Dollars & Changes

How Pedego owners pedal away from gas pump sticker shock.

“My Pedego Interceptor has flattened out the foothills and all of a sudden , I have 20-year-old legs.”

Audrey Crouch of San Diego, California, used to be bothered by how much money she was wasting on gas during the short commutes to her job as a veterinary technician. She bought a Pedego and was surprised by the amount of money she has since saved. “I would have to say that I’m spending half as much money on gas as I was before I bought my Pedego,” says Crouch. “Plus, if I need to make a trip to a local store, I don’t even bother using my car anymore, so my savings actually increase.” Working with animals all day can be tiring, Crouch admits. Still, she doesn’t hesitate to ride her Pedego. “I love that on days when the dogs tire me out, I don’t even have to pedal home. Just enjoy the ride.” What Crouch and other Pedego owners know is that most car trips are a waste of money. According to the US Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration, a quarter of all trips that drivers take are within a single mile from home. About half of the working population commutes 5 miles or less to work.

In the US, skipping the bus is the norm. But the shocker is: drivers use a personal vehicle for trips of 5 miles or less a whopping 82 percent of the time. That can add up to a lot of nickels plunked down at the gas station. Senior Terryl Johnson of Greenville, South Carolina, was experiencing difficulties with standard bikes due to his age. Johnson’s knees could no longer handle his region’s steep terrain. It all changed when he and his wife, Shelley Johnson, switched to Pedego electric bikes. “My Pedego Interceptor has flattened out the foothills and all of sudden I have 20-year-old legs,” says Johnson. Now the couple takes their dog Mitzi for rides that add up to as much as 75 miles per week. Shelley tells everyone how much fun and exercise they’re enjoying while saving gas dollars. “We ride our Pedegos downtown to go out to eat a few times a week. We’ve gone shopping to the Farmers’ Market on Saturday mornings and ride the Swamp Rabbit Trail (Rails to Trails in Greenville, SC) to get exercise and fresh air.”

Lynn Danaher of Friday Harbor, Washington, uses her bike for transportation around San Juan Island. She‘s been riding her Pedego electric bike since May and she uses it every day for errands, grocery shopping and recreational riding — with an emphasis on that last part. “I can’t begin to express the joy I feel and the fun it gives me each and every day. I feel like a kid again,” says Danaher. Danaher has saved more than $500 in gas costs. She never lacks a parking space and has lost eight pounds. “What could be better?” she notes.