One sultry evening over a year ago (pre-Covid) I was sauntering east on Center Street, having just crossed 100 E at the crosswalk, when I was slowly and respectfully passed from behind by a couple on eBikes. It was a busy evening, people were out enjoying the many restaurants and entertainment venues of downtown Provo. Then someone said something to the eBike riders and they both stopped suddenly in front of me looking a bit perplexed, so I naturally suspected this was about riding on the sidewalk and I asked the couple about what had been said. They told me they had been riding these sidewalks for years without a problem; in their defense I asserted back, “Well, where do they expect you to ride, on that dangerously crowded street (pointing to westbound Center jammed with cars)?”
A few days ago I interviewed Robert and Le Ann Grace, after seeing their parked eBikes in front of a downtown cafe. Robert was once a competitive mountain biker until he was severely injured in 1993 during a race, and I learned that Le Ann has also ridden bikes most of her life and had served in the Armed Forces during Desert Storm. They both made a commitment to begin using eBikes exclusively three years ago, an environmental and financial decision they have been pleased with ever since. “I like the fresh air, nature, and being in the open,” says Le Ann. “It’s majestic, the peace and tranquility, therapeutic,” adds Robert. Having ridden two troublesome eBikes previously they sought the advice of JigaWatt in Provo to decide how best to upgrade their biking experience. Today, Robert sports an EcoMotion Fat Tire (30-35mph) that he tells me already has around 2,000 miles on it and Le Ann loves her Magnum, which, like Robert, she rides to work as well as for taking care of errands and visiting friends.
The couple have lived in Provo for eight years, using active transportation as their sole means of transport during this period, and they estimate they ride somewhere between 50-70 miles per week. What are some of the problems with biking in Provo: “distracted drivers,” they come up with immediately and “every one of them were talking on their phone,” Robert complains. Also, the bike lanes are often littered with debris, once they found hundreds of nails in their path on the way to Orem. They’d like to see more dedicated bike lanes too, especially along Center Street so bicycles don’t have to use the sidewalks.
Ok, you may have guessed it by now, as it was later revealed during the interview that Robert and Le Ann were actually the couple I mentioned at the beginning of this writing.
