A folding bike can go places that a full-size bike can't -- in the trunk of your car, under your desk, in your dorm room, in your RV or yacht, checked as baggage on a commercial airline. The combination of high quality components and folding convenience, is, well, why I am in business! 'Bikes that travel'

A pedal bicycle with the addition of an electric motor and battery. Your pedal energy is amplified by this motor, providing greater range and power for the same level of your energy output.

I sell only 'Class 1' e-pedal assist bikes with no throttles. We believe (as do Bosch and other premier motor brands) that bicycles should be pedaled

I do not sell mountain bikes with motors. We believe that hiking trails and 'single track' are no place for motorized recreation

I do not sell upright adult 'delta' trikes with motors. Too dangerous! These trikes are not made for speed, and tip easily. If you want a motorized trike, I offer recumbents which are far more stable and enjoyable to ride

The TerraTrike EVO recumbent trike uses the Bosch Active Line, with 50Nm peak torque. Our Tern GSD (Generation 1) cargo-ready bicycle -- made for heavy lifting -- uses the Bosch Performance Line, with 63Nm peak torque

"Torque is a better measure of how powerful a particular motor is. Bosch's Active Line motor puts out 50Nm at its peak, and the Performance Line motor will give you 63Nm. Shimano's STEPS motor has a 50Nm maximum. ... The Brose is more reactive to rider input whereas the Bosch is more of a constant assistance.Dec 4, 2017" (retrieved from ebiketips.road.cc on October 14, 2019)

Torque is a measure of the power put to the wheel. For hill climbing and heavy cargo hauling, having a good deal of 'low-end' torque is important. This can be achieved with either a physically large motor, or a motor system that incorporates gearing to achieve the low-end torque at a higher motor RPM (revolutions per minute)

Many customers seek electric assist for help with hill climbing. Mid-drive motors are going to give you much better hill-climbing performance due to their use of gearing versus hub motors, which do not have the benefit of utilizing drive-train derailleur gearing. (Some hub motors have internal reduction gearing, while others such as the Copenhagen or BIONX wheels are direct drive.) When we talk about hills we use the 'percent grade' (%) measure. Percent is simply rise over run (e.g., 45-degree grade is 100% grade). Your ability to climb a given hill will vary with your strength and ability -- the motor will not do all the work for you! Gradients of 12 - 18% are considered ridiculously steep.

Here is a great video showing actual gradients on a well-known hill climb in Sonoma County called Coleman Grade: Coleman Valley Road Full Climb. The video is shot with a Garmin system that records distance, elevation, grade and many other factors. Very informative!

Yes

Let's talk about the product you are looking for, and find out what the supply issues are if any. I can offer pre-purchase incentives for back-ordered items.

Due to the prevalence of unsolicited sales and nuisance callers, I have been forced to direct all incoming phone calls to my voice messaging system. There you can leave a brief voice message including any questions you have like...

• "Do you have stuff for my kid's BMX bike?" (no), or
• "I cracked my carbon fiber road bike frame. Can you fix that?" (no), or
• "Do you sell folding bike?" (yes)

I will immediately text you back (let me know if you can't text) with my response, or to arrange a voice phone call. I will do this most any hour of the day or night. How cool is that?

Since opening at this location in Historic Railroad Square in 2014, it has become very clear that I cannot have an open door 'walk-in' business here. The reason: Persistent issues with the transient ('unhoused', 'homeless') community. As a result I have embraced an appointment-only business model for my specialty bike shop. And guess what? It has worked out very well! I am able to fully prepare for my customer's visit, and my customer benefits from my undivided and uninterrupted attention! Win win!

Appointments for service and accessory purchases are free. I charge a nominal fee of $25 for new bike sales consultations (redeemable for any in-store purchase).