Yeah, we've written a bit about Cynthia a few times here, but this pic of one of our great e-cargo bike moms just needs to be seen. This was front page news in the Brattleboro Reformer during our last beautiful cold snap. There are some other great examples we'll be showing you soon of some amazing new winter riders being REALLY & TRULY "Vermont strong." Stay tuned...

Here, Cynthia is on her Yuba V3 Boda Boda with a 750 watt mid-drive and an integrated 1000 lumen light you see blasting in the front. It was way cold out there that day, but like a growing number of Vermonters, we're learning how to do this and ride, not hide from the world or from our stunning landscape and whatever cold comes at us. It's totally all about being in the world in a way that's completely aligned with being a Vermonter.

And really, this is sooooo Vermont....

VBike is now bringing about the first electric bike subsidy program ever in the US. Made possible by us and our program partners, Local Motion, Old Spokes Home (OSH) & the Burlington Electric Department (BED), Burlington residents will be able to get $200 back on the purchase of an e-bike or conversion kit. What is very cool is that folks can forego their subsidy & have those funds set aside for to help boost subsides for low-income households. The subsidies are a available now, but the larger program is set for early spring. 

How did this happen? In 2015, Vermont passed a major revision of its renewable energy policy. Included in this policy is a provision technically called "Tier 3", but really it's an amazing renewable energy innovation program that generously earns utilities, like the Burlington Electric Dept (BED), credits for replacing fossil fuels with electricity. There's lots of possible ways for utilities to earn these credits, but as you and I know, nothing can replace fossil fuels more efficiently and gracefully like a bike!

So, the upshot of this is that after VBike pitched this idea to BED and they were interested, we brought in Local Motion and they brought in OSH. Now we have a great team. And as if the subsides weren't enough, BED is helping us take it a step further by funding an entire demo fleet, just like what we have in Brattleboro!!

Soon, VBike and Local Motion will be working to spread this type of plan to other Vermont utilities around Vermont. This could quite possibly become a model for the rest of the nation.  Stay tuned for more news as we fully roll out this fascinating program in the early spring 2018 along with an absolutely thrilling fleet of e-bikes and e-cargo bikes.

P.S. - If you just can't get enough about VBike and our vision, take a listen to VBike founder,
​Dave Cohen, on the new, exciting Family Pedals podcast.

Finally, in the nick of time, here's the 2017 fall/winter bike recommendations from VBike. Let's get out there! Yes, we can either hide from the world or embrace it. Riding a bike for transportation in these months  takes some readiness and practice, but once you start doing it it just becomes infectiously fun and you can't stop doing it. Really!
 
And just to throw a few things out there, by biking you'll stay healthier and happier during the cold months, stave off winter body, and resist the colonization of mind, body, and spirit by oil and car corporations. Hmmm...just a few minor things to consider here.
 
Anything new to us takes some learning, prep and practice. And so it’s important for you to know that VBike is here to help you go further into the season. We really want to be able to pass on some of our accumulated know-how and experience. If you have any questions about any of these items, just drop us an email and we'll get back to you.

What follows are five rudimentary things to consider to bring on the glories of winter bike transportation and keep you safe and warm. We'll be following this up soon with more tips and skills. Read on...

 Chains and your entire drivetrain take a beating in the these months of rain, freezing rain, puddles, snow, and the dreaded salt. Wipe down your chain at the end of those real sloppy days and add lube and wipe again. If you are not sure, ask your bike shop folks which types of lubricant are best for winter riding. If your chain is squeaking or it is turning red - that just isn't the right color for a chain - lube and clean it up. Here's how to make it easier... 

Chain Cleaning Kit - You can also purchase a good chain cleaner. There are several on the market. The Park Tool CG- 2.3 Chain Gang Cleaning Kit has received some good reviews and could be worth it for the ease. 
 
Chain upgrade - For those of you with mid-drive systems or if you just want a super durable chain, the KMC X series chains (look it up) are perhaps the most affordable and wear resistant out there. Mid drive e-assist demands a lot from your chain, so get a good one.

Chain measuring tool - Lots of folks don't know that a chain wears out over time and it's important to replace it before it degrades your gears on the front and back. You can purchase a simple tool for $10 or under to measure your chain and determine when to replace it. The Park Tools company makes one that lots of folks use and there are all sorts of video instructions on its proper use. Be nice to your chain.

​Studded Tires Are the Ticket - Studded tires are real important for the slippery and snowy months. Probably the best source for info on winter bike tires is from the Peter White Cycles (of NH). Take a look at what he says, but truthfully you might be able to find a better price on any of the tires they sell from your bike shop or elsewhere online.

