Cameron Guthrie, star midfielder for Geelong Cats, has a wandering eye.
He leans back in his chair to ogle a sleek, streamlined body that glides past his living room window, unaware he has been busted once again by his partner, Lauren.
"eBike?" She asks. "Yep!"
Cam is no stranger to bikes. Mountain biking in New Zealand or a training session for Geelong, he's into it. But only after visiting Amsterdam and discovering the everyday commuter lifestyle did a true love affair with LEKKER begin. He purchased a classic LEKKER cruiser on his return home, welcoming this European way of living into his own life. Hoping, also, to encourage a few fellow Australians to adopt the same culture.
Now he is the proud, somewhat protective owner of the new Amsterdam+. One mate has had the honour of having a go, but that's it. Lauren's nine-year-old daughter is on Cam's case for one, and he's half tempted, given he has to push her up a massive hill to where his house sits. But alas, it would seem that nine-year-olds being propelled forwards by a mighty 250W rear engine on wheels is frowned upon.
For Cam, this hill has been somewhat of a deterrent for casual bike riding, knowing what awaits him at the end. But no longer. The powerful, light, single-speed Amsterdam+ climbs up effortlessly. So, naturally, the next step for the 2020 Best and Fairest is to conquer the famous Challambra Climb, a prominent hill in the Cadel Evans road race, not far from his old hood in Geelong.
And it's this mindset that the eBike culture has enriched for him. 'Get out, have fun, appreciate where you live, take a few back streets, go somewhere new. If you see someone on a bike, they are always having fun; it's a great feeling', he beams. Until Cameron Guthrie flies past you on Torquey esplanade into a fresh south-westerly headwind, and you realise that he is having maybe a bit more fun than you.
The single-speed feature makes the Amsterdam+ the only one of its kind on the market. To Cam, it's streamlined, smooth, and the simplicity means no faffing around shifting gears, which, let's face it, can often be more confusing than trying to understand the rules of an AFL game.
The midfielder appreciates the power of nature and thrives on being outdoors. So knowing Cam's love for his new Amsterdam+ and passion for surfing, his brothers bought him a surfboard rack for Christmas. The rack attaches easily to the lightweight aluminium frame making it a smooth and effortless trip to the beach.
But despite being physically superhuman, Cam's mind is constantly churning. A relatively unknown and surprising fact about this Cat is that he can figure out instantly how many letters are in long, random words. His brain is a sponge, continuously soaking up knowledge, even more so when he is out and about on his Amsterdam+ taking in the world around him.
Did you know that Djilong is the traditional Wadawurrung name for Geelong? One of the many little nuggets of information that filters into a conversation with Cameron Guthrie.
He cares about his country and his community and takes the time to learn how he can help. Cam is also a lovely bloke, so say' hi' next time you are at the traffic lights perving on his weather resistant Gates carbon drive belt. And then shout the longest word you can think of at him and see if he can guess the correct number of letters.
