Got E-grins™?

Wikipedia: E-grins™ are the number of grins per/mile derived from riding the VoltRider™ electric bike. The current E-grin standard is 11.7 per/mile. Can be used as a noun, verb, or adjective: "E-grins™ rule", "Time for me to E-grin™ down the road", "That was a totally E-grin™ experience!".

The 2010 VoltRider™
We didn't invent fun… we just perfected it.

Let the E-grins™ Roll!

As soon as you start pedaling and feel the whisper-quiet electric motor kick-in – doubling your pedal power – you'll know you're riding something unique. As predictable as gravity, you experience your very first E-grin™!

Coasting along, you goose the throttle a little and… hello… there's a smooth burst of acceleration and here comes your second dose of E-grin™. Shift into a higher gear and suddenly you're passing up throngs of sweaty, hard-pedaling cyclists. Another inevitable E-grin™ tells you this is a "high" you won't regret getting hooked on.

What in the world is an electric bike…
and why would anyone want one?

There are many reasons to own a VoltRider™ and everyone will have their own, but here are just some of the reasons the VoltRider™ e-bike is the most FUN, practical, economical, convenient, and healthy form of local transportation and recreation there is.

First Off, What The Heck Is A VoltRider™ Electric Bike?
Fundamentally, an e-bike is just a regular bicycle with an added battery-powered electric motor. Like all bikes, they can be ridden on city and country roads, bike paths, and bike lanes. A full-featured e-bike provides 3 modes of use: pedal only (like a regular bike), pedal-assisted (you're pedaling but the motor's helping you) and motor only (letting the bike do all the work). If you've ever ridden a conventional bike, riding an e-bike will come naturally to you.

Imagine pedaling up a hill as comfortably as riding down, that's what the e-bike experience is all about. The electric assistance is perfectly smooth and silent, and it complements rather than supplants human power. Mostly, e-bikes are just plain fun. Whether you're choosing one for your commute, for neighborhood errands, or just for enjoyment, the VoltRider™ e-bike will enhance your health, strength, mobility, and enjoyment.

An E-bike Can Change Your Life
Electric bikes open up cycling to a whole slew of people who would otherwise be driving a car. It's wrong for cyclists to assume that anyone can ride a bike. Many people would like to, but find it impractical or impossible because of hills, distance, health reasons, knee problems, aging, or even the inconvenience of having to shower and change at work. And if you ever ridden with a little one in a child seat – it can be exhausting. E-bikes suddenly make the joy of biking a whole lot more accessible to the 98% of our population who aren't cyclists.

Money, Money, Money!
When you consider the cost of your daily commuting, you need to take a good look at what you're paying not only for gas, but also for insurance, parking, maintenance, and other incidentals that add up big time. Owning a car costs more than just the fuel you put in your tank.

An electric bike has next to no costs. Purchase price is a little more than a conventional bike, mechanical wear and tear is about the same, and electricity is so cheap as to be practically irrelevant. In fact, the battery can be fully charged for about a nickel, and can give you over 40 miles of pedal-assisted power.

Face it, with petroleum prices at record highs and climbing, expensive gas is with us to stay. An e-bike circumvents that cost by taking power directly out of the grid to charge your battery.

For some people, an electric bike will replace the car for occasional errands. For others, it may enable them to use a car significantly less or replace one altogether. Either way, a typical car costs $1.06 per mile to operate (including purchase price of car, insurance, taxes, and maintenance) and of course parking, traffic, and repairs are always a costly hassle (Source: CommuteSolutions.org). The electricity to power an electric bike amounts to tenths of a cent per mile - a difference of more than 100 times! At this price, you could completely pay off the price of your VoltRider™ in gas savings alone in the first year! Beyond that, it's all savings, with every trip paying back dividends from gas you don't have to buy.

Darn Convenient
An e-bike is an exceptionally convenient form of transportation. It's simple and quick. Though it won't carry two kids and the dog, it will carry two big bags of groceries and whatever else you want to load on the rack. An electric bike can easily carry a child-seat or tow a child trailer. By removing the hassles of parking and adding the endorphins of an easy bike ride, an electric bike can replace a car for neighborhood errands.