If you have any further questions about what sort of studded tire might be best for you, email us, but whatever you do, make sure to get tungston carbide studs. They will last way longer than regular steel studs. The best brand always seems to be Schwalbe, but again, don't hesitate to contact us for our biased, unbiased (hmmm...) opinion.

Be Really Nice to Your Battery Pack - Battery packs should generally be charged in conditions above 50 degrees and if the battery was out in cold temps, just let it warm up a bit before charging.

Also keep your battery pack inside the house and bring it out when you need it. This is a great advantage that e-bikes that over electric cars - we can bring our batteries inside and keep them warm. A cold battery has significantly less range, so if you commute to work on a cold day, we suggest you take the battery pack off the bike and bring in with you, unless you can bring the bike into inside and into a relatively warm place.

E-Assist Bike in the Weather - Don't leave your bike out in the rain. Bring it somewhere to dry off a bit and store your bike in a dry place. Invest in a waterproof covering if you have to leave your bike outside in the element for long periods of the day.

The Noggin and Face - Get a hat that can cover your ears when needed and especially all of your forehead on frosty days. You can also get headgear made for winter sports for things like skiing. Some folks have a larger helmet for winter riding to accommodate more layers under. And balaclavas are certainly called for for full face protection. Scarves (tucked in to your jacket) and anything else that works will do!
 
Eyes - Some people opt for ski goggles and others just use clear or slightly tinted lenses. Experiment with what works for you. A visor on your helmet is also helpful to keep some of the snow and rain away from your eyes and face.
 
Clothing - Waterproof jacket and rain pants - the best bike specific stuff is made my Showers Pass, but there's a lot of good stuff out there. Dress in layers. We're in Vermont, we know how to do this!
 
Shoes - Use waterproof shoes. We really like having leather boots, like the Vasque Sundowners. They are easy to maintain and keep relatively waterproof if you treat them regularly with something like Aquaseal. They will also last for years longer than anything with Gore-Tex like stuff. For colder weather go to insulated boots.

Let us know what you think about this 2017 guide and what others ideas you have, as well as what you think we might have missed here. Email us at info@vbikesolutions.org.

And if you like what VBike is up to and want to see this quiet revolution go much, much further, then please don't hesitate to support us with a financial contribution.  Click right here to contribute to VBike!

VBike: Give us a brief bio on the two of you.

Mary & Mark: We are two active geezers in our 60's who met each other in 2010, built our home almost completely by ourselves in 2011 and then got married all while we were in our mid 50's. We both like to be active and enjoy biking but have done very little of it in Vermont as we live on bumpy dirt roads at 1400' of elevation. I have lived on this land since 2000 and Mark just since 2012. One road in requires a climb of over 500 feet in elevation in about 1/2 mile. We love our bikes and use them to go as many places as possible, including on joy rides. We hope to use them to go to things such as dental appointments which would require more than 60 miles round trip. 
 
VBike: Why did you have a hankering to purchase an e-cargo bike?  
 
M & M: We tried them out and fell in love immediately. As we live on dirt roads at 1400' of elevation and have aging knees which have had their share of injuries we have ridden our regular bikes much less than we would what to. Furthermore, we are very vehicle dependent as the closest small store is at least 8 miles away and most things are further than that. Thus the cargo bike made the most sense. But what really clinched it was that we both tried out a number of bikes and independently we came to the decision that the Yuba bike we purchased felt the best in terms of solid handling on both dirt and pavement.
 
VBike: How long did it take for you to find the right electric cargo bike and what was that like? 
 
M & M: We first tried e-bikes in September of 2016 with VBike. We tried more from the VBike fleet later that fall and knew what we wanted by November. Unfortunately, by 2017 it was the previous year’s model of the Yuba Boda Boda and was hard to find. There was one at Burrow’s Specialized Sports in Brattleboro and I spent most of a day calling around to many other shops before I finally located one in Massachusetts. This was all in June of 2017. Then it turned out that the batteries we wanted were out of stock and we waited and waited for them to arrive. Finally, VBike told us about California E-Bike and their more powerful and more expensive batteries that could be gotten sooner. However, there was still a wait on these as well and we had to wait for them to clear customs and other obstacles. Finally we were able to pick up the completed bikes at Burrow’s on August 5th. 

VBike: Tell us the story about your trip back home with the bikes. 
 
