Colorado Governor Hickenlooper Buzzing about E-bikes
Simi Valley, Calif. (June 28, 2016) – Recently, Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper, an avid cyclist, excitedly hopped aboard the fastest growing trend in the cycling industry—an electric-motor assisted bicycle, or e-bike. Haibike, a German brand with ties to Colorado, delivered one of its e-bikes to the governor at the state capital for him test out on his regular bike commutes to work.
Luis Benitez, the Director of the Colorado Outdoor Recreation Industry Office, appointed last year by Gov. Hickenlooper, helped facilitate the e-bike test.
“I met Ken Miner, the U.S. director of sales for Haibike, last year at an industry conference,” said Benitez. “Ken lives in Denver and was excited about the opportunity for Gov. Hickenlooper to try one of their e-bikes.”
Miner delivered the Haibike to Gov. Hickenlooper at his office in the state capital. Gov. Hickenlooper immediately took the opportunity to ride it through the halls and around the columns of the capital.
Gov. Hickenlooper is testing the Haibike SDURO Trekking RC. Ideal for commuting, the Trekking RC features a 400-watt Yamaha motor that only engages when the rider is pedaling, topping out at a speed of 20 mph. The bike’s lithium-ion battery provides four levels of assistance, and also powers an integrated light system. A suspension fork helps smooth out the ride, and an integrated rear rack makes adding pannier bags easy. Front and rear fenders helps keep riders clean and hydraulic disc brakes provide superior stopping power.
“E-bikes are already massively popular in Europe and we’re seeing more and more of them in Colorado,” added Benitez. “As the e-bike industry grows, we want companies to consider Colorado as an ideal location for their business operations.”
Last year, Gov. Hickenlooper announced a plan for the state to spend more $100 million to make Colorado the nation’s best state to ride a bike. The four-year plan will allow Colorado to add bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure, better understand and market the cycling industry and support awareness and education efforts to promote safety.
About Haibike: Winora Group CEO Susanne Puello and her husband Felix established Haibike in Germany in 1995, but its roots date back to 1914 when Susanne's great grandfather founded E. Wiener Retail Trading Company, a manufacturer of custom bicycles. Haibike USA, established in 2015, is Haibike's North American subsidiary, exclusively selling the company's popular ePerformance collection of XDURO and SDURO bikes. With superior Bosch and Yamaha drive systems and dynamic inverted motor placement, Haibike's ePerformance bicycles lead the electric bicycle industry.
For more information about Haibike USA, visit www.haibikeusa.com.
For Haibike media inquiries:
Amanda Tomkins
Backbone Media
970-963-4873x136
amanda.tomkins@backbonemedia.net
