10 Bicycle Challenges for the Year

For most of us, e-bikes have added a world of possibilities to our cycling abilities and adventures. For me personally, adding a Leeds E-Bike Kit to my bike made it possible to ride further, faster and in more conditions than I ever rode before. As I reflect back on the last year and my cycling accomplishments, I realized there is so much more I would like to try! So, here are my 10 cycling goals. I would also like to challenge YOU to try a few (or come up with some of your own)!

1. Plan a Multi-day, long distance ride. We have heard from many of our customers who have used their Leeds Electric Bike Kits to accomplish this very thing. Take Bill, from AZ for example.  He went on a multi-day ride that took him to California & back. Way to go Bill! I’m going to do this! So don’t be surprised if you call our customer support line someday and find me answering from an old dusty road, with the wind in my hair and the Mountains as my guide….on my way to somewhere GREAT!

2. Bicycle Commute. Now, to be fair, I mostly work from home, and our actual workplace facility is a short 3-minute ride from there, so I already DO bicycle commute to the “office.”  But I realized, bicycle commuting can mean so much more than that! How about using bikes to get the kids to school and back? Taking my bike to run local errands instead of always jumping in the car because it’s faster? We have many customers who do all their grocery shopping by bike, like my friend Jeff. Here is a picture of his “grocery getter”, which includes a 20 lb bag of dog food for his canine companion Jada. Read more about Jeff’s story here.

3. Take the long way home (until it becomes the normal way).

4. Plan a party/group ride or start a riding club.

Here in our local area there is a fantastic women’s only ride (sorry men) called the Wildflower Pedalfest. Since it is a “ride” and not a “race,” e-bikes are welcome. Every year we local ladies get together and absolutely have the time of our lives! Which got me thinking, why just once a year? I should start planning at least monthly rides, if not weekly during summer months with these great friends. A great example of a riding group is the Electric Bike Club of San Diego. Turbo Bob did a great write up about their adventures on his blog. Give it a read if you want ideas on how you could do your own group rides.

5. Volunteer/Become involved in local bike friendly organizations or charities. This is a great way to perform bike-related service in your community. In our area – this year as a volunteer over at Wildflower – we raised enough money to purchase “share the road” signs for the local communities’ roads. We see a lot of bicycle traffic in our little valley because there is less traffic and more beautiful fresh air up here. The signs were an awesome addition. As a future goal, I would like to help my kids become involved by helping my son set up his Eagle Scout Project to create a bike path near our neighborhood. What opportunities are there in your area? Here are some ideas we could all take on to improve our families and communities’ bicycling experience.

1. Make it a Family Affair

Go on group rides with your kids, grandkids, parents, pets, whomever you call “family”! This is a great way to get out and get active! I have to admit, in the past, I somewhat loathed riding with all of my kids.  Inevitable, one of them is too fast for the group, and at least one is too slow. With my 250 series kit though, I really have no excuses.  I can easily keep up with the older kids, and the youngest can be tossed in a bike trailer that can be easily pulled by my 8fun motor!

2. Introduce a New Friend to the Joys of #ebikes

I have a neighbor who is mostly homebound with several illnesses. She seems to be just wasting away inside her home and has been fearful of going out for fresh air and exercise because she is worried she might fall down or get hurt. I just KNOW her quality of life would dramatically increase if she were to get a recumbent bike and put a Leeds e-bike kit on it. Due to spinal cord injuries, she can’t sit upright on a bicycle, but a recumbent would be just right for her. I haven’t dared to approach her about my idea yet, which is why it’s on my list of goals! I think we all know someone like this who would benefit so much from an electric bike! And besides, biking is always more fun with a friend!

3. Go on a Snow Ride (try a fat bike)

In case you have been living under a rock, fat bikes are the next big thing in the ebike industry.  There’s not a day that goes by that I don’t get a call from a hopeful customer, asking if our kits fit fatbikes. (By the way, the answer is YES, with restrictions.  We are hard at work on exciting new solutions though, so stay tuned for those!)

4. Bike tour a National Park

Did you know that many National Parks don’t even allow cars anymore but DO allow bikes for bicycle tourism? Zion National Park is a perfect example of that. Also, many parks are closed to vehicles during the off-season, but you can still cycle year-round. Watch this video from Yellowstone National Park about cycling in the park:

5. Do Something Crazy!

What a better idea to stay young by being crazy for a day! Don’t blame me for the below ideas. They were taken from an article in the Jan/Feb 2016 edition of Bicycling Magazine entitled “We Dare You”:

*Go on a full moon ride

*Call in sick and pedal to every Ice Cream shop in town

*Propose on a ride

*Get Lost

*Start a Ride Streak (The gentleman from the article had ridden his bike for at least 1 hour every day for the past year.