Blue Monkey set’s itself apart in the electric bike retail world as we carry other hand picked ebikes in addition to our full Pedego line. We have customers that come in to buy a Pedego, see that we carry other bikes and that just solidifies their Pedego desire. The fact that we carry Pedego by choice and offer our customers a choice tells them how much we really like Pedego.
Any brand of ebike that we carry in store must meet our rigid requirements. We will not sell a brand if the bikes do not hold up to rigorous day to day use in all seasons. Yes, we do ride in the winter and snow and rain. Electric bikes that make the cut will hold up to riding in pouring rain.
We range test all of the bikes we sell to see how far they'll go and how well they hold up to day to day life. After 5 years, Blue Monkey has a reputation to uphold so we will not sell inferior ebikes. We want our customers to be happy in the future and get many, many miles our of their investment.
We have repaired cheap, Amazon style ebikes and in this business you truly get what you pay for. The cheaper, sub $1500 electric bikes we call ‘neighborhood toys’ as that is about all they are good for. Riding around the neighborhood is fun on pretty much any ebike but when you want to rely on your bike for your daily commute or even to hold up when you take it on vacation, you want a quality, ‘Blue Monkey Approved’ ebike. Whether you shop online from across the country or stop in at our retail store, you will get the same level of customer care. Check out our YouTube channel and chat with us online to get all your questions answered.
So stop by our retail location right in the middle of the Salt Lake Valley at 4902 S. State Street and take a test ride. Get out and ride and discover how much a quality ebike will change your life.
]]>Surface 604 has now improved on these bikes by offering the stunning black/grey color combination on both the Rook and Colt models. The Rook still comes in white as well. Check out those details.
Come in and take one for a test ride or buy them online right here.
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To give you an idea of the route, here is a quick shot from Google Maps. Mikey left the store in the middle of the valley and goes south to Draper, north to downtown Salt Lake City and then south again until the battery dies.
You can watch the full video below. Feel free to fast forward through it but be aware, you never know what Mikey will chat about next ;) We're impressed with the Surface 604 bikes and the company's customer service so far. In the best sub $2000 electric bike category the Colt and Rook are serious contenders. Find out more about the Rook and Colt and even purchase them directly from our website here.
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As you search for electric bikes, there is a good chance that you've come across one of our videos. We just recently hit 1300 subscribers to our YouTube channel! Mikey does a great job of explaining and reviewing ebikes in an easy to digest format. Of course, with popularity comes some great comments too.
One of our videos has over 100,000 views! Join in the fun and conversation and you just might learn a thing or two.
youtube.com/c/bluemonkeybicycles
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"I also want to give a plug to Blue Monkey Bikes in Salt Lake City. They were exceptionally wonderful to deal with!"
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We spent some more quality time at Utah's Hogle Zoo on Earth Day, Saturday, April 22nd for their Party for the Planet celebration.
Along with our electric bike zoo time, we are very excited to be part of the Zoo-m Go Electric program along with Utah's Hogle Zoo and Utah Clean Energy. This program helps to incentivize the adoption of electric transportation in Salt Lake City. But this isn't the first time we've partnered with Hogle Zoo. With a name like Blue Monkey, it's a natural!
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Big thanks to Leaders for Clean Air for their help in facilitating our charging station. Along with our fleet of two Nissan LEAF all electric vehicles and of course the myriad of electric bikes we offer for sale, we are doing our best to help Salt Lake's air quality.
Inversions can't be prevented, but pollution can. With a unified vision to improve Utah's air quality, Leaders for Clean Air includes a group of Utah business leaders who are stepping up to provide the bottom line direction and incentive required to build value and demand for all-electric and hybrid electric vehicles in the local marketplace.
If you have a local business and would like to continue the love contact us or tell Leaders for Clean Air that you heard about the program through Blue Monkey. See you at the Plug! We'll even let you try out some ebikes while you're charging.
]]>There are many pros and cons to building your own conversion. If you are a tinkerer and love building things, such as myself, then you are on the right path. If you like things to just work, without tinkering with them, a conversion is not for you.
