The story started a couple of months ago, when I was looking for a bike to help restart my riding life. Surfing the internet, I bumped into the EVELO website and immediately loved the bike. I have a notion that great things look great, and EVELO bikes do look great. Then I noticed that EVELO was running a challenge, so I applied. A month later I was told that I had been selected to be part of the Challenge. Excellent.

I got my trial bike from a very friendly place in Seattle named Hello Bicycle in Seattle.

The owner, Miki Nishihata, is affable, enthusiastic, and knowledgeable. But in EVELO’s case, all that was needed was an adjustment to the seat height and educating me on how the electric motor operates, which is easy-peasy. Miki is just finishing it up in the photo to the right.

I took the bike for a run around the block to see how it worked and to make sure it wasn’t going to fall apart. It didn’t. In fact, it was really easy to adjust to the electric motor. The assist is smooth and unobtrusive, but you can feel it’s there and it does help, especially uphill.

Sixteen Days Later

Unfortunately, I got the bike a few days before I left on the greatest adventure of my life, a rafting trip in the Grand Canyon. I didn’t want to write my first impressions in a rush, so I waited until now to start writing about my experience with the electric bike.

My tired legs couldn’t appreciate the bike more my first day riding to the office after my trip. One might say that on a rafting trip all you do is sit and row. That’s true, but there is a lot to see besides the river itself. Side canyons hide lots of treasures requiring long hikes to reach. Add to that the need to move heavy equipment from the rafts in order to set up camp at night and return said equipment to the rafts in the morning and you get the picture. By the way, that is a picture of me after some weight-lifting.

All in all, it was a vacation requiring another vacation to recover. This is why I didn’t think it would be a good idea to ride to the office on the first day back, but since I had promised EVELO in particular — and the environment in general — to do so, I took it on a spin around the block to see how it went. It went well. Indeed, the bike goes downhill without any issues, but my main concern was how it would handle going uphill. I discovered that with full throttle, the EVELO bike handles moderate climbing without me breaking a sweat. It reminded me of leisurely rolling along the nice even trail along the river located nearby.

So far, so good. After some internal negotiations, I convinced myself that now was as good a time as ever, so I took off.

There are two ways to get to my office. One way is an easy, direct ride along existing roadways. Sadly, this means I share the road with those air-polluting metallic contraptions supposedly taking people from point A to point B faster. But this is not the way it’s done in the Grand Canyon, Seattle, or my backyard.

The other option is much better. It goes along bike-friendly trails and residential streets. No sharing the road with cars, but there is one big hurdle to overcome. A steep climb. I barely made it on my mountain bike a month ago, so I decided to take the shared roadway for now, until I’m more used to my EVELO and recovered from my vacation.

My first few days on the electric bike were rough. Springtime in Ohio is still relatively chilly and very, very wet. Due to questionable decision-making on my part, I ended up working for three days straight between my University job and my paramedic job. The great part about this was I learned a lot of bike-related lessons very quickly and added some unforeseen action items.

Lesson 1.  Always carry rain gear

On Monday and Tuesday, it essentially rained the entire time during every commute. Action item? Extra socks/shoes/boots will be kept at each job.

Lesson 2.  It is only really, really cold until you warm up, then it is just chilly

Mornings can be rough, especially in the rain, but after about a mile (which seems like frozen hell on earth), you warm right up. Action item? Layers, layers, layers.

Lesson 3.  Planning and communication are key

Two of my jobs require uniforms and gear, so when I leave one to go to another, I need to have both sets of uniforms ready to go. This can sometimes go on for days before I get back to homebase, depending upon my shift. Another situation requiring attention is when the kids need to be picked up from the sitters. In this case, I need to be towing the kiddo trailer or it’s going to be a non-starter. Action item? Use your brain.

 

Wife Update

 

Mary remains on the fence about downsizing to a one-car household. I am working on a suitable compromise. It’s possible we will keep the second car, but put it in our garage in storage, which would dramatically drop the insurance/fuel/maintenance costs, while still leaving it available for “emergency use.” The way Mary explains her continuing reluctance is, “I don’t believe it till I see you commuting by bicycle in the winter.”

