Pi: The test drive

We've seen the parts. We've put them together, taken them apart, and put them back together again. We've learned the specs and capabilities of each bike. Now it was time to ride them.

Caron and I set out donning scientific uniforms (white Pi lab coats), colorfully decorated helmets and anticipatory smiles as we pushed our test bikes out of the warehouse into the crisp open air. The semi-circular frame is heavy to push, about 65 pounds, and as sturdy as a work horse. I mounted the yellow one and found myself at home on the seat. I took in the feel of the bike; slightly arched handlebars angle my back comfortably; the 8-gear shift on the right side is smooth to press; and of course, the throttle on the left awaited my thumb.

I ride my hybrid 21-speed around San Francisco as often as I drink coffee (i.e. quite frequently) and sometimes even attempt to do the two things together. I am accustomed to extending my route to avoid large hills and showing up at my destination slick with sweat and coffee. It takes a couple minutes to find bike parking and lock up, so I always have to plan that into my day.

With a PiMoto, I find I can immediately eliminate several of these things. The 2Kw motor has a 25-degree hill potential, and according to Marcus, only three hills in San Francisco are at or greater than that. There eliminates the sweat. I can also take the fastest route and cut time off my journey. And boy does she rip: Once I felt the torque of this baby, I found I could replace my daily caffeine jolt with a PiMoto ride at full speed.

We zipped along Bridgeway in the bike lane, surpassing traffic at times. I immediately felt comfortable riding my yellow lightning bolt full throttle and anticipated wide-open spaces where I could test its full potential.

Heads turned and eyes widened as we passed fellow cyclists on the bike path toward Miller Avenue in Mill Valley. "Is that an electric bike?" one couple inquired as I was pedaling past. They were eager to look at it and feel its frame and know that it can go up to 30 miles per hour. "Where can I get one?" they asked as I readied myself to start the engine once more.

One guy doing wheelies and hops on his mountain bike slowed when he saw me. "Want to race?" he challenged. Did I? Prepared to get burned my friend...(see YouTube video of the race on the adjacent post by Caron Alarab).

On the way back to the seaside warehouse, we were stopped again with questions. The grins on our faces must have been a welcome sign to anyone even remotely curious about the PiMoto, as they were probably wondering, how can I smile like that?

Check out pimobility.com and Best Buy in Marin City, that's how. You too can have a PiBike of your own. We came, we saw, we rode, we raced, we promoted, we smiled...all in a days work.