Public attention goes to electric cars in conversations about the future of transportation. Locally, however, the electric bike has been embraced quietly and without fanfare. Five years ago, one part-time resident was cruising the dirt roads and shoulders of highways on a mountain bike that looked bulky and turned out to be an early version of the e-bike. A few years later, Amish families were commuting on e-bikes, leather boots, bonnets, skirts, and all, from their rural homes to work in town and on the Valley floor. Colorado’s bike culture seems to be transitioning to an e-bike future faster than an e-car future.
The reason? E-bikes are exhilarating. And for locals and visitors wanting to try the bikes and tour the Valley, Monica and Richard Kreckle have started an e-bike rental company that has also expanded into an e-bike service and repair shop and called the new enterprise RAM Outdoor Adventures.
“We knew visitors wanted a way to see the Valley on a bike, and e-bikes are a good way to ride with a group regardless of bike experience,” the couple explained. And it is an affordable way for those interested in investing in an e-bike to give it a try before pulling the trigger. There is a significant interest in e-bikes, but it takes riding one to appreciate how much fun it is to ride fully.
“We have worked with another business in town selling the bikes. That way, we also provide ongoing service and maintenance,” Richard explained. “Our shop in Silver Cliff is just a block north of the Silver Cliff Town Hall. The building is also an operating machine shop that Monica and Richard operate in tandem with the new e-bike rental business. “The nice thing about having a metal fabrication shop with a plasma cutter is we can make our own bike stands with custom signs, “ Rickard said with a smile as he pulled out a prototype.
So be sure to take some time and say hello and give one of these fantastic bikes a ride by visiting the shop at 113 Mill Street in Silver Cliff or visiting online at www.ramoutdoor.us.
– Jordan Hedberg