I still haven’t gotten her to ride the bike yet, but I’m continuing to hope that she will change her mind.

I started my own company earlier this year. As such, participating in the 30-Day Electric Bike Challenge is an opportunity to integrate healthy living into a fast-paced launch of a company. I tend to be a planner and list-maker – so here is what I considered in preparing for my new method of transportation.

1. Safety first! Find that old bike helmet.

2. Don’t forget your bike lock. You’ll be the envy of those who like to “borrow” bikes long-term.

3. Consider how your transportation habits will change. There may be more time spent in riding from point A to point B, but you’ll save time in parking and then having to walks blocks to your final destination. Also, don’t forget you’ll be saving on parking fees and that always-inevitable parking ticket.

4. Where do you travel often? The grocery store? Chiropractor? The office? Client offices? Your local coffee shop (photo of my favorite at the left)?

Plan your routes. Use Google Maps or your municipal government’s website to check out bike maps, like this one for Denver. Take a look at the article posted earlier on this site about planning a bike commute route for more tips.

5. When the weather gets warm, I will use pedal-assist to make my trips less strenuous. I visit client offices, and first impressions are important, so no more sweaty arrivals.

6. I’m going to (re)discover my neighborhood. One benefit of riding an electric bike is that I am getting to know neighborhoods from a street-level perspective. I had no idea how many small businesses are offering the same services that I used to find in big box stores. Support local businesses and keep your tax dollars funding your local infrastructure, libraries, community centers, and schools.

7. Your electric bike will become a great conversation piece. It’s an opportunity to support and develop your personal brand around sustainability and health.

Once you address the above items, you’re off and running … or pedaling … as the case may be.

Although most Challengers have already been biking for at least a week, we’ve still got a couple more profiles to share with those following the riders.

Stan Wagner – Denver, CO

 

Stan was born in San Francisco and raised in Texas. He’s in his early 40s and lives with his partner and their two dogs, Bruno and Natasha. Stan has just started his own company – the Red Thread Creative Group – focused on supporting small businesses in marketing, operations, and talent. With a degree in Urban Analysis, Stan has been chair of the Colorado chapter of the United States Green Building Council Green Schools Summit for a number of years, helping schools save on utilities to fund curriculum. His top bucket list item is a trip to Reykjavik and the hot springs.

Stan doesn’t recall the make of his first bike, but it was definitely something with three wheels and a flag (mine had a bell!). He’s ridden a bike all his life, but didn’t pick it up seriously until he moved to Denver, where he rides pretty much whenever it’s warmer than 40 degrees. His regular bike was recently stolen, so the EVELO electric bike is his go-to ride for now.

Stan joined the Challenge to see if an electric bike could replace his car for his numerous trips to see clients in and around Denver. He’d like to avoid the sweaty arrival look and inevitable parking tickets that a regular bike and car bring (respectively.) Stan plans to “… share with my community the opportunities for going carless – especially for small businesses and entrepreneurs. I want to promote the issues around bike safety in an urban environment, cost-savings that can be found through biking, and being efficient when dealing with client meetings.”

 

Sergey Nefedyev – Redmond, WA

 

Sergey was born in Saint-Petersburg, Russia and moved to the US 15 years ago. He’s 45 years old and has lived in a number of places in the US since his arrival, but is now settled in the Seattle area. He lives with his wife and son, has a Master’s in Computer Science, and is a software engineer. The top item in his bucket list is to sail around the world (although he says he’d take a bike with him!), where his photography hobby of more than 30 years will certainly come in handy.

Sergey rode a bike throughout his childhood, with his first bike featuring the usual training wheels most of us remember quite well, very much like the bike in the picture. After a 10-year gap of no bike riding while he attended university and got his first job, he decided to go on a one-day, 120-mile bike trip and actually finished it. After that, he continued to bike on and off, but just recently purchased a mountain bike.

Sergey says that he plans to use the electric bike mostly for his daily commute of 5 miles each way — a mix of residential streets, some hills, and car traffic. He also is looking forward to taking it on some of the excellent bike paths in the area, and plans to do local grocery runs as well. Sergey say that his big goal for the Challenge is to “find the lost joy of riding a bicycle,” and he thinks the EVELO Aurora will help him do that.

