Game-changers
Ebikes getting folks back on track and trails
Ebiking is to mountain biking as skiing is to snowboarding, that’s what Don Schieber says about his electric bike, purchased last year after an exhaustive online search for just the right bike, and just before the pandemic emptied shelves of anything sportif.
Ebikes are a relatively new mode of sporty mobility, a cross between a bicycle and a motorcycle.
Formerly the decades-long Community Developer for Taos Ski Valley, Inc., Schieber first became interested in ebikes almost 20 years ago, when an outfit in Boulder, Colorado, was offering custom bikes starting around $10,000.
“Good ebikes now are in the $2,800-range like the Giant model [partner] Kathleen has, up to like, $4,000 for my bike, a GHOST,” he said, noting he found it in Texas last year.
Kathleen Sullivan, a Realtor of Swan Realty in Taos, got her Giant bike in Texas as well, when they were still plentiful enough to be found in stock. Since the pandemic, however, with demand for sport and outdoor equipment so high, everything is on back order she noted.
“It’s a total life and game changer,” Sullivan said. “I can ride with Don now and keep up.” Whereas on her regular mountain bike, she said she just didn’t enjoy it as much and, like so many people (including this writer), she just gave it up – too much trouble for so little enjoyment returned.
Ebike charging
The batteries are lithium ion and last anywhere from 30 to 50 miles. Schieber and Sullivan recently did 250 miles in a three-week stay along the border wall in Texas, warm and windy rides while Taos was still snowed under.
Schieber said bikers have to plan rides to accommodate battery life, so you don’t get stuck somewhere away from a recharge, which takes quite a while. The couple suggests if a 40- to 50-mile trip is planned one way, that the trip should end up at a motel or cut the ride in half and end up back home – either way to recharge overnight.
A separate battery can be purchased for about $700 dollars if riders are really concerned about running out of power, Schieber said, but he and Sullivan have not so indulged, being comfortable riding about Taos on a single charge per ride.
“You can push yourself, physically, to keep the electric-assist low, to maximize battery life,” Schieber said. He does not recommend recharging at charging stations provided by the the Blue Bus Park ‘n’ Ride or up at Taos Ski Valley, considering the current state of battery art.
“Also, start into a wind so you can have the wind at your back on your return,” he noted with a been-there-done-that smile.
Mountain-tamers
“The ebike makes everything accessible,” Sullivan said. “We ride everywhere, narrow mountain trails, back roads, anywhere and everywhere.”
They live in a forested neighborhood next to the Carson National Forest and ride as often as weather permits. One exciting uphill-downhill trail is 4 to 5 inches wide along a pine-needle packed side of an arroyo next to their house – quite ambitious.
“They’re mountain-tamers, that’s for sure,” Schieber said assuredly about ebikes, and Sullivan happily agreed. Note: Local bike shops around the Enchanted Circle did not respond to queries about ebike availability by press time. Many shops are still closed until late May or early June 2021.