The views and sound were great. After the show, we met up with James and Steve backstage and I gave them both Optibike shirts.

James received his Optibike as a birthday present from Steve and  uses it to commute the 16 miles to the studio each day with 2000 feet of climbing. Lots of days of rain and drizzle as it is England.  It sounds like a great area in the north west of England.

I found Steve and I had several points in common. Steve lives on a 1000 acre farm, though mine is only ten acres, and our kids are about the same age.

What we don’t have in common is musical ability. I have none, and Steve is incredibly versatile. My music is designing electric bikes! James was talking about how great a new 1100 would be.

We did 14,000 feet of total climbing over the trip.

To run a successful bike-sharing program, like Boulder B Cycle, a number of key components need to come together—chief among them are system balancing, maintenance, and marketing. Our partnership with Optibike this summer allowed us to cover those bases in a completely unique way. On Bike to Work Day 2013, we inaugurated The B.E.A.S.T.—The B-cycle Electric-Assist Service Trailer. From day one, it turned heads. 

The concept behind The B.E.A.S.T. was relatively simple: improve our ability to transport B-cycles by attaching a custom-built bike hauling trailer to an electric bike by Optibike. While much of our balancing and maintenance is completed using a gas-powered truck, adding The B.E.A.S.T. to our fleet allowed for an additional degree of flexibility in our service as well as the added element of face-to-face interaction with our customers.

Robert, one of our long-time supporters and regular riders, took on the duty of riding The B.E.A.S.T. over the summer, and reports on his experiences below:

The first few rides had a lot of trial & error involved: learning to maneuver the trailer while empty, or with one bike, or both bikes, took some patience and careful riding, especially with the added power of the Optibike!

After the first few shifts, I started trying to make my rides more “game-like”. Could I make it to every station? Could I locate “Olive” the Boulder Flood bike? Could I get someone to ride between two stations (or more) with me?

The best part of my experience was talking to people. I didn’t always meet people at a B-cycle station, and some of my favorite conversations with Boulder residents were while I was shuttling bikes between stations. My most memorable was while riding on Arapahoe, West of Folsom (taking the lane!). It was getting dark, and a new Naropa student was trying to get to The Hill for a concert. He didn’t have lights, and didn’t realize the many other options so as to avoid that section of Arapahoe. I shared my Boulder Bicycle Map, and a couple CLIF bars, and helped him get to his concert by bike.

Now that the weather has cooled down, The B.E.A.S.T. has been retired for the season. We couldn’t be happier with our partnership with the Ferrari of Electric Bikes manufacturer, Optibike, and we’re eager to roll The B.E.A.S.T. out once again next spring!

About Boulder B Cycle
Boulder B-cycle is a community nonprofit formed to implement and operate a bike-share system in our fair town. Together with our partners at the City of Boulder, we’re working hard to create a transportation solution that’s clean, green, healthy, sustainable—and lots of fun!

To learn more about our little nonprofit and all the great sponsors, partners and initiatives behind Boulder’s grassroots bike-share program, read our What is Boulder B-cycle Fact Sheet or browse our 2011 Annual Report.

Want to learn more about Optibike’s electric bikes? Contact us today or stop by our office in Boulder for a test drive and experience the awesomeness of electric bikes for yourself.

I love Fall! I so enjoy the cooling of the temperatures, football season starting, pumpkins all over the place, trees shedding their leaves and changing colors and the beautiful views of Colorado. Last weekend, I went on a awesomely cool and fun bike ride on an Optibike. I was cruising around Boulder and went into the mountains for a long extended ride. Getting up the hills with ease and taking in the scenic views of the mountains and trees was lots of fun. I always enjoy going on an adventure and exploring new areas with my Optibike. I can travel faster and further on my Optibike compared to a conventional mountain bike. After so much fun and good times in the mountains I locked up the Optibike outside one of my favorite beer places in Boulder… savored a good Colorado microbrew and made my way home.

I’m going on a little bike ride in a couple weeks.

OK, it’s not a “little” bike ride — it’s a very, very long bike ride. In fact, the longest bike ride of my entire life!

I’m talking about a 100-mile ride along the Southern California Coast, from Orange County to my hometown of San Diego.

It’s the National MS Society’s Bike MS Bay to Bay Tour 2012, Oct. 201, and it’s one of the society’s biggest fundraisers of the year. More than just collect cash for the cause, the event also raises public awareness, which is so important to me.

Usually I participate in the event simply by being an “inspiration” for my longtime friend Matt’s team, Land Rover San Diego. Of course, I’m flattered by this year after year and I’m so proud of what the team accomplishes — Matt puts in so much work as team captain! I also serve as one of the MS Champions for the event, sharing my MS story and providing a face to the cause for riders who don’t personally know someone with MS.

But this year is not like the rest. I am actually going to ride.

You may be wondering why — and more importantly, how — I’m going to accomplish this major physical feat. One word: Optibike.

