'The speed pedelec in the lead!'

Karin Vennix (47) grew up in a car-free family. The bicycle has always played a leading role. She therefore completed her commutes by train and folding bicycle. But since 2020, that is also a thing of the past: the speed pedelec is now the means of transport for Karin and her partner. Karin is even an ambassador for the Speed Pedelec Kopgroep.
Karin and her husband both work in Eindhoven. 'That is 35 kilometers from our hometown of Tilburg and it takes us 70 minutes. Very easy to do. My husband goes through all kinds of weather, 5 days a week. It now has 52,000 kilometers on the odometer. I cycle 2 days a week because I work from home the other days. Yet I have become a real ambassador!'

Leading group speed pedelec

That started when Karin came into contact with the booklet “Shift Happens, why the speed pedelec is the Egg of Columbus”. 'I saw that a colleague from Fontys had done the editing and I contacted him. He told me about the Kopgroep speed pedelec. This is a group of people who are, among other things, a point of contact for policy makers, advisors, media and politicians who are involved in Dutch mobility policy. I was invited to join a meeting last year. I liked it so much that I am now part of the leading group. We talk about the bicycle, the regulations and our place on the road. I use my experience to have a broader influence when it comes to the interests of speed pedelec riders and road safety in general. It's just great fun to convey that it's fantastic to go to work on that bike.'

Benefits of bicycle commuting

Karin enthusiastically talks about the most important advantages of riding a speed pedelec. 'For me, that is mainly independence and peace. If you go by train, you have to make sure you get to the station on time, which means you sometimes have to wait. Such a useless time! And before you get on the train, you keep thinking: 'I have to leave on time to catch that train'. With the speed pedelec you get on when you want and you just know: after 70 minutes I'll be home again. No delays or traffic jams. And it's also just nice to be outside.'

High in the rankings!

Karin's employer Fontys is happy with her ambassadorship. Fonty itself is also active in encouraging bicycle use. For example, students already made the song “Skip your cart, take the bike” and in May and June they took part in a cycling challenge through the SJEES App. You can use this app individually and save for prizes, but companies also use the app to organize challenges where healthy rivalry is always lurking. Karin laughs: 'It's because I work from home for 2 days, otherwise I would have finished even higher than fifth place in the rankings!'