E-Biking Emerges as Newest Outdoor Adventure Trend
Trevor Phipps
When I was a kid, I remember finally getting to the age where I was given full rein to ride my bike around Woodland Park and surrounding areas.
The first time I rode on the Centennial Trail, running from Woodland Park along Highway 67 North to Manitou Lake, I was young, but the uphill sections coming back to town were still a little brutal.
Well, after not riding a bike for more than a decade, I decided that I wanted to see what the hype surrounding the new interest in electrically powered bicycles (e-bikes) is all about. I invited local fishing and outdoor expert Brett Voeller with me for a second opinion, and we decided to rent an e-bike from Team Telecycle in Woodland Park for a few hours.
The bicycle shop has operated in Woodland Park since 1986 and specializes in mountain bike sales, service and accessories. They used to only rent mountain bikes, but since the e-bike craze has taken over the industry, e-bike rentals to tour around the City Above the Clouds have become very popular.
“It helps with the altitude,” Team Telecycle owner Paul Magnuson said. “We get a lot of folks that are moving here from lower altitude that used to ride all the time and they come here and ride the bikes and the hills just kill them. E-bikes take care of that and they are a game changer for a lot of people. Industry-wide, they are saying that in four more years, 60 percent of all bike sales will be e-bikes in the world, and 40 percent will be regular pedal bikes.”
Enjoying an E-Bike Adventure
Our excursion started at the Team Telecycle shop with Magnuson first giving us a short tutorial of how they work and telling us the rules. He only rents to those over 16 years old and everyone must ride a helmet while riding.
After the tutorial, Magnuson had us ride around the parking lot to make sure we got the hang of them. Since I hadn’t ridden anything on two wheels for several years, I felt like I almost slammed into the dumpster until I got the gist of things.
Once Magnuson approved our laps around his parking lot, we were off. We listened to Magnuson and followed the route he suggested by taking Rampart Range Road from the shop to Kelly Road and then over to the bike trail that rides along Hwy. 67.
My first impression was that using an e-bike makes it easier to go a longer distance. The bikes come with multiple settings that give various amounts of help to the rider. The lower settings make the battery last longer, while the automatic mode and turbo settings drain the battery the fastest.
As soon as I got on the bike, I started with the lowest “Eco mode” because I knew I needed to save as much battery power as I could for the uphill trek back to Woodland Park. Magnuson warned us that since the bikes weigh over 60 lbs. with the batteries, if they die it would be a tough ride uphill with the heavy bikes.
One of the first things I noticed was that as soon as I could feel pressure on my legs, the engine would kick in and make it easier to maintain the same speed. Whereas it is possible to go faster while pedaling hard or coasting downhill, the engine stops when the bike reaches 20 miles per hour.
We made the trip to Manitou Lake and it was fun flying downhill on the way there. During the few uphill sections on the way out, the combination of the bike’s momentum and the motor assist made it super simple.
Even though I was a little worried on the way back about the uphill, it was a lot easier with the electric motor’s help. I first tried to keep it on Eco Mode until I slowed down too much. As a result, I turned to a setting that uses the motor more.
Overall, the trip was a lot of fun and even though I received a good amount of assistance from the motor, I still got a decent workout. My friend Brett agreed and said that the exercise on an e-bike is very similar to working out on a treadmill or another piece of cardio gym equipment. While riding an e-bike, you can go as fast or as slow as you want, and get as much or as little exercise as you desire.
About Team Telecycle
Team Telecycle first opened its doors in Woodland Park in 1986. For the last several decades, the business still works hard to provide mountain bikers with everything they need, running the gamut from new bikes and accessories, to repair services and rentals options.
According to Magnuson, the shop’s longtime owner, the shop was first started as a business geared more towards cross country skiing and a variety of winter activities. But due to climate changes, with the area receiving less snow during the winter, this made cross-country outings not as popular.
Magnuson joined the business as a partner in 1990, and then became full owner of the shop in 1992. Magnuson has been a mountain biker his entire life. In fact, he is a former racer and he purchased his first bike shop when he was 19.
In fact, the shop owner is still an avid mountain biker who rides every single day. “For the 30 years I have had the shop, I have ridden to and from work almost every day,” Magnuson said. “Now my whole commute is through Lovell Gulch and on mountain biking trails. When we lived in Divide for several years, I commuted between Divide and Woodland Park on the highway. It’s nice to be riding in the woods instead.”
