Winter e-biking

Winter e-biking feels like cheating

When you spend weeks riding around in single digit temperatures, a break into the 40’s feels like it’s summertime.

My cold weather biking exploits caught the eye of someone at Maine. The Magazine and I’ve been asked to pose for some pictures for a feature they’re working on about people who get around on pedal power during the winter. The shoot is today in a couple of hours and I’m excited because the photographer, Peter Andrey Smith (check out his site, he also writes for GOOD) is shooting with a medium format camera (helllooooo pixels).

To choose which electric bike to use in the shoot I let fate decide and assigned heads to the Izip Trekking Enlightened and tails to the Pedego Comfort Cruiser. Tails came up lucky on the flip of the coin so I’ll be rocking the kick back and relax style of the Comfort Cruiser for the shoot.

It’s been relatively warm out here in Maine over the last two days. It’s a few degrees over 40 outside right now which feels like summer after the past few weeks of single digit temperatures. It’s nice to not have to put on that extra layer of clothing to get around outside. One unintended benefit of riding this winter is that I REALLY appreciate how easy biking is in the summer. Oh, to be able to just jump on the bike and go.

My friend Starre Vartan over at Greenopia wrote up a post about how kickass electric bikes are and included both the Izip and Pedego in addition to the Optibike. The kind folks are Optibike are going to be sending me something to demo in the next month or three, I’m really looking forward to seeing how their $5,995 bike stacks up (assuming they don’t send me their $9,995 model; hey, a guy can dream). The Optibike is certainly one of the cooler looking bikes I’ve seen.

A quick note to my fellow Portland, Maine winter bikers- every Friday at 5:30 a group of riders gathers in Congress Square before setting off on a 10 mile easy ride punctuated with beers and food at a local bar/restaurant. Tonight’s ride will end at Great Lost Bear (excellent cheesy fries).

Stay warm riders.