My first e-bike ride Götzis adventure wasn’t really planned.
I didn’t really plan to go cycling that evening.
I just came home, looked outside and somehow got into the mood to ride.
My wife has a Cube e-bike, so I thought: why not?
I grabbed the bike, got ready and started riding from Götzis without making a huge plan out of it.
Looking back now, this was probably the ride that started the whole thing.
Just Get on the Bike and Go
Sometimes that’s probably the best way to start something.
Don’t spend weeks researching equipment.
Don’t create the perfect training plan.
Don’t wait until you have the perfect bike.
Just go.
That evening, that was exactly what I did.
I took my wife’s Cube e-bike and started riding uphill from Götzis toward the forest and mountains.
At first, I wasn’t thinking about distance, elevation or average speed. I simply wanted to be outside for a while.
And once I started climbing, I really enjoyed it.
The further I got away from the town, the quieter everything became.
Roads turned into smaller mountain roads and forest sections, and suddenly I was completely focused on riding.
The Route
My first ride ended up being quite a bit harder than I expected.
Ride statistics:
- Distance: 18.0 km
- Riding time: 1 hour 11 minutes
- Elevation: 707 metres
- Average speed: 15.0 km/h
- Average power: 106 W
- Average cadence: 65 rpm
- Calories: 361 kcal
When I saw the 707 metres of elevation afterwards, I was actually pretty happy with it.
For my first real ride, that didn’t feel too bad at all.
Especially because most of the climbing happened over a fairly short distance.
Riding an E-Bike
Of course, I’m riding an e-bike.
And I’m completely fine with that.
For me this isn’t about proving anything.
I like the fact that the motor allows me to ride further into the mountains and explore places that I probably wouldn’t attempt yet on a normal mountain bike.
But that doesn’t mean you’re just sitting there doing nothing.
You still pedal.
You still get your heart rate up.
You still feel your legs on longer climbs.
And once you’re riding trails or going downhill, the motor isn’t doing the riding for you anyway.
For me, the important thing is pretty simple:
I enjoyed it.
And when I came home, I was already thinking about where I could ride next.
That’s usually a good sign.
Something Changed After This Ride
I didn’t know it when I left home that evening, but cycling suddenly clicked for me.
There’s something about getting on the bike after work and disappearing into the mountains for an hour or two that feels incredibly good.
You spend the day thinking about work, appointments, things that need to get done and everything else going on in life.
Then you get on the bike.
And for a while, all you’re thinking about is the next climb, the next corner and the trail in front of you.
I liked that feeling.
A lot.
So I’m Going to Document It
That’s also why I’m starting this blog series.
I’m definitely not a professional cyclist.
I’m not even an experienced mountain biker.
I’m basically starting from the beginning.
And that’s exactly what I want to document.
I want to see where this goes.
I’ll post my rides, routes, statistics and photos here, but I also want to write about the things I learn along the way.
Maybe I’ll get fitter.
Maybe I’ll start riding longer distances.
Maybe I’ll discover some amazing trails around Vorarlberg.
And knowing myself, there’s probably going to be some new cycling gear involved at some point too.
But I want to keep this journey real.
The good rides.
The bad rides.
The days where everything feels easy.
And probably the days where I’m halfway up a mountain wondering why I thought cycling was a good idea.
Ride #1
So this is where it starts.
13 August 2026.
My wife’s Cube e-bike.
A spontaneous evening ride from Götzis.
18 kilometres and 707 metres of climbing later, I came home with the feeling that I wanted to do it again.
At the time it was just a bike ride.
Now I’m starting to think it might have been the beginning of a new hobby.
Let’s see where it takes me.
Ride #1 – 18 km | 707 m elevation | Götzis, Austria 🚵
