| Prepare for the stare.
Travelling at school-zone speeds while pedalling at a slow-motion pace draws much attention in Calgary. So goes the life for power-assist cyclists.
Power-assist bikes are normal cycles operating with a small motor mounted in the front wheel. An electrically recharged battery mounted at the back of the bike produces enough power for cyclists to reach a top speed of about 30 kilometres per hour.
"People that cycle all the time think it’s cheating," says Calgarian Craig Epanza, who retails the bike-conversion kits online. "I compare it to an exercise bike in the gym – you can control all the effort you put in."
The former software engineer sells two conversion kits that retail for about $425 or $600, depending on battery life. When the power ignition is turned on, a thumb-control throttle allows riders to vary the motor’s speed. The units are almost silent.
"It’s starting to get more popular in Calgary," says Epanza. "Ever since the gas prices have gone up, I’m getting more calls."
And that’s the reason he started selling the conversion kits via www.itselectric.ca. "I’m trying to get people out of their cars and onto their bikes. This makes biking more accessible."
While some may consider these bikes mopeds, as long as the bike is pedal-controlled and has a motor limiting the top speed, it legally classifies as a bike, says Epanza. Local bylaws vary across the country.
He has sold conversion kits to people throughout Canada, with the exception of Saskatchewan, where nary a tumbleweed has placed an order. Lack of hills perhaps? But there are many reasons people buy the kits.
"In B.C., it’s a lot more environmental people or people fed up with traffic," says Epanza. "In Calgary it’s more of a leisure thing, to get out and about. I’ve had more sales everywhere else than here."
But he’s convinced that he’s at the front edge of the wave. With power-assist bikes already common in Europe and starting to become more popular in California, Epanza is sure locals will soon catch on.
"We’ve got the infrastructure, more so than other places," he says. "And once you start riding, you’ll be more brave about the conditions you’ll go out in.
"It softens the extremes you experience in cycling," he adds. "Sometimes, at the end of the day, you’re not into it and this helps. If there’s a head wind or a hill, you can keep a continuous pace."
And if the hard-core cyclists still believe the power-assist bikes are cheating, Epanza says they should have a motor installed and not use it. "They can haul around the 36 pounds for a workout."
BEWARE OF THE LLAMA
Speaking of staring, I saw the most unusual thing on the pathways recently – a guy walking his dog in front of him and his llama behind him.
Yes, a llama – one of those camel-like, horse-size farm animals.
You see many things on the pathways, but llamas aren’t usually on that list. With the sighting, many questions arise. For instance, is there a bylaw requiring owners to stoop and scoop after the llamas have done their business?
Which gets one wondering what would happen if there was a sudden infestation of llamas like there is of Canada geese every spring? The green goose turds create enough of a hazard-laced obstacle course; can you imagine the problems turds from animals 20-times larger would create? Would riders with power-assist bikes make it through these obstacles better considering they have two-wheel drive?
And if the geese and the llamas made the banks of the Bow their home each spring, who would win the turf war, the spitters or the hissers? |
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