When You Need To Get There Fast!
In theory, automobiles can average high speeds but in practice, speeds often fall below 10mph in city traffic. Motorcycles get around this to some extent, but they're still confined to the road network. An electric bike can maintain a higher average speed than a bicycle but take advantage of the same network of cycle facilities, giving access to routes that vehicles and motorcycles cannot reach. The result is often a faster door-to-door journey time than any other mode. And by taking advantage of the uncongested bicycle network, e-bikes are often the most consistent mode of travel.

Personal Fitness
Surely a conventional bike will keep you more fit? Surprise! Research has found that 46% of conventional bikes are used only once or twice a week, with a further 30% used once (or less) every two weeks. By contrast, a survey of e-bike owners reveals that 35% ride at least once a day and 81% use them at least once a week. Because riding an e-bike is more enjoyable in hilly country, or when carrying heavy loads, or bucking strong winds, they typically get used 2-3 times more often as conventional bicycles. Yes, the motor provides about half the effort, but more regular use means more exercise for the rider.

More notably, an e-bike is a very seductive form of exercise. You won't ever need to force yourself to get on the bike. You'll WANT to! It will make you feel good. The power of the battery and motor can allow anyone, of any age, ride without making the muscles ache. If you have physical disabilities or encumbrances, an electric bike can mean all the difference in the world. If you're just out of shape, an e-bike can mean feeling healthier day in and day out. Go for a ride and you'll appreciate why we say: "No pain, all gain".

Clean & Green
Electric bikes obviously consume energy, where a conventional bike does not (provided we ignore the environmental cost of growing and processing food). However, the amount of energy used is very small compared to a moped, motorcycle or automobile. In most metropolitan areas, the automobile is the top contributor to local air, water, and noise pollution. Consider these facts:

• About 70% of Americans in cities drive less than 25 miles per day
• 90% drive less than 50 miles
• Half of all urban trips are less than 5 miles
• The average urban vehicle trip is less than 10 minutes

Replacing the high impact of a single passenger car with the low impact of an e-bike will make a positive difference for both the individual and environment. Think of a 100-watt electric light bulb burning for an evening – that's enough energy to propel an e- bike for 20 to 40 miles! Our choices have an impact on the future. An e-bike is a healthy step in the right direction.

Climbing Hills
This may sound obvious, but it's one of the primary advantages of an e-bike. An electric bike effectively flattens hills, increasing your average speed and eliminating the "groan" factor. The effect is nothing short of miraculous. With the power of the battery and motor supplementing your pedaling, you'll be able to comfortably ride up hills that you might not attempt on a traditional bike. For many people, an electric bike can make it possible to ride a bike when it wouldn't otherwise be an option!

Parking
With an electric bike, parking ceases to be a hassle since bikes easily find parking while cars drive around the neighborhood searching. An electric bike can pay for itself just with what you'll pay in parking tickets (and likely a good part of your car insurance)!

Time
An electric bike saves you time. It eliminates the time spent looking for parking. It eliminates time waiting for the bus (and often is faster than riding the bus). Traffic jams can be avoided via side streets. Whether you live in the city or in the suburbs, an electric bike is timesaving, practical transportation.

Safety
Think of a steep and busy road, with cars climbing at 30mph. If you previously slogged up the hill at 6mph, but can tackle it at 12mph with an e-bike, you'll encounter 33% fewer cars and they will pass you at 18mph rather than 24mph. The same general principle applies to road junctions - the faster your acceleration, the sooner you can get out of trouble. And with no need to rush the hills, you won't be tempted to race downhill at breakneck speed to gather steam for the climb just ahead… another practical safety feature.

No Sweat!
Sweat may not be a serious issue when you're out for a leisure ride, but it's more important if you're cycling to work. An electric bike eliminates the problem at source. In hot weather, it's possible to maintain a normal schedule by transferring a bit more load to the electric motor. In colder weather - or if you feel in need of exercise – you can throttle back or turn the motor off.