Conversions are fun to build
If you love to get greasy and dirty! Conversions are fun! Installing the motor, battery, and controller are fun! Wrenching on the bike, finding out how to hide the wires is a great time!
Save money
Sure, you can thumb you nose at big bicycle companies and save yourself a bit of scratch. That's always a good feeling, to know you beat the others and got a great deal doing so.
Make it your way
Just like Burger King. You can make it your way. It's your bike, your conversion. Do as you please.
Everything...
I joke, but as a bicycle mechanic, as much as I love fixing bikes, do you? Conversions are riddled with problems. Unless you love working on, and fixing, and rebuilding stuff. Conversions are not for you, bottom line.
Saving Money
Sure, you are about to save all the money. But wait, did you think to consider how much it would cost to pay a mechanic to do this for you? Most bike shops will charge on average around $70 an hour to convert your old bicycle to a new electric one. If doing it yourself think of how many hours it would take you to build the conversion and know you are not being paid for this extra work. Another thing to consider is what system you are ultimately going to go with. The price of a particular motor and battery system usually reflects the quality. A good motor system will usually run between $1000 and $1500. That is not cheap by a long shot.
Bike not Built for Electric
A lot of times a consumer wants to convert an old bike they have lying around in their garage. Two problems can arise from this, one being it is a shame to see an original bike modified and essentially destroyed from its original intent. I often hear people wanting to convert a classic bicycle that is much better off being left in its original state. The second problem is most conventional bikes were never designed or intended to take the weight and speed of an electric motor system. Often times a conversion will literally shake the bicycle apart requiring constant maintenance and inspections to keep on riding safely. Also, consider the brakes. Will they be sufficient enough to stop the bike with the new electric system’s speed?
Very Little or No Warranty Support
The biggest issue with a conversion is the lack of support. With a premade electric bicycle the shop you bought it from will handle any and all warranty claims, leaving the fun part of actual riding of the bike to you. With a conversion it is up to you to contact the manufacturer for replacement parts or repairs should any problems arise. Conversion kits do have a support structure usually built into place but any and all headaches fall solely into your hands.
In conclusion conversions have a ton of pros and cons. If you are a tinkerer and enjoy messing around in the garage then a conversion is certainly a cool way to build something you can be proud of. If you absolutely despise getting your hands dirty and like when things just work, then a conversion is not the way to go. The idea of saving money can be a tantalizing idea, but at what cost? Your safety? Your sanity?
Be sure to check out to check out our resources tab and look into the idea for yourself. There is also a great video below that we put together about the pros and cons and approaches it in a fun exciting way. You could always give us a call or shoot us an email but a quick internet search could alleviate such questions and sometimes in much greater detail. Endless Sphere is an excellent resource for DIY ebikes. If you are interested in seeing a ready made electric bike in action come down and see us at our shop. Our staff would be more than happy to talk systems and give you a demo of what a great pre made electric bike can do. Whatever direction you go, keep riding bikes! -Cody
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One of a kind bicycles with serious attention to detail were found throughout the hall. A good number of wooden and bamboo bicycles were quite the attention getters. We especially liked the electric versions powered by the Shimano Steps mid drive system.
The Pro's Closet brought out some bikes from their personal bike museum. It was neat to see just how far bicycles have come in the last few decades. We especially liked this 1992 Clark Kent fat bike which consisted of regular rims joined in tandem with dual bike tires attached. Now that is forward thinking.
We enjoyed meeting Salt Lake City locals Sixth Law Cycles and seeing their beautifully crafted Electric Mixte featuring a Shimano Steps system. This is one bike we'd love to showcase in our front window.
The attention to detail on this wood framed electric commuter bike was outstanding.
Our favorite bike of the show was Maxwell Cycles' Board Tracker electric bike. Weighing just over 50 lbs with a custom built frame and plenty of wattage propelling a specially wound Crystalite motor. This beautiful ebike had crowds around it the entire time we were there. We spent a few minutes talking to the bike's creator, Kevin Ostrom. His attention to detail and his passion for this bike are truly amazing.
For more info on this custom electric bicycle, click here.
