After a health scare a few years ago Craig Peterson, president and chief executive officer of Milwaukee-based Zigman Joseph Stephenson Inc., knew he needed to improve his health. But he also knew that working out at a gym would be too monotonous.
Peterson was introduced to an electric bicycle by a friend of his, Brian Nelson, owner of BD Nelson Construction Company. Now, Peterson rides his electric bicycle to and from work almost every day.
“It’s a great workout and it’s fun,” he said. “It’s enough physical activity so that you can feel your muscles working, but it isn’t so much that I arrive at the office sweaty each day. It’s absolutely perfect.” An electric bicycle looks very similar to a manual bicycle, and in fact, functions much like one too. If you are looking for an electric bike, you may visit the Aventon homepage for more options.
“The only difference is that the rear wheel is wider and actually houses a lithium ion battery that can be used to power the bike,” Peterson said.
The bike weighs roughly 100 pounds and can travel up to 20 miles per hour. It can go about 30 miles before needing to be recharged. Peterson uses the electric motor in stop and start moments and for getting up large hills.
“That’s the beauty of it,” he said. “You can use the electric motor whenever you want just with the twist of a throttle. Or you don’t have to.”
“E-bikes,” as they are called are much more popular in other parts of the world, though many models are available in the U.S. and the trend is picking up steam here, Peterson said.
Peterson and Nelson also recently launched the United States e-Bikes Association which will be an advocate for e-bike riders and will lobby for more public charging stations and bike racks to accommodate this mode of transportation, Peterson said.
“I love it, it’s easy to get to the office, easy to transport and plug in when I need to and it’s a lot easier and more efficient to find parking for downtown meetings,” he said.
