TORQUE

NIX | TORQUE – WAITING FOR CHRISTMAS AT 63 🚴⚡

There comes a point in every man's life when he finds himself staring out of the window waiting for a delivery.

Not a parcel.

Not a takeaway.

Not even a campervan accessory.

Something much bigger.

Something much more exciting.

Something capable of reducing a perfectly sensible 63-year-old man into the emotional equivalent of a seven-year-old on Christmas Eve.

For me, that something is Torque.

My new Scott Aspect eRIDE 910 e-mountain bike.

And at the time of writing this, I don't even have it yet.

The Waiting Game

It's funny how anticipation works.

When I was younger, excitement usually revolved around holidays, football matches, cars, or perhaps the arrival of a new gadget.

These days I still get excited.

The only difference is that the toys have become more expensive.

Instead of waiting for Action Man, I'm waiting for an electric mountain bike.

Instead of dreaming about BMX jumps, I'm dreaming about trails around Cannock Chase.

Instead of looking out for Father Christmas, I'm wondering whether Matt at Run and Ride has any updates.

The symptoms are remarkably similar.

How Europe Started It All

The seeds of Torque were planted during my European campervan adventure.

Everywhere I went I saw them.

Germany.

Austria.

Croatia.

Slovenia.

Belgium.

France.

There they were.

E-bikes.

Hundreds of them.

Thousands of them.

Attached to campervans.

Being ridden along rivers.

Being ridden up hills.

Being ridden by people who looked like they were having considerably more fun than the people walking.

I began to notice a pattern.

The people riding e-bikes always seemed happy.

Not just slightly happy.

Genuinely happy.

The sort of happy normally associated with pubs, fish and chips, or Aston Villa winning.

By the time I got home the idea had lodged firmly in my brain.

Meet Torque

Well, sort of.

I haven't actually met him yet.

At the moment Torque exists mainly in photographs, specifications, YouTube videos and my imagination.

In my imagination, however, he is magnificent.

Midnight Grey.

Orange accessories.

Matching Vanilla perfectly.

Looking as though Scott had secretly designed it specifically for a slightly gadget-obsessed campervan owner from Staffordshire.

The YouTube Problem

Anyone waiting for a new bike will understand this.

You start by watching one review.

Just one.

Purely for research purposes.

Twenty minutes later you're watching a bloke in Germany riding through a forest explaining battery management.

Then you're watching another review.

Then another.

Then you're comparing tyres.

Then you're researching saddles.

Then lights.

Then bottle cages.

Then navigation apps.

Then helmet-mounted cameras.

Before you know it you've spent three hours learning things you didn't know existed.

And somehow you're even more excited than before.

Planning Adventures Before They Exist

One of the great pleasures of waiting is planning.

I've already mentally completed about 500 miles on Torque.

I've explored Cannock Chase.

I've ridden woodland trails.

I've stopped for coffee.

I've discovered hidden viewpoints.

I've taken photographs.

I've returned triumphantly to Vanilla.

All without actually leaving the house.

The human imagination is a wonderful thing.

Particularly when assisted by YouTube.

The Cannock Chase Dream

For years I've enjoyed Cannock Chase on foot.

Walking.

Photography.

Drone flying.

Exploring.

But Torque promises something different.

Suddenly the Chase becomes bigger.

Trails become accessible.

Distances shrink.

Adventures expand.

Places that once seemed too far become perfectly reasonable.

That's the bit I'm really looking forward to.

Not speed.

Not performance.

Freedom.

A New Chapter

Perhaps that's what makes this so exciting.

It's not just a bike.

It's a new hobby.

A new way of exploring.

A new excuse to get outdoors.

A new excuse to visit places.

A new excuse to stop for coffee and claim it's "part of the ride."

At 63, discovering something completely new still feels rather wonderful.

The Campervan Connection

Torque and Vanilla feel like they belong together.

The plan is simple.

Drive somewhere interesting.

Park up.

Unload Torque.

Disappear.

Explore.

Return with photographs, stories and perhaps a slight exaggeration about how difficult the hills were.

It's a combination that seems almost perfect.

One vehicle gets me there.

The other lets me explore.

The Excitement Factor

If I'm completely honest, I haven't felt this excited about a purchase in years.

Every day I find myself thinking about it.

Checking messages.

Looking at photos.

Reading reviews.

Planning routes.

Imagining adventures.

It's ridiculous.

And I absolutely love it.

Life should contain things that make you feel excited.

No matter how old you are.

Christmas Eve At 63

People sometimes assume excitement has an age limit.

It doesn't.

A seven-year-old waiting for Christmas morning.

A teenager waiting for their first car.

A football supporter waiting for the start of a cup final.

A campervan owner waiting for a new e-bike.

They're all versions of the same thing.

Hope.

Anticipation.

Possibility.

The feeling that something enjoyable is just around the corner.

Right now that's exactly how I feel.

Like a small boy waiting for Christmas.

Only this Christmas arrives with a Bosch motor, chunky tyres and a battery.

The Countdown Continues

So here I am.

Waiting.

Planning.

Dreaming.

Watching YouTube videos I probably don't need to watch.

Looking at accessories I probably don't need to buy.

And counting down the days until Torque finally arrives.

When it does, there will undoubtedly be photographs.

There will almost certainly be a NIX ride report.

There may even be an excessive number of orange accessories.

But until then I'll continue doing what every excited future e-bike owner does.

Waiting impatiently.

Like a kid at Christmas.

Only with slightly greyer hair.

And considerably more expensive toys.

NIX Verdict

Current ownership status: 0 rides 🚴

Current excitement level: 11/10 ⚡

Current YouTube consumption: Concerningly High 📺

Likelihood of smiling when Torque arrives: 100% 😁

Days until first adventure: Far too many ⏳

Torque hasn't arrived yet.

But the adventure has already started.