Bulletin E-Edition:
Cycling gets electrified
Entrepreneurial spirit drives Bend man’s business
By Andrew Moore / The Bulletin
Published: April 21. 2009 4:00AM PST| order photo
Sterling McCord sells electric bicycles that use a hub motor — visible on the front wheel — that is powered by a rechargeable battery. He also sells and installs conversion kits that turn any bike into an electric bike.
Adam Wickham / The Bulletin
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When construction activity slowed last fall, Sterling McCord — who worked in construction most of his adult life — decided it was as good a time as any to open a retail store geared toward a favorite hobby: electric bicycles.
McCord opened Bend Electric Vehicles in December in a cramped, roughly 250-square-foot studio in the Old Mill Marketplace building. He didn’t have retail management experience and five months later says he still doesn’t feel entirely comfortable selling people on the advantages of an electric bicycle over a motor scooter.
But an entrepreneurial spirit combined with genuine enthusiasm for a new way to commute is propelling McCord’s business venture forward.
“I just want people to get on these and ride them,” McCord said. “You can ride to work and not even break a sweat.”
An electric bike is similar to a moped in that it has functioning pedals and a motor. However, McCord said an electric bike, because it has a smaller motor, is designed to work with a rider as he pedals to add power.
The motors are small, usually less than a 1,000 watts (which equates to a little more than 1 horsepower, McCord said) and are built into the hub of the bike’s front wheel.
The motor draws power from a cable attached to a battery pack, usually mounted behind the seat or attached to the bike’s frame.
McCord said an electric bike rider can generally expect to reach speeds of 15 mph to 20 mph on flat ground without pedaling and that the bike can have a range of roughly 20 miles, though results vary by the size of the motor and number of batteries. A battery can be recharged by plugging it into a standard wall socket.
Electric bikes are legal on bike paths in Oregon as long as their speed does not exceed 20 mph and the motor generates less than 1,000 watts, according to an analysis of Oregon bicycle law on the Web site of Swanson Thomas & Coon of Portland.
McCord sells electric bikes designed and built by manufacturers, including Schwinn and eZee, that range from $600 to $3,000.
He also sells and installs conversion kits that can turn any bike into an electric bike. Such conversions start at roughly $500.
McCord said electric bikes are popular in other parts of the world, especially China. In the U.S., most people aren’t familiar with them, though many are discovering them due to high fuel prices and concern about the emissions from traditional motor scooters, according to McCord.
McCord answered some questions about electric bikes and his business in an interview with The Bulletin.
Q: Who might be interested in an electric bike?
A: People, lots of boomers, who don’t want an adrenaline rush but want help pedaling up a hill. These turn hills into flat ground and you don’t have to hurry and show up (to your destination) sweaty.
Q: I know you said you don’t like to sell, but what are the advantages of an electric bike over a motor scooter?
A: It’s fun and it works and you get a quicker return on your investment — and that’s an important thing. You don’t have the noise and you don’t have the emissions (of a motor scooter). You can also ride more places, in the bike lane or over a footbridge. For me, it’s getting people to test-ride them. Their eyes light up and it’s a pretty cool thing to watch.
Q: What’s the biggest challenge for your business?
A: I’d say close to half the (population) is unaware electric bikes even exist.
Q: What do you think the market for electric bikes will look like five years from now?
A: I think more people will know electric bikes exist. I don’t think everyone will have one but it’s trending that direction. I know when I ride (one), I get lots of attention, so awareness is growing.
Q: What if gas prices drop?
A: Well I’ve committed to a year to see if my hobby takes off or whether I should move back to my garage, but I feel like this is going to be a very good business.
Andrew Moore can be reached at 541-617-7820 or amoore@bendbulletin.com.
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