Today, [May, 5, 2015] I had my first experience at riding an Electrice Bike and I must say, that I loved the experience! What made the experience all the more enjoyable was in how it all came about.

Through the kindness of Gregg's Greenlake Cycle, I was able to take a Test Ride around Greenlake, a three mile loop. As I was uncertain about many things about this kind of new technology I had many questions to ask. The bike selected for me was the Specialized Turbo S, their top of the line in electric bicycles; having a hefty price at $6,000 manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price. For details about the bike, you might review their [Owner's Manual].

I began my Test Ride by riding around in a parking lot next to the lake; beginning slowly in the lower gears to gage how responsive the electric motors were to the gears of the bike. As my confidence soon grew it was not long before I was wanting to do some actual riding. It was suggested that we ride around Greenlake.

One major question that I had initially asked was whether it was safe to ride in the rain. The bike performed very well in it. There was little doubt that it would be able to go up moderate hills, but one question still remained on its' performance. If ever in traffic, half way up a hill, and at a dead stop; waiting for a traffic light to turn green; would the bike be able to move forward on battery power alone if peddaling was a requirement for the power to engage? The only setback for me as a legally blind cyclist came when I wanted to be able to read the display monitor indicating data about the battery and the bike's modes of operation. The monitor was small and was situated on the right side of the handle bar and next to the gear shift.

As we returned to the bike store, an invitation to return and ride both bikes when the weather was sunny; all served to make this riding experience a continued thrill for me. Viewing the Haibike brand, the sales staff pointed to features that might this bike more suited to my visual needs. All-in-all, what a ride!