Waimea Weekly Locally Owned and Operated
Wednesday 6 October 2021
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Local e-bike injuries spike Jenny Nicholson Reporter
jenny@waimeaweekly.co.nz
Henry learns to walk again Jenny Nicholson As numbness spread through his limbs, Henry Lotter knew something was very wrong.
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On 5 July, he started building a deck at his Redwood Valley property and felt fine. But after a shower on Sunday night, he thought he hadn’t dried off properly
because the back of his legs felt cold. Then, he woke up at 2am with numb fingers. He went back to sleep thinking he had slept on his arm and Continued on Page 5.
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Local e-bike injuries have spiked seven-fold in the last five years as the popularity of the mode of transport increases, particularly in the 55 to 75 years age group. From 2017-2021, ACC claims in the Nelson Tasman region for ebike injuries went from less than 10 to 78. Nationally, there were about 970 new claims with more than 58 per cent of these coming from the 55-75 age group. However, those stats didn’t deter Jeanette Sice from recently upgrading to an e-bike. “E-bikes are marvellous. You can go further without being tired,” she says. “There’s no head wind and no hills. But they do handle differently.” While Jeanette rode frequently before she bought her e-bike, many others are purchasing ebikes having not been on a bike for years. Wheel Woman owner Emma Bawtree, who runs introductory lessons for new e-bike users, thinks it’s fantastic that people are using e-bikes. However, she says new riders need to know they are different from bikes of the past. She says it isn’t just those who haven’t been on a bike for years that can benefit
from lessons. “Bikes have changed a lot, and these have a motor and are heavy,” she says. “There is a need for more skills to manage the bike.” Emma says balance and body position are important and suggests people to start on a flat open area when they first ride an e-bike. She encourages people to be competent with basic bike safety, braking and controlling gears before attempting to ride on trails. With an increasing number of e-bikes on our roads and cycle trails, the Tasman District Council (TDC) is looking to partner with Nelson City Council and local cycle retailers to offer lessons for new users. “With the sheer numbers, complexity of some of the systems, and bikes different in their own way, we are working on offering lessons to those who want it,” says TDC communications and change manager Chris Choat. My Ride Richmond owner Mike Anderson says there are many older people buying e-bikes and there are some who haven’t ridden for 30 years. He says that an e-bike is a good way for people to get active but agrees there is a place for lessons.
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