]]>Salt Lake has some of the worst air quality in the nation due to a natural phenomenon in the Salt Lake Valley called inversion. While we can't control the inversion, we can control the pollution that gets put into the air. We believe that electric transportation plays a big part in reducing the amount of pollution that get's released into the air and trapped in the valley.
The Deseret News was there to report on the companies that participated in Salt Lake County's Love Clean Air Fair held appropriately on Valentine's Day, 2017.
Griffen Jorgensen and Robert Paupard sell vegetables they've grown and harvested at the Salt Lake County Jail during the third annual Clean Air Fair at the Salt Lake County Government Center in Salt Lake City on Tuesday. The event, sponsored by the county's sustainability office, included vendors such as Blue Monkey Bicycles, and Aperion Solar, as well as several county agencies including the Health Department’s Vehicle Repair Assistance Program, Library Services and the Jail Horticulture Program. According to Ashlee Yoder, the county's sustainability manager, the event aimed to give people the tools to help them make informed decisions about improving the valley's air quality.
See the Deseret News article here.
]]>Although e-bikes are starting to be accepted on most roads and bike paths, mountain bike trails still have their share of controversy. It takes a good amount of research to find out where you are allowed to ride an electric mountain bike. A good rule of thumb is that e mountain bikes are allowed on service roads and wherever motorized vehicles are welcome. Single track riding varies the most. E MTB riding on Forrest Service and BLM land is usually not allowed. In Utah, Park City, Deer Valley and Moab have their own rules on where you can and cannot ride an electric assist mountain bike.
To help answer these sometimes confusing questions, the BPSA (Bicycle Product Suppliers Association) and PeopleForBikes.org created this excellent, interactive map to help you find trails to ride on. Want to see an e-bike trail added? Email info@peopleforbikes.org.
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We make it a point to attend Interbike in Las Vegas every year to see what’s new and keep a close eye on the bicycle industry as a whole. Electric bikes have become more and more popular with increasingly large areas being dedicated to them year after year. Well, for 2016, electric bikes have taken over and are not just confined to a small area as they were found all throughout the Interbike show floor. It looks like ebikes are here to stay with all manor of frame styles and motors represented throughout the show.
One of the stand outs for us this year was the Skyway Happy Trike. This very versatile 3 wheeler is capable of being a two seat vehicle, a cargo bike, a kid carrier and even a partial hand cycle and is very well thought out. We were chatting with Andy, the designer of the Skyway when Court Rye from Electric Bike Review showed up. Court proceed to film the Blue Monkey team as we put the Skyway through its paces on the show floor. See the video at the end of this article.
With a new Dapu mid drive motor, the trike seemed very peppy during our indoor testing. We'd love to get one out on the road. We actually tried to get it up on 2 wheels and flip it but the trike felt very stable. The rear rider is in control of the steering and the electric motor while the front passenger can help with pedaling if so equipped. The Skyway trike is designed to be very modular so the front seat can be exchanged with a cargo box, or kid carrying seats or even hand cycle capabilities.
We are very interested in the uses for this particular electric bike. We can see it helping out the couple where one is not quite as strong a rider or maybe has balance problems. It can be used for food or package delivery. With 3 wheels, it is a much more stable cargo bike for families with multiple kids. The stability lends itself to being a true car replacement that anyone can hop on and propel. The learning curve is lessened with the addition of that one extra wheel.
We will keep you posted as to when the Skyway will be available in the U.S. We'd love to get our hands on one of these and see how it performs on Salt Lake City streets. In the meantime, enjoy this Electric Bike Review video:
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Getting ready for Interbike (September of 2016) I started to ask around for any information on the upcoming 2017 electric bikes. Easy Motion was happy to share some of the upcoming improvements to their existing bikes as well as some new bikes with new drive systems. After getting very excited for the system, I decided it was worth it to fly out to California to test it out first hand!
Next thing I knew, I’m in Foothill Ranch California to visit BH Easy Motion to test out their yet unreleased REVO electric bikes. For awhile Easy Motion has been fine tuning their bike line to allow for easy incorporation of the Brose Mid-drive unit from Germany, and it blends perfectly! Here's our video review:
The shame of it all is that in order to keep the bike looking nice for the 2017 model year reveal for Interbike, I wasn’t able to take the bike off road and see how the mountain bike does on an actual off-road trail.
