I DON'T BELIEVE IT!

In theory, cycling should be the most popular way of travelling around London: there is no insurance or road tax to pay, parking is free and plentiful, and there are cycle lanes. And it's environmentally friendly and good exercise.

So why isn't everyone doing it? Could it be because you arrive at work sweating and out of breath?

If that's what puts you off, the answer could be to trade in your bone-shaker for an electric bicycle. These cheap-to-run machines have caused a quiet revolution in Europe where more than 12,000 were sold last year.

They are slowly catching on over here (2,000 have sold to date), and recently the capital's first electric bicycle centre opened in West Hill, Wandsworth.

There are two basic types of electric cycle on the market: power-assisted models, which rely on regular pedalling from the rider, and fully-powered versions which can be ridden in the same way as an ordinary bike but can cruise for 20 miles on battery power.

The Powabyke uses a , front hub-mounted motor driven from a large, detachable battery stowed between the frame tubes. The motor is activated through a right-hand twist-grip but only works after the rider has set off using pedal power. Once up to 15mph, the motor stops but greater speeds can be obtained by using the manually operated gears and pedalling as on a normal bike.

These cheap-to-run machines have caused a quiet revolution in Europe where more than 12,000 were sold last year