'Green Riders' boost use of electric bikes

A San Anselmo, CA bicycle shop is sponsoring a cross-country, two-month electric bicycle ride that aims to draw attention to green causes and sustainability.

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The "Green Riders" gathered along with their bikes Tuesday afternoon at the nonprofit Bicycle Works to discuss the trip and to show off their gear, which included recumbent bikes with lithium-based batteries that will help power the journey.

"This definitely is my passion," said Spokey Godfrey of Fairfax, director of the Bicycle Works, who will make part of the journey with two other riders. "I'm looking forward to these sort of vehicles being more predominant than cars. It's a good demonstration of what they can do."

The brother-and-sister team of Oliver and Catherine Bock will join Godfrey for a trip that will leave on April 22 - Earth Day - from Palo Alto to Washington D.C. Organizers say the rides will visit and highlight many important sustainability and green energy projects en route.

"They will stop along the way and draw attention to solar farms or wind farms, or community gardens, any kind of community projects," said San Geronimo Valley resident Michael Bock, who helped design the bikes and is the brother of two of the riders.

The bikes use a combination of pedal power and the batteries, which can give the rider an extra boost to get up difficult hills.

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"A lot times people will not choose to use bikes because they are hard to get uphill," Bock said. "The idea of an electric bike is to add enough
extra help. It makes it more fun and useable."

The route will take the trio south, through Bakersfield and the Tehachapi Mountains, then into Flagstaff, Ariz.; Durango and Boulder, Colo; through Kansas, then Iowa and onto Ohio and to the East Coast. And no, they will not ride back.

"Our focus is on sustainable solutions," said Oliver Bock, who used to live in the San Geronimo Valley but now lives in Woodside. "We are focusing on what people are doing across the country around sustainability."

For more information on the "Green Riders," visit www.thegreenriders.org.

source Contra Costa Times

 

Oh yes, don't those bents look lovely!!! What a hatchet job!!!

 

OK, I'll put some electric on one of my 7 bents. Don't know
when and don't know which one, but that will be a nice project.
And will keep me off the boards and out of trouble.

The Greene machine could handle it. I may have the parts in
the barn to do it. Mom left an electric 3 wheeler. It has a chain.
It still goes..hmm.

 

Hey AD,

Does that look like the Greene Machine? BTW since that first ride
back in 2005, the GM has had several different forks and wheels.
It has been tested with 16",451's, 406's and 26" wheels. Makes
a good test platform and is stable under normal conditions.