But based on the road test, it felt like an amazing sleek system. And we can’t wait to get one into the Utah mountains and see how the bike does first hand in it’s element. We’ll be posting more updates live from Interbike on our Twitter, Instagram and Facebook feeds. Stay tuned for more exciting news of the 2017 electric bikes!
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We love to get out into the community and let people experience the joys of electric bikes. You can read about electric bikes on the Internet but until you actually pilot an ebike around a parking lot you haven’t lived. In addition to clean air fairs, parades, Open Streets and Drive Electric Week events we will also bring a selection of electric bikes to corporate events. We’ve attended events at Adobe, Usana and Salt Lake County and most recently Hogle Zoo.
Every year, during the month of June, Utah’s Hogle Zoo holds the Ultimate Alternate Transportation Challenge for their employees. This contest encourages zoo employees to use different modes of transportation to get to work and to think differently about driving their car. Sounds like a great venue for electric bikes doesn’t it?
Blue Monkey Bicycles has electric bikes for every type of riding from road to mountain to cruising to cargo to commuting and touring so it can be difficult to choose a few key bikes to bring to an event. For the Hogle Zoo Bananas About Bikes Event (get it?) we were well stocked with everything from a low priced urban bike (Easy Go Race) to a do-everything cargo bike (Pedego Stretch).
The Easy Motion Nitro City High Speed commuter and the Pedego Ridge Rider mountain bike were big hits.
Hogle Zoo’s Assistant Director was quite fond of the Stretch cargo bike.
It was tough to pick a favorite but in the end, all of the Hogle Zoo employees had a blast!
If you would like to have us bring electric bikes to demo at your company location, just get in touch with us or stop by and take one for a test ride yourself. Ebikes will get you to think differently about your transportation needs.
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This low priced, single speed electric bike really surprised us!
Here at Blue Monkey Bicycles, we do electric bike range tests on the road from our shop. Manufacturers in the electric bike industry tend to state that their bikes will go “Up to XXX miles” or “highest range in its class” or something unclear or misleading like that. We test all the new systems in the real world as soon as we can so that we can confidently tell our customers “The 2015 Cross traveled 21 miles on throttle only.”
We were super excited to get our hands on the new Easy Motion Easy Go Race, the $1299 single speed urban bike. This bike is less than half price from most of our bikes in the store, and it’s for good reason: All the mechanical components are scaled down: rim brakes, single speed, plastic pedals, as well as the electric system; no throttle, 250w motor, and a 36v 6Ah battery. This battery has half the Ah capacity of previously tested Easy Motion bikes, which scored 22.4 and 31 mile range on throttle and max pedal assist, respectively.
On a dry day in January I decided to head out on a short range test on the Easy Go Race. The top speed on the bike is about 20, and thats when you’re really pushing it. Regular speed is about 18, which is pretty good balance on the single gear. The bike kept going, and going, and going all the way to the 10 mile mark with no problem. At that point I turned around to head back to the store, climbing several large hills in the way. The lack of gearing makes steep hills more challenging than other electric bikes that I ride everyday, but the motor definitely is an improvement from any other single speed bike on the road.
I wasn’t prepared for such a long ride, the weather started to get more wet, and the urban styled seat started to take its toll on my body (it’s like sitting on a pipe.) Next time I’ll wear padded shorts. I decided I’d have to try to complete the test another day, since the bike completed 20 miles on pedal assist with no problem. After I pulled into the shop I took a gander at the battery display: 39% left after a 20 miles trip. I was impressed, and also a bit overwhelmed. I haven’t ridden the bike to the point of shut-down yet, but it looks like 30 mile range or more is in the cards. Stay tuned to our YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and (if you’re the old-fashioned type) our website to see updates on this bike and the rest of our store. -Mikey
Not long ago, I began what I thought would be a short range test with the Easy Motion’s new Easy Go Race, the low-priced urban bike with a scaled down electrical system and components. As it turns out the small battery lasted a lot longer than I expected, and 20 miles later I had to throw in the towel.
