love?
It also focused me on what is important in life, and a stressful, thankless job is not one of them. So, I have adopted a different approach since then with how I make a living, and I am much happier and more content. The physical health benefits from ebiking are easy to see, with increased fitness and toning up muscles. We all know that maintaining weight during your 50s, especially through menopause and on into later life, is always going to be a challenge, but ebiking helps with that too.
Mental health
The mental health benefits are immeasurable. In 2018, I was made redundant, and it turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Ebiking got me through a period of uncertainty and built my confidence. I started writing about my experiences, and people were interested. Not just in the ebiking but in the places I visited. I am delighted to say that I have a long list of friends and family, as well as followers of my blog, who now ride ebikes and love them as much as I do.
Apart from the physical and mental benefits, I get an incredible sense of satisfaction setting off for a day on the bike, passing through some of the most gorgeous scenery in Europe, and I have to pinch myself that I live here.
For the first few years, we explored our chosen home of Austria, completing a variety of bike tours all over the country. As I became more confident and Pete became happier that I knew what I was doing, we started to expand our repertoire into other European countries, and that continues today. Each year, we explore the playground of Central Europe and have “the book” filled with where our future adventures will be.
Leisure Cycling
I am not an extreme cyclist; I am 56, of the cuddly persuasion. To ensure I keep relatively fit, I enjoy moderate exercise through my ebiking as well as walking, skiing and yoga. Plus, I absolutely love being outside in the fresh air. I enjoy getting away from it all into the countryside to soak up nature and everything that it has to offer.
Much of what I have seen and read since I started ebiking has all been aimed at downhill mountain bikers or the more extreme end of the ebike market. I presume because a bunch of 50-year-olds enjoying a pootle about on an ebike doesn’t make for sexy or exciting photos. However, the 40+ market for ebiking is vast and very much under-represented. So, I decided to start my blog to cater for people like me. Sharing my experiences and ideas to give people the confidence to try it for themselves.
Austria
Living in Austria, I have plenty to explore right on my doorstep. I have my favourites for a variety of reasons. Still, I can guarantee that whichever area you choose, you will find the bike paths are of a very good standard, the signage is clear, and there are plenty of places to stop. Whether that is a bench to rest and drink in the views or for a lunch stop with local produce.
Austria has invested vast amounts into the cycling infrastructure across the country and promotes the benefits of eco-travel and the beauty and diversity of the Austrian countryside. Millions of Europeans come to Austria in the summer months. Who wouldn’t want to get away to such a beautiful country with all aspects of a fantastic holiday included? Lakes, mountains, fabulous cities and incredible sites all rolled into a country that is shaped like a leg of ham, has 9 million residents and is completely set up for tourism. I know you will say I am biased, but there is a reason for that. I have travelled all over the world with my job in travel, but every time I come home to Austria, I remember why we chose it as our home: – It’s beauty.
Contact me
I am always open to comments, questions and hearing people’s experiences. I have worked in Tour Operations for over 30 years, and people still fascinate me. Therefore, please keep in touch and let me know your thoughts, and if I can help, then get in touch.