The prospect of a weekend’s cycling prompts relish or trepidation. Relish in those who enjoy spooning themselves into Lycra, wearing insect-head helmets and wraparound shades, and pedalling with their bottom in the air. Trepidation for everyone else.

In my case, this was somewhat allayed, because we were cycling in Suffolk (it’s supposed to be flat - it isn’t, but it doesn’t get any worse than rolling) and we were riding electrically assisted bikes.

When pedalling, we got help, a bit like learning to ride with your mum pushing from behind. The degree of aid depended on which setting you chose: economy (mum walking), normal (mum jogging) or what we christened “supermum”, which makes climbing hills about as tough as it is for Superman to fly over a building.

Designed and manufactured by Sparta, the bikes are sold or rented by Light Electric Vehicles (LEV), a Suffolk-based company that has created a network of recharging stops between Woodbridge and Southwold.

On “supermum”, the range is 25 miles (more if you’re careful), allowing for leisurely exploration. We planned to take two days to explore the back lanes from Woodbridge to Southwold, an English evocation of the road trip from Los Angeles to New Orleans in the movie Easy Rider.

Woodbridge sits invitingly on the Deben, with its riverside dominated by the white-board, 17th-century tide mill, but we didn’t linger – we were too impatient to try out the bikes. Redolent of a bygone age, the high riding position means you can peer over hedgerows, are visible to cars and can lean back like Dennis Hopper and cruise.

The steep incline to the National Trust Centre at Sutton Hoo, a Saxon burial ground, provided our first test. With a flick of the dial to “supermum”, the hill was ironed out like an annoying crease on a school shirt. Buoyed by our success, we pressed on to Chillesford, where we paused to wolf down whitebait, devilled kidneys and a pint of Adnams ale at the Froize Inn. Cycling more sedately, we headed for Orford, noticing as we did so the peace, broken only by bird-song, farm animals and our conversation.

From the hedge-shadowed lanes we studied rural landscapes at our ease and inhaled the (not always sweet) country smells. The bikes ate up the miles and we remained relaxed, unfatigued and undaunted by the remainder of the journey.

All that remains of Orford’s castle is the Great Tower, which casts its shadow over the Crown and Castle, where we plugged in the bikes. The battery display indicatedthat we’d used half a charge, so it would be an hour before we could set off. While investigating the tower, we learnt about the Wild Man of Orford, a “merman” caught in fishermen’s nets in 1167. He spoke no recognisable language and, after a brief period of imprisonment, escaped to the sea. At the water’s edge, overlooking Orford Ness bird reserve and eerie cold-war pagodas, we stared after him to no avail.

Picturesque farming country borders the undulating road from Orford to Snape, but nothing quite matches the sight of the Snape Maltings concert hall from the reed beds. Within the reeds are three recently installed “creek men” - life-size statues on a barge in the river - who look as if they’ve been caught short on the way to a recital.

Our final destination that day was Aldeburgh, a mishmash of architecture steeped in history, from the red-brick Moot Hall to the grey-concrete Martello tower. Our harbour that evening was the Brudenell, its terrace and restaurant overlooking the sea. The bikes recharged while we were lulled to sleep by the breakers on the shingle.

Free of aches, we rose early and headed for Thorpeness, pausing for bacon butties at the tea-rooms overlooking the Mere. Our next port of call, the RSPB reserve at Minsmere, saw us straining our eyes for rare birds we would not recognise; then, up the coast at Dunwich, we strained our ears for sunken church bells from the sunken town. Finally we coasted into Walberswick, soon to be sunk if the Environment Agency has its way, tried to catch crabs and succeeded in catching the ferry to Southwold.

We dropped our bikes at the Swan, where we had a lovely lunch and a snooze in the lounge before taking a taxi to Darsham, for the train back to the Smoke. We’d ridden more than 70 miles in two days, and we felt glowingly healthy and a little smug. It reminded me of the end of Easy Rider, when Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper smile at one another, thinking they’ve made it . . . then two rednecks blow them away. Thankfully, Suffolk is as short on gun-toting rednecks as it is on mountains.

Travel details: Light Electric Vehicles (0845 602 6652, www.electricbikehire.co.uk ) has bikes for hire from £24.50 per day.

The Brudenell (01728 452071, www.brudenellhotel.co.uk ) has doubles from £104, B&B. Or try the Wentworth (01728 452312, www.wentworth-aldeburgh.com ; doubles from £65).