I excitedly raced home on my Trek when I received the email alert that my package from EVELO had arrived and was on my front porch. This is the time of year that I try to bike into work a few times a week, weather permitting (I do live in Ohio, after all). On the way home, I wondered what the benefits of an e-bike might really be, and if it will be the solution I am looking for.

As I turned southwest, I was instantly hit with a stiff headwind (predominantly, the winds in southern Ohio blow northeast. Realizing that I can’t count on the wind behaving itself, I mentally start to game-plan my first week of bicycle commuting. While doing so, I seriously start to second-guess my decision to pick up two evening shifts at my paramedic job on Mondays and Tuesdays.

	When I got home, there was a huge box on the porch, and I relieved my wife of kid duty so that she could go do a photography shoot. Here's the assembly story. I added a couple of pictures along the way.
	Leo (1 year old) is asleep = check. Lucile (3 years old) is not asleep = dang. So Lucile is jumping up and down shouting, “BIKE! BIKE! BIKE!” while I remove the bike from the box and start putting it all together. I am immediately very aware of how heavy this bicycle is. Lucile was very helpful in the assembly process, especially in the hide-and-go-seek portion of the assembly, as you can see from the photo.
	The big reveal of the bike as assembly begins. I opted for the 3-speed Luna. Looking at all the styles, I really wanted something that would be comfortable to ride for 1-2 hours every day.
	The finished bike! I am thoroughly impressed with how the bike handles for its size and weight, although the trade-off is fewer gears than I would like and no front disc brakes. After taking the weekend to learn the bike and "gear up," I roll out to start the challenge at zero dark thirty Monday morning.

Anticipating my first ride to work on my e-bike, I was filled with so much anxiety. Plans to ride with my husband for the first ride – so that we could figure out the safest possible route as far as traffic and major hills — did not materialize. So I decided that I just needed to do this … and I am so glad that I did!

I mainly followed the route that I usually drive to work. During the ride, I noticed and appreciated so many things that I take for granted when I am in a car. The cool, crisp air in the morning filled my lungs and I felt rejuvenated – quite a difference from the grogginess I usually feel when I am in the car and on my way to work at 6:30 in the morning.

I rode through a regional park and the trees and foliage provided the perfect backdrop for my commute. Along the way I also saw three deer in the brush and a wild turkey. I could imagine getting as close as this picture shows as I rode by. It was incredibly peaceful.

The ride home, on the other hand, was a bit challenging. I avoided taking my usual route home to avoid the two-mile-long steep climb that it entails – not a big problem for my car, but I felt it would be too much, even with the electric bike. However, the route I did take turned out to be almost as challenging. But, I did it!

When I got home, my kids and my husband happened to be outside, and were all excited to see me ride up on my bike. My husband gave me a high-five and words of encouragement. He told me how proud he was of me, and then asked me which route I had decided to take on the way home … and his mouth dropped open when I told him. He laughed and said, “That was just as hard as the route you avoided!” I replied, “Yes, I realize that now.” And we laughed.

Nevertheless, the next day I took a longer route home, one with a more gradual climb. I wish I could reproduce the peaceful ride I have in the mornings on the way home, but I guess I’ll have to settle for a more gradual climb than that first day!

Photo of deer by nosha

I picked the EVELO electric bike up in early May at Hello Bikes in Seattle and was impressed with the down-to-earth shop. I would definitely drive the distance to have these folks deal with my non-electric bike.

After I got the bike home, operator error (mine) played a role in my initial impression. I knew full well that the bike used its own drive train, but that somehow escaped me when I took my initial test ride – I tried to ride up the hill in front of my house on what seemed to be a struggling machine. After a frustrated return home, the reality of the direct drive /drive train combination hit me, and my second attempt yielded the ever-famous e-bike grin. I followed this up with an expanding exploration of the bike’s abilities throughout hilly north Seattle to the point that I didn’t want to go home. When I finally did, I wanted to be back out again.

