The all-terrain electric scooter

Before straddling my scooter, I play the good student and listen carefully to Olivier’s instructions. A few rules to follow if you don’t want to end up with your nose on the ground. He explains that there are five gears, and the maximum speed is 25 km/hour.

In the end, it’s like driving a car: you have to put it in first gear if you want to start, and then shift into the other gears in succession. In theory, child’s play. But in practice, when you’re going downhill, the scooter freewheels. A slight clarification that I hadn’t necessarily integrated from the outset.

Olivier, Julien (who starts work at Trott’In Nature today) and I get off to a gentle start by scootering along the banks of the Saint-Rémy lake. While Julien and I got to grips with our scooters, Olivier shared a few anecdotes with us. After a few photos, it’s time for the first climb…

In front of me, there’s a choice of two short, stony climbs, but they don’t leave me indifferent. I finally take the plunge. And no, it doesn’t work. I finish on foot. That’s what it takes to build confidence. If I have to fall for real, I decide to go all out and enjoy it. The three of us take the path above the lake for a stroll. Our first stop at the top of the hill is well worth the detour. A superb view of the Chaîne des puys and, on the other side, the gateway to the Loire department. A good exercise for those who know very little about the region or have a very poor sense of direction. Knowing that I’m more or less on the right track, I can’t help but admire the beautiful Auvergne countryside.

The ride resumes after ten minutes, and we inevitably reach our first descent. “When you’re going downhill, hold on tight, and above all, if you want to brake, do it with both hands to avoid one wheel locking up and you slipping.” Seeing the ground strewn with branches and pebbles, I take Olivier’s words on board, and take it easy. Always, just in case!

And so we headed for “33 famille”, a long drive ahead of us. The most enjoyable part for me. On a road with little traffic, surrounded by trees, you can let yourself be carried along by the speed without paying attention to any obstacles.

The “33 family” ride lasts an hour to an hour and a half. This is enough time to reach two or three high points along the way, the last of which offers a view of the Saint-Rémy waterhole from which you started. At the end, the downhill sections are very pleasant to ride, because although they’re steep, they’re wide enough to give you plenty of time to enjoy them to the full.

In the end, once the scooter and I had become one, it didn’t take long to get to the finish and I was already looking forward to going back.