Hundreds of local residents over the weekend strapped on helmets to ride motorized bikes as a way to showcase yet another way for Houstonians to traverse the city’s often congested streets.
The free promotional rides at Rice University Stadium were part of the first Electric Bike Expo in Houston.
“A lot of it really is just about having more fun. (E-bikes) can go pretty much anywhere a regular bicycle can go,” said Pete Prebus, the chief marketing officer of the expo’s organizer, ExtraEnergy. “And if you can commute to work while having fun, why not?”
The bike combines pedal with motor by sensing how fast and forcefully the rider is pedaling then assists with boost of extra power to reach speeds of around 20 to 28 mph, which helps when riders need to trundle uphill or haul groceries. A lithium-ion battery powers the motor and charges in three to six hours with a cable similar to a laptop charger.
On Saturday, Prebus said that e-bikes can be used for leisure, trips to the store, taking kids to school (there’s a specially made bike that can hold children in the back) and commuting to work.
“In the U.S., we’ve grown up around car culture for the most part. There are certain pains that go along with that, but there are solutions,” Prebus said. “Electric bikes are part of the solution.”
Costs range from around $1,000 to $10,000. Prebus said that vendors sell the standard bike for less than $4,000. Although these are hefty prices for a two-wheeler, BikeTexas Executive Director Robin Stallings figured it is worth the cost.
“I believe that e-bikes at any price are a cheaper deal than the cheapest car you will ever buy,” Stallings said, citing that these bikers would not need to deal with fluctuating gas prices and the wear-and-tear of city driving.
I guess if I was going to spend that kind of money on a motor vehicle, I’d buy a scooter or something similar, which I feel would be better suited for the roads. The bike trails in Houston, at least the ones I’ve been on, forbid motorized vehicles, which I presume would include these bikes. I suppose if you just tool around on side roads as you would with a regular pedal-power bike, an electric bike might make sense. Surely, it would be helpful for longer trips or maybe for hauling stuff, but I don’t know how big a niche that is.
Pedaling is just too hard for these people? In flat Houston?