This time was different: I adjusted the seat and handlebars to fit, I brought some water with me, I wore padded shorts and appropriate clothes, and I decked out the bike with more flashing lights. Off I went 10 miles away and back, just like normal, and back north again to finish the job. The bike scored 26 miles of range on the test. The battery didn’t die completely, but at the 26 mile mark the bike scaled the assist level down to 30% maximum. At that point, the bike was strolling at about 13mph speed and I couldn’t feel the assist anymore, so I declared the test complete at that point knowing that with a comparable non-electric bike, I would be biking at 13mph anyway, and the electric assist was now negligible.
This bike scored extremely high for it’s battery size, other bikes with double the amp hour capacity score 31 miles of range on the exact same route. For a quality $1299 bike to travel 26 miles per charge is phenomenal! For longer single trips an extra battery, at $400, thrown in a backpack would double the effective range to 52 miles.
Before we got the chance to ride it, we knew this bike would be a game changer. At this price point, it opens the options to new riders who otherwise would be priced out of most other electric bikes. But aside from that, it’s a simple bike, components, styling, and electrical. Truly an elegant bike for the urban cyclist. With great support from Blue Monkey Bicycles and an unheard of 5 year warranty from Easy Motion, you will most certainly get your money’s worth with this ebike. -Mikey
]]>We ride the new Pedego mountain bike up one of the steepest climb in Utah and throw it around in the snow. Here’s what we think:
Pedego has been working on their new electric mountain bike, the Ridge Rider, for a while now. As with all Pedegos they don’t start selling a model until everything is just right. During the Ridge Rider’s design, we even helped out a few times over the phone since Utah is known for some epic mountain biking.
Since Pedego does not have model years, the Ridge Rider was introduced late summer 2015 and we couldn’t wait to get it out on the trails for some fall mountain biking. Initial impressions were favorable. The bike handles well, has good balance and is pretty nimble on the trails. 27.5 is an excellent wheel/tire size: more nimble than 29ers and better rolling than traditional 26s. Way to go Pedego!
Paul Auclair, Technical Manager at Pedego Electric Bikes took great care to give this EMTB the right components. Magura hydraulic brakes are a first for Pedego along with the Shimano SLX 20 speed drivetrain. An air assisted Suntour XCR suspension fork is a nice touch as well. The electrical cables have threaded metal connectors that will withstand the rigors of off road riding. The bike has a little more upright riding position than other mountain bikes but it strikes a good balance between upright riding and trail handling confidence. Customers have asked us to raise handlebar stems on other bikes in the past but we haven’t had that request with the Ridge Rider.
Pedal Sense® Technology
Pedego has come up with something new in the ebike pedal assist arena: Pedal Sense® Technology has 6 levels accessed by pushing buttons on the LCD display. Level 0 is completely off so you can ride this electric bike as a regular bike but still have the electric system on at your fingertips. Level 0 is great for flying down technical hills. Levels 1-4 have a torque sensor that delivers power from the motor proportional to how much pressure you apply to the pedals. We’ve ridden many pedal assist systems out there and the Pedal Sense torque based system is very smooth and delivers assistance without feeling jerky. We’re really impressed. Level 5 is the traditional Pedego cadence pedal assist which means that as long as the pedals are moving, you’re getting equal assistance. Level 5 is a great level for fast riding and commuting. Level 6 is pure throttle. You can pedal along to help the throttle but you wont get any electronic pedal assist help other than twisting the throttle yourself.
Now that you know all the technical stuff, we’re going to tell you about the fun stuff. We put the bike on our Kuat bike rack and carried it high up into the mountains above Salt Lake City. The Wasatch Crest Trail is an awesome single track trail that flows on the top of the ridge between Brighton Ski Resort and the Deer Valley – Park City area with epic views of each side of the mountain.
Absolutely fantastic views! But in order to experience these views, one must mountain bike or hike from the Guardsman Pass road up Scott’s pass or whats affectionately known by the locals as ‘Puke Hill’. There are many assorted stories out there on this steep climb. 382 feet of elevation gain in just over a half a mile and you end up at almost 10,000 feet above sea level. Even seasoned mountain bikers have been known to push their bikes up the last part of the climb. Skim through the video below to get a feel for it.
