The steep hills of a hinterland town have provided people with the perfect excuse to drive their cars instead of ride – until now.
A community initiative, involving e-bikes, is set to get more commuters out of their cars and into the fresh air.
The president of malenyBikes, Oliver Darvas, said the region’s notorious inclines can be easily overcome.
“Nothing flattens the Maleny hills more than e-bikes,” he said.
“It’s a healthy way of getting around town for errands, leisure and to take in the scenery of our lush surroundings and scenic vistas.”
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Three e-bikes have been loaned to malenyBikes by Eco Villages Australia, after they secured a Queensland Government Community Benefit Grant.
The e-bikes will be used as a trial for a community-led, long-term e-bike hire program.
While e-bikes are more expensive to buy than bicycles, they’re relatively inexpensive to hire and they provide an affordable way of getting around town.
They cost about 10c to fully charge for 50km of travel, at about 0.2c/km.
Eco Villages Australia co-founder Andrew McLean uses an e-bike as his primary form of travel.
“It’s fun. I connect to people and the environment around me,” he said.
“It promotes a healthier body and mind.
“I get to know locals, and the homeless living in the Showgrounds, as a happy by-product of moving slower through the world.
“And I don’t take up a parking space in the main street or add to climate change emissions.”
For more information, see malenyBikes Community Initiative.
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