That weekend, my only excursion turned out to be a non-starter for the bike – a trip to Lowes Home Improvement store. Trying to haul a 2x4x10 of pressure-treated lumber on an electric bike would have been a treat to see I’m sure, but I didn’t want to wind up as an item on the local news.

May 6 — Day One – I knew that finding the right route to work would be paramount in making the trip enjoyable. However, on my first Monday commute, the Seattle Gods started crying on me to the point that I had my head turned sideways with one eye half-opened in an attempt to slog in to work against the rain. Upon arrival, I praised my Gortex jacket for its amazing ability to shed water, but cursed the fact that I had worn jeans, reeboks, and cotton socks – soaked from the waist down via fabrics that love to soak up water. Luckily I had a spare pair of socks to throw on.

 

Having figured out where not to go, I still took a few wrong turns on my way home and wound up going up Queen Anne hill. That’s it in about 1900 — the traffic might look different, but the hill is still a hefty incline. New to the e-bike scene, I was a little concerned about how to navigate this, but used the bike lane like I should. I had no problem trekking the hill as well as the remaining haul home after crossing the bridge (which is all up hill, for about five miles). Arrived home with only one light left but impressed

May 7 – Day Two – some freezing rain/slush crap falling from the 38 degree sky. By the time I hit twelve blocks from home, I couldn’t feel my toes or fingers so I made the decision to return home and took the car to work.

Aside from weather woes, and my initial route choices, this has been an exceptional experience. The bike, even with the hills, handles significantly better than I thought it would, with some still impressive power available when I reach my destination. Within the first week, I logged about 80 miles of saddle time. I will say that I am actually excited about my ride in to work now that the weather forecast is looking up. More to come later. I hope everyone is doing well in this Challenge!

There is no uphill while riding on an electric bike. The 200-watt motor kicks in and makes it so easy and fun to bike everywhere. I can still work up a sweat and get a nice workout if I want to just by keeping it set on low. Once I get tired (or before if I meet a hill I don’t feel like climbing), I crank up the setting to high and just kind of relax and enjoy the cool-down ride.

I can engage the electric motor in one of two ways – (1) while pedaling, as a kind of support; or (2) by using the throttle on the left side. I don’t even have to pedal to move forward if I don’t want to. It may not be the fastest speed, but it reaches an excellent cruiser speed. I find I can climb most hills here, but I do pedal to help out the motor.

I am surprised at how light the bike is, but one thing that really amazes me is how quiet it is. It’s super stealth, moving like a moped but with no sound. I find myself yelling like a horn at times, which tells me it might be a good idea for me to invest in a horn for safety reasons. I feel like electric car owners who miss the engine sound and now appreciate how pedestrians may fail to hear an oncoming electric car since everyone is so attuned to listening for engine sounds in traffic.

I must say that overall it handles really well. It took a couple of days to get the bike set up the way I like it, since I don’t have much experience with this style of bike (hybrid/comfort). I also was concerned at first about how the battery would perform in the hot climate of Hawaii – would it stop functioning or be damaged (even explode?) if it overheats? I wondered if I should remove it when I park the bike to avoid damage, but after talking to the EVELO service team — and using it during hot days here — I have not had any issues. The battery does get hot, but not excessively so.

My first week on an electric bike went really well. I only live a couple of blocks from the food store, so instead of a major shopping trip as in the past, I have been doing short runs, packing it all in my backpack and on the handlebars.

In fact, giving up the car seems like no problem. We had a couple days of major downpour, but it dries up fairly quickly here, and with the right clothes it was never an issue. Next week I will travel up towards the northern side of Oahu, which will be exciting because it’s more country roads and less traffic.

I have discovered one thing here in Hawaii that is a necessity if you live here and only have a bike as transportation – a surf rack for your bike, of course — like the guy in this photo has! It will give me a simple way to transport my surfboard to the ocean easily and quickly. They are quite pricy but so worth it. I am a little worried about leaving the bike on shore, even though I lock it up with two beefy u locks. Bike theft in Honolulu is very common, unfortunately. Bikes must be registered with the Department of Transportation, which helps deter theft some, but one has to be extremely careful when leaving your bike out of sight. But that won’t stop me from getting to the beach!