Keep in mind, this video shows a regular mountain bike climbing this steep hill, NOT the Ridge Rider. We want you to get the feel for this steep climb on a conventional mountain bike but know that the Ridge Rider made it simple. See below for results.
Okay, now that we’ve established the steepness of this climb the best we can on the Internet, we know you’re dying to know how the Ridge Rider did, right? Remember the pedal assist levels we spoke of previously? The Ridge Rider climbed Puke Hill in Level 2 up until the final stretch where we switched into Level 3 for the rest of it. Didn’t even touch Level 4 and we weren’t in the lowest mechanical gear yet either. And the motor was not even warm when we arrived at the top! It was a joy to climb with. Still a bit of physical work (which we were hoping for) but we were definitely not out of breath and could enjoy the scenery too.
Verdict: If the Ridge Rider can climb Puke Hill, it can climb your hill!
Having so much fun on this bike, we decided to try it in the snow. Even with the stock Kenda tires we were able to blast through several inches of snow and even make it up powder covered hills.
As you’ve seen, this is a very capable electric mountain bike that will happily tackle any terrain you throw at it. If you can handle the ride, this Pedego will handle the trail. Being a Pedego, we knew that it would be a great ebike but the Ridge Rider has exceeded our high expectations.
We’ve really been enjoying the Ridge Rider. It is a fun, capable, well-built eMountain bike but also does great in the urban commute arena. It’s fast, smooth and sure footed. If you were to have only one bike in your collection, the Ridge Rider is the all around winner.
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UPDATE: The Stretch has arrived and has been put to good use with thousands of our own miles as well as many happy customers. Pedego created an awesome bike and we think it's the ultimate electric cargo bike. For more about the Pedego Stretch, click here.
We are very excited to introduce the new Pedego Stretch Cargo Bike!
As you know, here at Blue Monkey we love cargo bikes. We had the privilege of seeing this bike in its computer design stages a few years back and we’ve been pumped about it ever since.
Why are we so excited you may ask? Well, first off, its a Pedego so you know that its a well built, well supported electric bike. The Stretch is one of the most versatile cargo bikes we’ve found yet. This will be the bike to convert everyday bike riders into cargo bike riders. The frame is extremely sturdy and rides on 24″ wheels which we think strike the perfect balance. The bike has a lower center of gravity for those heavy (or wiggly) loads but yet has better rolling capabilities than 20″ wheels. The Stretch will hold anything you throw at it. 400 pound carrying capacity! In fact we tell people that it will handle more weight than you care to ride with. The 48 volt 13ah battery and 500 watt geared motor, it will climb hills with ease, even when loaded.
So why do we think this will be the electric bike to change peoples minds? The simple fact that this cargo bike is not much larger than a conventional bike. It fits in the same space and rides like a regular bike so you are more likely to use it as a regular bike. When the need arises, you can bring home groceries or pick your kids up from school. This is the bike to replace one of your cars.
The excitement is building with the Pedego Stretch which is scheduled to be released May 2015. Blue Monkey Bicycles has had many requests for this bike so you can be sure that we will be one of the first Pedego Dealers to receive them. We are anticipating a huge demand for these bikes as they fit the needs of so many people. The first available paint finishes will be gloss red or gloss black.
Help us make Salt Lake the new home of the Pedego Stretch. Email us us with your pre order request. $200 fully refundable holds your Stretch until our order arrives late May 2015.
We don’t like to throw around the overused phrase “game changer” very often but in this case, we feel it’s appropriate. This cargo bike is positioned to change your idea of getting around and could be the beginning of Car Replacement Therapy for you. Having the ability to carry people and stuff on your bike at a minute’s notice, without a lot of planning is the next step to breaking the habit of the automobile.
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The City Commuter comes with either a 36 volt battery and 400 watt motor combination or a 48 volt battery and 500 watt motor. Both are very capable bikes and both can get you up that hill, albeit the 48 volt gets you there quicker. That being said, I was very impressed that a 36 volt bike took me up to the ‘U’ on the mountain above the University of Utah riding from downtown. I did not record the elevation gain but locals know that its quite the climb. With a 170lb rider, there was pedaling involved but I was not out of breath at the top and felt that I had gotten a decent pedaling workout.
