Last year I joined a facebook group Bike Path Riders: West Michigan because I wanted to ride with a group for a change, and it was one of the best decisions I ever made. Not only has it introduced me to a group of wonderful people, but it has motivated me to invest in a trailer hitch style bike rack for two and to go on rides up to fifty miles away (so far.) The second bike feature has already come in handy when a friend went with me on one of the rides; I picked her up on the way to the meeting place.
The Weekly Smile was part of our group ride yesterday. We ended up going almost nineteen miles. For the first time, a lady showed up with an e-bike on a bike rack attached to the back of her car. The e-bike was all decked out with a basket on the front and a carrier-type basket in the back. She also brought her small terrier, Grover. Grover was the calmest and coolest little guy you could imagine. When asked how did Grover come into her life, she said, “he was a neighborhood dog for a long time and then he chose me.”
It was the lady’s first time riding with a group and she was a little nervous about how an e-bike would fit into the dynamics, especially since last week a troll tried to generate a flame war over whether e-bikes were welcome on bike paths, especially since there are signs saying no motorized vehicles. The moderator of the group ended up kicking him out and we are back to peace and harmony again. She was happy to see what a fun group we have.
Every time the “accordion” line regrouped, the lady would lift Grover and put him down so he could do his potty breaks. His grizzled chin told me that he was an older dog and the way he walked told me he might have arthritis. As we got rolling again, he kept his balance well on the back of the bike and showed no signs of wanting to jump down.
We planned a stop at a local distillery for drinks and lunch on the way back. The lady was going to leave because she didn’t want Grover to wait outside, but the group decided we would stand at the tables outside if necessary. We were delighted to learn that the distillery is pet-friendly! Not only did the owner/manager welcome Grover in, he brought him a bowl of water with pet prints on it.
I admit to having had some reservations about e-bikes, at least until yesterday. I’ve been surprised/startled by them racing around me from behind or bursting out from around corners coming towards me. After seeing them up close and how they operate (with this one you have to pedal in order for it to go) and how slow they can go, my reservations are minimized. There are plenty of pedal bike racers who have done the same. Speedsters of either kind sharing the trail with people who are walking baby strollers, old folks with canes and walkers, and people walking pets, is a mistake in my opinion but I don’t make the rules.
Learning about e-bikes, seeing how well Grover rode, and how well Grover was treated at the distillery are my weekly smiles.
This is my first time participating in Trent’s Weekly Smile.
Tao Talk 
Wow
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Thanks for sharing your cool adventure Li.
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You’re very welcome, Sadje.
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🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼
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Sounds like you had a great day. I’ve never seen an E-Bike before in person…I have looked them up…they look pretty cool.
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It was wonderful. The e-bike reminds me of those banana seat bikes all grown up. The handlebars were up. I was surprised that the tires look like small motorcycle tires. The carrier on the car is sturdy as the bike weighs over 70#. The carrier isn’t hydraulic so getting it off and back on is a big job for one person. I also got to lift a carbon steel racing bike yesterday and was amazed at how light it is, I think the person said it was only 16#!!!! It would be nice to have one but they cost a pretty penny.
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Oh I love those light bikes. When we first started we were clueless on bikes…we didn’t really realize the lighter the better but it’s true.
Those E-Bikes…when I first heard about them I thought of Mopeds because of the motor some have.
I love banana seat bikes.
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Yes, the one she had quite a bit different (and more expensive) than a moped.
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I belonged to a cycling group ages ago. Most of the rides I did were with racers, so I understand how someone can be startled by a bike catching up at over 25 mph on the flat…. (no bike paths at that speed!) I have some friends with ebikes and have not made up my mind. The ones they have you can peddle, but you don’t have to. I think, like anything, they can be good or bad depending on how they are used, and who is using them. Sounds like a good group and a good ride, all peddle or ebike thrown into the mix.
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Neat to know you used to be in a cycling group. There are some trails that have long straightaways that they like to train on. The lady with the e-bike made sure to take it nice and easy with us which made it perfect.
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That’s such a lovely feelgood story, Lisa. Thanks for sharing. I also love how the group embraced the lady with the e-bike and her doggie Grover.
I have a bit of an update to share on my bike. I finally managed to get to it in shall we say my not-so-well-organized garage. I dragged it out, inflated the tires and took it for a little test ride – only to realize the shifters no longer work.
I was able to shift into higher gears but not shift back. So now the bike is stuck in pretty much the highest gear and nearly impossible to ride. Oh, well…
I’m pretty sure sure it’s a matter of servicing the gear shifters. Now I have to find a bike store that services bikes to see how much it would cost to fix. It’s not a bad bike, so I hope it can be done at a cost that would make sense to invest.
I got that bike in early 1993 when I was a grad student at SUNY Stony Brook on Long Island, N.Y. I still remember some of my student friends thought I was nuts to ride my bike in New York winter time. They were probably not entirely wrong! 🙂
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OH WOW! Kudos to you for pulling the bike out and test driving it. And you used to be a hard core all-weather rider. Impressive, Christian! I think the world is a much more bike-friendly place now than it was in 1993. So many more bike lanes, paths, etc. I hope you can find a reasonable place to get it a tune-up. Maybe the oil on the flywheel (whatever they are called) needs to blasted off with their equipment and new oil put on it. This is probably a good time to do also as the shops aren’t as busy as they are in the spring. Again congrats for finding it 🙂
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Well, at least the first step is done. And, you’re probably right, in addition to adjusting/ servicing the shifters, the flywheels look like they could use some chain oil! 🙂
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Christian, you’ve got the hardest part done!
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The e-bikes in the city are dangerous, but then so are many regular bikers. I’ve never seen one go slow, but it’s good to know they have that capability. Still, the less outside energy we use for vehicles, the better I think. There have been problems here with bikes left charging that have blown up and started fires with people dying.
I’m glad you’ve found such a great group. Yay! (K)
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Kerfe, I am happy for your take on e-bikes. I agree with everything you say, and yes, there is a big fire hazard with charging any battery beyond small ones. A lady at the dream class said her neighbor forgot about an electric lawn mower battery charging in the garage and it exploded and set the condo (that is attached to other condos) on fire. She said the fireman at the scene told them to put the batteries in a metal box and cut out a place for the cord to go through as a safety precaution. How many people are going to do that?? And the way they are pushing electric cars and solar roofs that need whole walls of battery storage. That isn’t even beginning to address the dangers of landfills and big batteries.
Thanks on the riding group. There is a small core of people that go, but newbies show up each time, always friendly. It’s a blessing.
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Wow, I did not think about all the other hazards caused by rechargeable batteries. Especially the disposal issue–it never entered my mind. We have been brainwashed into never considering consequences. Dangerous all around.
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There is still a ray of hope for humanity; your heart-warming story did put a smile on my face, thanks, MsJadeLi!
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Irene, I’m happy to have made you smile, and yes, there is always hope ❤
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Thats awesome that grover was treated so well at the distillery! I’m happy your reservations about ebikes are now minimized. xo
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Yes, it was pleasant every which-way. Thank you.
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