Feeling 20 years younger in under 10 minutes? That’s a very bold claim, and I don’t make it lightly I can assure you. But that was my overriding feeling when test riding the new Cytronex C1.
So, why am I making this bold claim? Should I not be saying this after finding a miracle potion from the Amazon Rain Forest, only available when signing up on the internet for £9.99 a month…for the rest of my life?
It’s because that wasn’t why I was so interested in this absolutely incredible piece of kit and therefore I am blown away by the unexpectedness of what I actually discovered the day I went to test ride the Cytronex C1.
Let’s backpedal a bit. (I’m trying to resist the urge to use cycle related puns, honestly, but it doesn’t seem to be working).
Initially I struggled to even broach the subject of power assisted riding with my partner. I assumed that he would consider it ‘cheating’. He’s a qualified cycle coach and teaches kids with special needs. And he LOVES hills.
And therein lies the problem. More backpedaling required…
I’ve been a cyclist most of my life, as a child riding for miles into the Oxfordshire countryside, and as a commuter cycling 10 miles to work and back in my teens and early twenties. Then came the inevitable crossover to cars as better jobs meant longer commutes, and company cars.
But these scenarios are all too common. And the bike was forgotten for well over a decade…more if I’m honest.
In my (very) late forties I discovered cycling again. Oh boy, what was I thinking by not riding for so long? There is NO better feeling than being on a bike. It’s making me smile as I write this. (Ermmm… I have to say though, while I’m home writing, guess where my better half is? Yes, out riding his bike!)
So my first venture back into cycling involved buying a stunning grey and turquoise Specialized Dolce on the Cycle to Work Scheme. It was beautiful. Still is, by the way – I can’t bear to sell it even though I now have an equally stunning but slightly better spec Bianchi. But, my first road bike – wow! I confess it sat in my home for 4 weeks leaning against the wall while I admired it but was too scared to get on it in case I fell off the cleats and damaged the bike. (Okay – and possibly my ego too!)
When I did summon up the nerve to ride it I couldn’t have been happier. I even entered and rode the London to Brighton Cycle Sportive and have the medal proudly hanging in the office. I was back in the game and loving it.
However, I’m now in my mid fifties and experiencing a slight problem that is really impacting my cycling. Possibly like many of you ‘fifty-somethings’ out there, I’m losing strength in my core and lower back and really struggle to get up those hills. With a partner who cycles a lot and who I love to cycle with it’s causing a problem. So when I read an article about the C1 – possibly in Cycle Active, or one of the many cycling magazines that spill from drawers and cupboards in our house – it was a Eureka moment.
Now, how to tell a cycle coach that I planned to ‘cheat’… Would he be embarrassed, cycling next to a whirring, clunking ‘engine’? Because that’s how I imagined it would be, despite the research I went on to do.
This was really playing on my mind – WAS it cheating? After much thought I actually didn’t believe so. It would be a way for me to keep cycling, enjoy time out on the bike with my partner and remain fit and healthy.
The marketing around the C1 promises just that. Easier commuting; the ability to keep up with friends; and a lightweight travel option for motorhomes are among the reasons to purchase. I can see how it can easily deliver on all those points.
What the marketing fails to mention is emotion and feelings. To me they are far more compelling reasons to buy the Cytronex C1.
I smiled from the moment I pressed that boost button because I could instantly see this was going to change my life. Yes, that’s dramatic – read any of my articles and you will see that’s possibly a personality trait – but seriously, it is AMAZING. And I’m not getting paid to say this.
I literally felt 20 – even 30 – years younger. Back to how I felt on the 10 mile commute to work, before a day of running around a department store as a visual merchandiser, then a game of squash after work, and finally the 10 mile ride home – all without breaking a sweat.
There is no price that can be put on that feeling of boundless energy.
Also, it does not whirr or clunk or do any of the attention bringing noises I was dreading. You really could not hear it at all.
And do you know what my cycle coach partner said when riding alongside me on the test ride?
“Oh, I actually wouldn’t mind one of these…”
Aha…!
I’m not going to go into the technical spec of the C1 – those of you whose brains work that way can get their tech fix from the Cytronex website. The rest of you just need to trust me that this invention will put a huge fat smile on your face the moment you engage ‘warp drive’.
I’m totally hooked and I’ve placed my order. Yes, it may be £995 for the kit, more if you want the bike too – but you can’t put a price on fitness and sheer joy. I will continue to rave about this product to anyone who will listen as I want everyone to experience feeling 20 years younger. Who on earth wouldn’t?
About the author:
After a long and happy career ranging from visual merchandising for brands such as Debenhams, House of Fraser, and YSL through to event management and marketing in a large shopping centre, Theresa is happily hanging up her ‘corporate hat’ to indulge her passion and write full time.
Armed with a sense of humour, a wealth of life experience and incredible memories of great opportunities brought about through her work – a ride in Gino D’Acampos’s Ferrari when he guested as celebrity chef for the centre’s food event; being wined and dined by Gok Wan after many fashion events; travelling throughout the UK & Ireland designing promotional sites for stores such as Brown Thomas of Dublin, Harrods, Frasers of Glasgow and Harvey Nichols…
All these and more mean she has a head full stories to tell and draw upon, fuelling her imagination to make writing the natural choice for the next stage in her career.
Born in Oxford but now living in The Fens north of Cambridge with her partner Darren and dog Teide, she is equally passionate about embracing all that life unfolds for three of them and sharing as much laughter as they can with their close circle of family and friends. Of which there are always positions available of course!
To learn more about Theresa and to read her blog, visit www.writers.ink