For the 48 volt City Commuter test, I rode up City Creek Canyon which is a trail located just above the Utah State Capitol. I chose to put the bike on pedal assist level 2 out of 5 as I wanted a little bit of a workout. I found I was still going between 9 and 12 mph up most of the canyon. The 48 volt version is extremely powerful and I probably could have powered up the hill with little pedaling if I had wanted to. The trail was quiet that day but I did pass a few road and mountain bikers on my way up. I have pedaled a regular bike up this canyon several times over the years but I found it so much more enjoyable with an electric bike as I was able to concentrate more on my surroundings and the lovely scenery.
In a past blog entry, we hinted at the off road capabilities of the City Commuter. While it is designed as a city bike, there’s no reason it can’t keep going when the pavement ends. We were prompted by a customer to find a more aggressive tire than the stock Schwalbe Fat Franks so that they could feel confident while riding groomed dirt/gravel trails such as the Park City Rail Trail. We found Schwalbe Marathon Plus Tour tires for our customer and he couldn’t be happier. We decided to outfit one of our rental bikes with these tires and try them ourselves.
Well, the bike performed very well on packed dirt and light gravel and made it effortlessly up several hills. Obviously, with a name like the City Commuter, it was not designed to be a mountain bike but it’s nice to know that given the opportunity, you can keep riding when the trail turns into a path.
So now you know a little more about the capabilities of the Pedego City Commuter, why it is our most popular bike and why we’ve lovingly dubbed it the Salt Lake City Commuter. At the time of this writing we have both frame styles and voltages in stock. They are quickly becoming the world’s most loved Ebike so they don’t stay in stock very long. Come by Blue Monkey Bicycles and take a test ride around the block or rent one and try your commute. With Pedego’s reputation for outstanding products and customer service, the City Commuter should be at the top of your Ebike list.
-Duane
]]>This was Blue Monkey Bicycles’ very first appearance at a location other than our store and we are extremely pleased with the results. Back in March, we reserved our booth for this well known festival that celebrated its 10th year anniversary this year. Not only did we think it would be fun, we thought that the ebikes would fit in quite well as they are extremely ‘green’ (can you do better than bikes that help you get around quicker and use pennies of energy per charge?).
Mike from The Redirect Guide who manages the show was very easy to work with and gave us some extra space near the entrance of the show so that we could allow test rides. We were booth #93 near entrance 1. I included this photo to show this awesome aerial view. The City Library is such a cool building and is definitely worth a visit.
All 3 of our brands were represented. We brought a Pedego City Commuter, Comfort Cruiser, Interceptor and a Trail Tracker fat bike which is always a crowd pleaser. We brought the Juiced Riders ODK uility bike and we brought the tried and true shop bike, the electric Yuba Mundo. Every single bike was ridden several times and the booth became a parking lot and a bike valet for festival visitors as well.
As much as I would have liked to tow all the bikes downtown with the Mundo, we decided it was a better use of time to use a trailer.
After we got the booth set up, I had a chance to go ride Open Streets with my son.
Once the show gates opened, we stayed quite busy throughout the day. We had many of our customers stop by the booth to chat and some even hung around and helped show bikes to potential customers. It doesn’t get any better than that when your customers like you that much! What a compliment. We welcome customers into the Blue Monkey family and enjoy hearing the stories that owning electric and cargo bikes bring.
We had several people deep at our booth all day. We must have facilitated 20+ test rides too. Our booth was positioned near the entrance of the show so we would escort riders over to the grounds of the City County building and we would exchange an electric bike test ride for a huge smile.
One gentleman tried out a bike and his 8 year old son was disappointed that there was not a Pedego in his size. That was quickly solved by a ride on the back our electric Yuba Mundo shop bike with his dad. The boy was able to experience the electric bike grin too.
All in all we had a blast of a day. There was some great public awareness on the ease and fun of electric bikes. We got to see and talk with many of our customers and meet plenty of new ones. We can’t wait to do another event. Keep an eye on our event calendar to see what we’re up to next. Join us for our first group ride next week. It should be lots of fun.
