We all know what great exercise cycling can be, but for those of us in less than tip-top fitness, returning to two wheels after so many years on four can be rather more of a strain on the system than we remember.

Now, Japanese giant Panasonic has come up with new bicycle that can give the rider some welcome help, while still maintaining a modest carbon footprint. The Titanium Flat Road EB is powered by electricity as well as muscle.

A full charge provides up to 10km of range within 30 minutes. In addition, Panasonic has thrown in SLIM (Smart Lithium-Ion Integrated Management System) on this bike, where SLIM is a small computer that tells you just how much juice your bike has and the battery level.

Pity all this technology can’t do anything about the inevitable sore bottoms for those of us returning to the saddle!