If you’re not familiar with Optibike, it’s been referred to as ”the Ferrari of electric bikes.” I can attest that it’s pretty fun to ride! Built and distributed out of Boulder, Colorado, this high-end bike uses a lithium battery as a backup to pedaling, making it possible for someone like me who has MS to ride 100 miles over the course of two days. Special thanks to Jim Turner, president and founder of Optibike, for lending me one of his company’s amazing machines to use for the event and the extensive training that leads up to it (which is currently in full force).

This is what I’ll be proudly wearing on my back during the ride…might be useful for other bikers who are wondering why I get a special electric boost!

Without this specialized bike, I obviously couldn’t even attempt a ride of this magnitude. Because I have MS, normal activities that people take for granted, like riding a bike or simply walking through the mall, prove difficult as my legs and feet experience pain and numbness after a short time.

Even with the Optibike, this ride isn’t going to be easy. Ahem, it’s 100 miles! For me, that’s a huge deal — like scary huge!

My hands, which suffer from spasticity, will be using a half twist throttle to make sure my bike keeps up with the team. My left knee and right shoulder will also be an issue for sure. I’ve had numerous cortisone injections over the course of the past year to try to relieve some of the discomfort I’ve been experiencing in those areas, and I’m not overly optimistic that they won’t act up during the ride. In fact, I fully expect it.

Still, I am determined to pedal through the pain and to ride for those who can’t. As I always say: “I want to do as much as I can, as long as I can, as best as I can.” That is certainly my goal with this bike ride.

As a rider, I am responsible for raising a portion of the funds needed to cover the costs associated with this premiere Southern California cycling event. Please consider helping to fund my participation and support research that will benefit other people living with MS.

Thank you in advance for your support, financial or otherwise. It means more to me than you’ll ever know.

Stay tuned for a post detailing my experience participating in Bike MS! I’ll be doing my best to update my blog and I may even share a video so you can see the awesome Optbike in action! Wish me luck!

The key to success is comfort.  Comfort creates consistency.  To be comfortable, your accessories must fit correctly and be the right pieces of equipment for the activity.

Most important: You need a helmet.  Helmets these days are light and comfortable, and do not impede your motion in any way. Helmets protect your most important asset. Helmets might seem a little expensive but they’re cheaper than a cat scan! And your brain is priceless! Try on a few helmets, see which one seems to fit the shape of your head. Many have extra pads and a head-lock system for multiple areas of adjusting.

Although you might think that bikers look funny, cycling specific clothing increases your comfort and the length of time you want to spend on the bike.  First, you want to look for a pair of cycling shorts (bike shorts).  Bike shorts are snug so that they don’t bunch up while you ride.  They minimize chafing and ease the stress on your rear end. A pad (chamois) is built in and gives you that extra cushion you need, right where you need it.  There are lots of brands on the market. Try on a few brands and see what is comfortable to you. Remember, they should not be baggy.

For your jersey, any breathable sports shirt will do. They are cycling specific jerseys out there with pockets for longer rides. There are many materials and styles. Find the one that is right for you.  Make sure that the jersey is long enough in the torso so when you are riding and holding the handlebars it covers your back completely. There’s nothing worse than a sunburn on the small of your back!

Get yourself a Camelbak or some kind of water delivery system.  Hydration is crucially important.  If you get 1% dehydrated, you’ll lose 20% of your efficiency. Drinking while riding is a must. And the hotter it gets, the more fluid you need.  Camelbaks have a genius design so you can drink while still keeping both hands on the handlebars.  So you are safe and hydrated at the same time!

When you really want to get serious about your riding and maximize efficiency, get yourself a pair of cycling shoes and clipless pedals.  There is a wide variety to chose from, both in width, fit and materials. The most important thing is your shoes are snug without any room for your foot to move around. Cycling shoes with an incorrect fit are painful and annoying.  Your local bike shop is a valuable resource.  Never, ever buy bike shoes online without making sure of the fit first!

And as always, any time you are outside, protect yourself from the sun with sunscreen.  Hours on the bike out in the sun can cause skin damage.  Head off trouble at the pass with some SPF 50.  My suggestion is to use Coppertone Sport, it does not clog your pores or make you feel hot.  A variety of brands are out there. Find the one you like and use it. A lot.

Optibike 1100 Electric Bike in for Review |… by ElectricBikeReport

Lets meet up!

Our Schedule includes:

Thursday, March 22, from 5-6:30 pm we will be having Cuban Coffee & snacks at:

Oasis Sandwich Shop

19 Harbor Drive  Key Biscayne, FL 33149

(limited test rides available because of the location)

Friday, March 23^rd from 4:00 -5:30pm we will be on South Beach:

Tapas & Tintos, 448 Espanola Way, Miami Beach, FL 33139

(limited test rides available)

Saturday, March 24^th from 12pm to 2:30pm we will be at the Biltmore Hotel:

Biltmore Hotel, 1200 Anastasia Avenue, Miami, FL

testrides available at this location!

Sunday, March 25^th in front of Kennedy park in the city of Coconut Grove, FL in the morning.

Please call me on my cell phone at 720.422.1969 if you would like to meet up, or if you get lost!

George Sanchez

George@optibike.com