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The entire article is reprinted below. The original can be found here.
Duane Schaffer isn’t your average bike nerd.
He’s got no interest in carbon fiber, Di2 components or 120 mm travel shocks. Well, not a lot of interest, at least.
Instead, Schaffer sees the bicycle as an answer to a solution – a way to carpool the kids to school, haul groceries to the house or a way to thin the gunk that is the air in the Salt Lake Valley.
And with those ideals in mind, Schaffer and his wife, Tonya, took a calculated risk and opened Blue Monkey Bicycles in Murray – a shop specializing in “Car Replacement Therapy.”
“It’s something I really believe in,” Schaffer said. “I use my bike so much that I’ve run into people at school or the store and they’re like ‘I didn’t know you even had a car.’”
Blue Monkey Bicycles, as its name might suggest, is not your typical bike shop. You won’t find $10,000 bikes worthy of the Tour of Utah or capable of taming the Wasatch Crest Trail. Instead, Blue Monkey is all about being green. With a focus on electric bicycles, Blue Monkey caters to the client who values efficient urban transportation but doesn’t necessarily want to smell like a gym sock when arriving at the office.
With a line of bicycles from Pedego and Yuba, Blue Monkey offers everything from tandem cargo haulers to beach cruisers and classic commuter bikes.
Schaffer said the bikes can easily maintain a 20 mile per hour pace on city streets and parkways while handling rolling hills without a challenge. Though not performance bicycles by any stretch of the imagination, Schaffer said the electric bikes aren’t trying to compete in that market.
“These are bikes for people who want to use a get around, to work or to just enjoy a day on a bike,” he said. “Electric bikes are great transportation options.”
Schaffer said he can envision a time when electric bikes are not limited to urban centers and big cities, but utilized by commuters in suburbia. A worker – instead of driving a car to an office or park-and-ride lot – could get dressed for work at home, hop on an electric bike and softly pedal his way to the office. If that distance is too far, a quick (and non-sweaty) trip to a UTA Trax or Frontrunner station followed by a train ride and second bike trip to the office would save gas, pollute the air less and leave the worker a little more physically fit.
Blue Monkey Bicycles is located a bit away from most of its target market, but choosing a store close to his Murray home was important. With carpooling – Schaffer is frequently seen taking two kids to school on his Yuba cargo bike – and after-school activities part of his everyday life, the store’s location near the Murray Trax and Frontrunner station made sense. When Schaffer found a store that also had the capability to host a fitness studio, he pulled the trigger and bought the building. The back room of the building is a Zumba studio with regular classes.
Blue Monkey Bicycles opened in January and while business has been slow during the winter months, Schaffer said he’s seeing a steady increase in customers as the weather gets better.
The lure of electric transportation options isn’t limited to Nissan Leafs or Chevy Volts. Pedego and Yuba bikes are fairly affordable additions to a transportation options.
“The Pedego products provide all the advantages of a regular bicycle: fun, exercise, free parking, zero emissions and freedom from gridlock while eliminating one of the bicycle’s more serious drawbacks, lack of power. Fundamentally, a Pedego bike is just like a regular bicycle with a quiet built-in electric hub motor to provide additional assistance,” Schaffer said. “You can pedal normally and just use the motor to help out on hills and headwinds or use the motor all the time just to make riding easier. The experience is entirely different from riding a gas scooter or motorbike. The electric assistance is perfectly smooth and silent which complements, rather than supplants, human power.”
As for cargo bikes, Yuba is the choice of Blue Monkey Bicycles.
“We did our homework on cargo bikes and we chose to carry Yuba Cargo Bikes. There are many different versions of cargo bikes out there. Some that carry their loads in the front, some in the back, some with varying wheels sizes. We feel that the Mundo and Boda Boda are sturdy, rugged and well designed,” Schaffer said. “We like that you can ride them like normal bikes, get up to speed, get out in traffic and be confident that the bike will handle you and your load. In fact, we regularly carry our kids and their friends on our bikes.”
Blue Monkey Bicycles 4902 South State Street, Murray
www.bluemonkeybicycles.com
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