by
Unknown
| Jun 04,2019
Our electric pedal-assist bikes have been out in the Heartland B-cycle system for a month and it's been pretty amazing! We've had people contacting us from day one to tell us how much they loved riding the e-bikes but the numbers from the past month really do speak for themselves. Our trips have been up by 45% since the launch of the bikes and May was the best month yet in Heartland B-cycle's almost 8 year history with 3,953 trips! 48% of the trips taken in May were taken by our e-bikes!
Now that the bikes have been out in our system for a month, here's a little primer for those of you who haven't yet tried out our e-bikes yet (or you've tried them at an event but haven't yet taken the leap to check one out on your own)!
Why ride an e-bike?
If you've had a chance to ride one of our e-bikes you know how much fun they are. That little extra boost of support from the motor makes hills a breeze and brings a smile to your face. The built in motor matches your power for the smooth & easy ride. Yes, you still need to pedal but exercise is good for you! Plus, pedaling is part of the fun!
Besides the fun factor, they're the perfect bikes for commuting! They make long trips a breeze and you'll be saying "hills? what hills?" in no time when riding one of our e-bikes. If you haven't started bike commuting because you're worried about showing up at your destination to sweaty, these bikes cut down the sweat factor! We can't promise that you'll arrive sweat free on a 100 degree day but e-bikes do cut down the effort and therefore the sweat.
When you take an e-bike for a ride instead of hopping in your car, you are helping reduce your carbon footprint and getting in some exercise at the same time! Studies have shown that just a little moderate exercise every day can do wonders for your health, getting it done on your commute into work makes it easy to fit into your busy schedule.
Plus, have we mentioned that they're fun? Seriously, our e-bikes are guaranteed to bring a smile to your face!
How do I find an e-bike?
Okay, so you're convinced to try these e-bike things out but now you need to know how to find them! There are a few ways you can locate our e-bikes in the Heartland B-cycle system-
the main page of our website and the
BCycle App.
The front page of our website has a live station map, the little lightning bolts on a station signal that there are e-bikes at that station. Click on the station to see how many e-bikes and classic bikes there are at the station. The pop up will also let you know how many docks are available at the station so you can plan your trip before you head out and ensure there will be an open dock for you when you arrive at your destination.
You can also find a live station map on the
BCycle App which is available for
iOS and
Android phones. Similar to the website map, the lightning bolt icons signal that there are e-bikes available at a station. Tap the station to see how many bikes are available. If you are logged into the app with your
Heartland B-cycle Membership, you can check out a bike right on the app! Just put in the dock number of the bike you want and it will release.
How do I ride an e-bike?
Just like a regular bike of course! You just need to make sure you turn the power on by pressing the power button above the small screen located on the left handlebar. When you turn the screen on you can see how much battery life is left and it will tell you your speed while you're riding. Our bikes only assist you up to 17 miles per hour, so if you can manage to get one going that fast you're on your own after that!
Each bike has three gears, the shifter is located on the right handlebar. The left handlebar has a bell that you can use to signal to people as you pass by or say hi to a friend! All bikes have front and rear lights that are powered by the movement of your wheels and always on as long as your wheels are moving. Once you start pedaling the motor will kick on to give you the perfect amount of boost. Make sure to adjust the seat height before you right for the most comfortable riding experience.
Now you know why you should ride, how to find an e-bike, and how to get riding- we hope to see you out there enjoying our electric pedal-assist bikes! We'd love to see how much fun you're having, post on social with #heartlandbcycle and make sure to follow us on
Facebook,
Instagram, &
Twitter for system updates!