M & M: Always ready for adventure and not sure how to get the bikes home, we decided to take the train down to Brattleboro and ride them back. This is a trip of over 85 miles. I had not ridden more than 30 or so miles in any given YEAR for the last 30 years and mark for the last 6 or so. We left Brattleboro at 6 AM and at first only put the power assist to one when going up a hill. Mark found he needed to put it a bit higher to get any boost. This worked well for about 30 miles. Then we hit a very nasty headwind and found we used the power assist a bit more. The wind continued for the rest of the trip. By the 40 mile mark our butts were quite sore and I had some on and off cramping in my legs so we stopped for about an hour and had lunch. We made a few more frequent stops after that but we made it all the way home and up the final very steep climb with plenty of power still left in the battery. We were home by 5 PM.

VBike: How often will you be using it and for what? 
 
M & M: We will use them whenever we can. We don't go off the mtn that often and when we do it is sometimes for things that are at least 30-40 miles away. We hope to start using the bikes at those times but thus far have used them for more local trips such as going to the library on a weekly basis or to dinner with friends. Both of these are 8-10 miles in one direction. We purchased 400 lumen lights and have been able to use them on pitch dark nights. We are on dirt roads a lot with long downhills to get out and big climbs coming home. We look for ways to need to go out so we can use them. I have ridden the bike 12 miles to go for a two hour swim across a lake and back and then ridden the bike back home. We use them to go to a farm we manage that is a few miles away and sometimes carry filled gas cans or large crates of apples on the bikes.

VBike: How are family, friends and local community reacting to the bikes? 
 
M & M: Anyone who has tried them loves them!!
 
VBike: Are you satisfied with how things have worked out with your bike? 

M & M: We love the bikes and love using them.
​

Every once in a while we at VBike notice an interesting bicycle that meets some of the particular needs of who we are as Vermonters and our terrain. That's part of VBike's never ending journey to boldly go where no bike has gone before. OK, maybe that sounds too "Treky", but truly, our work is all about how to move us, our bodies, senses and emotional connectivity back towards a healthy relationship to this amazing land we live in. Well, our most recent addition to the VBike fleet is one of those game changers that can get some of us back out into the real world. Let’s find out more…

For the past year or so we have noticed a bike called the RadMini from Rad Power Bikes. The RadMini is a fat, folding, utility electric bike – that’s a mouthful. The first thing that people usually notice about the bike are the huge, fat, squat tires.  At 4 inches wide they’re half the width of the average car tire!  The initial impression is that this thing is either some kind of two-wheeled monster (never mind it weighs less than 2 percent of the average car) or a total impractical joke. Thankfully, both are totally wrong. This bike is easy to mount thanks to the 20 inch wheels and nice design and it rides surprisingly efficiently even without the e-assist engaged, almost in defiance of its fatness. Lesson – keep those first impressions at bay. (Later on in this blog are more thoughts about issues regarding the perception of e-bikes. Check it out.)

Some Additional Thoughts About Bikes Like the RadMini

Unfortunately, many of us have fallen into the trap of thinking of the automobile as the one size fits all solution. But one thing we have learned at VBike is that having single solutions creates a lack of diversity and that is great for things like the climate change, shopping malls, highways, sprawl, and compromised soundscapes, but not for us and our communities. The automobile has historically been pushed on us by car companies, the oil elite, advertising agencies, the AAA, asphalt manufacturers and host of others that have hacked into our bodies, minds and senses to shape the way we live and plan our lives to the massive detriment of our children and our world. Enough said.

And here’s a final note - lots of bike enthusiasts will look at the RadMini and not comprehend why this is so important. Many have taken wholesale the longtime stance of the US bike industry that bikes are fitness/adventure equipment, recreational, or toys for kids. That’s all changing  and the bike is now being unburdened from its confinement as a plaything and becoming a real vehicle for real people in a real world looking for real solutions. Still, there are many that will scoff at this because they are still stuck in the old paradigm and therefore implicitly supporting families, households and individual be stuck in a 1950’s car cult. Let’s move on…
​
Let’s move on to a brighter future that takes into account our need to connect with the world and keep our bodies engaged, as well as bringing to our communities exciting  innovations to get as many of us out from under the dome of the car. VBike’s acquisition of the RadMini and many, many other vehicles to come will be the harbingers of this great movement of how we and our children can show up in the world at a time when we absolutely need to!!

This information is real important for us to grasp just how the e-bike revolution is taking hold in Vermont. Folks are doing more with these bikes - commuting, going further, carrying their children, and running errands. It's also challenging the unquestioned automobile culture for our local transportation.

​So, we need your information if you have an electric bike. And let us know what you think about the survey by emailing us at info@vbikesolutions.org. Just the fact that this statewide survey is being conducted is a testament to what is happening!

Thanks for your support.

Here's more bikes in the VBIke fleet!