Beating Health Road Blocks With an Electric Bike

Bob, his grandson, and his OHM on the John Wayne Pioneer Trail in Iron Horse State Park .

This is a guest post by Cathy Lau.

Not even age, two heart attacks, and a quadruple bypass can stop a cyclist with an OHM electric bike.

What do you do when your passion for biking outlasts your body’s ability to keep up?

How do you continue to make cycling a regular, integral part of your life even as your body starts to show its age?  74-year-old Bob Gellert solved this roadblock by turning to an e-bike.

Bob has been a biking enthusiast since he was nine years old, and has biked through two heart attacks, a quad-bypass, and four stents.

Since purchasing his bike in May 2011, he has continued to cycle all over Washington State, with no signs of stopping.

Here’s what Bob had to say about how his electric bike helped him keep up his steady cycling:

“I’ve been biking since I was about 9 years old and the desire to keep on biking has never left me.  Over the years, I’ve had two heart attacks, a quad-bypass and 4 stents. About 10 years ago I decided to purchase an electric motor for my mountain bike, just in case I became too tired to pedal back to my car.

I could venture out and have a “back-up” plan if I needed it. The bike had a simple thumb throttle and a lead acid battery that weighed so much, I couldn’t lift the whole thing into the pick-up without taking the battery off first.

Fast forward 10 years. Last May I looked for new “higher-tech” electric bike. I thought that letting a computer decide when and how much power to add to my pedaling might be easier than keeping my thumb on the throttle and guessing how much to add.

More importantly, my “pedal-power” could remain constant, so I get lots of continuous exercise without getting “toasted” by the hills. I went on several test-rides from the Seattle store before purchasing my OHM electric bicycle.

Bottom line…. I rode last year from Sammamish to Fall City and back, the back roads to Langley on Whidbey Island and up and down the Pine Lake Plateau from Issaquah many times. And I never had to stand to pedal. I’m looking forward to the summer of 2012 and more, worry-free biking.”

End of guest post

Electric bikes are great because they help so many people enjoy a ride on a bicycle!

Please share your e-bike stories in the comment section below.

Thanks!

-Pete

P.S. Don’t forget to join the Electric Bike Report community for updates from the electric bike world, plus ebike riding and maintenance tips.