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Electric bike shop opens in town

Brooke Bumgarner
Co-owners, Linda John and Bruce Caplowe have recently opened a new bike shop, Pedego Electric Bikes at 345 Lincoln Avenue.
Brooke Bumgarner

— As I cruised along the Yampa River Core Trail with a light summer breeze blowing through my hair, my feet took to the pedals of a newly rented Pedego electric bike, and with an extra jolt of energy surging beneath the wheels, quiet excitement bubbled up inside me, almost as if I was flying.

“It’s hard not to smile when you get on these bikes,” said Pedego Electric Bikes co-owner Linda John, as she pedaled softly beside me. I could not have agreed more as I felt myself smiling from cheek to cheek.

Pedego Electric Bikes, an internationally recognized brand, offers a range of ways that riders can utilize the electric feature or can choose to disregard it altogether. Pedal assist, a feature that senses your pedaling when turned on, comes with five levels of automatic assistance. Meanwhile, a throttle is also conveniently located on the handlebar for times when riders don’t feel like pedaling at all.



Although I originally worried that the ride along Yampa would become what some may consider “too easy,” I was pleasantly surprised to discover I was still the one in control and could choose when to use the electric feature and when not to. Even though I didn’t need it, I gave the throttle a little twist and felt like a little kid again as I zoomed down the trail.

Pedego bikes reach up to 20 miles per hour with a 48-volt battery that can last for up to 60 miles depending on how much assistance is used. It only costs 5 to 10 cents to recharge the bike’s battery, and the bikes are easily customizable.



I hadn’t shifted gears soon enough to make the first small hill I came upon, so I simply clicked on the pedal assist on my chic turquoise Interceptor, Pedego’s beach cruiser style, and successfully avoided what could’ve resulted in a grunt or two.

The Interceptor model is what John considers the most popular, with features that make the bike an option for almost anyone. Other additional frames include the Boomerang, a step-through style for those who have hip or knee problems; the Stretch, which John describes as a “mom or dad mobile;” and the Tandem, which can make for a fun date night activity. The City Commuter, Trail Tracker and Ridge Rider are also styles found in the store.

“These bikes are enabling people to do things that they weren’t able to do,” John said, “whether it’s because of injuries, disabilities or fitness level.”

Riders will be able to enjoy the outdoors, reduce environmental impact and save money on transportation.

John and co-owner Bruce Caplowe opened Pedego Steamboat Springs Electric Bikes at 345 Lincoln Ave. on July 2. The shop sells new bikes, provides rentals and offers multiple tours throughout the community.

Among the tours will be two self-guided options — a tour of the town and “Cruise the Brew Tour” — and one that will venture all the way up to Strawberry Park Hot Springs. The hot springs tour will even include a French-inspired picnic. Tours range from $65 to $100 with regular bike rentals starting at $30 an hour or $95 per day.

“We are Bike Town USA, don’t we want to get as many butts on bikes as possible? Isn’t that our goal, to get people active and off the sofa?” John asked. “That’s what we’re allowing. We are making that possible. We want everyone to have fun.”


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