Pedal POWER

Gear up for fun with an e-bike beach ride

Story & photo by Gretchen Ammerman

Oregon Coast TODAY

The first documented attempts to add power to a bicycle date back to the late 1800s, with some designs being frankly ridiculous but others actually, mostly, working.

By the time automobiles and motorcycles solidly entered the market, powered bikes just hadn’t gained traction, and most designs were left in desk drawers.

But people kept trying to make a good power-assisted bicycle, using both gas and electricity. One of the most important innovations in electric bikes was created with the “pedal-assist” technology, where the motor power is triggered whenever the bike registers any pedaling action, which makes riding them a lot more similar to riding a regular bike.

Further improvements have been made with batteries that increase capacity while still keeping overall battery weight significantly lower.

With the assistance of an electric motor, biking is now more accessible to riders of all abilities. More people are also bike commuting, as the bikes get them to work faster and far less sweaty.

If you want to try before you buy, a great place to start is EZ e-bikes in Newport. Owner Dennis Bentley has long been a fan of the beefed-up bikes that he now rents in his little shop near Nye Beach.

“It’s a pretty simple concept,” he said. “You take a regular bike, slap a battery on it that assists on hills and accelerating out of a tricky situation or just takes up the slack when you are tired, and you’ve got yourself an e-bike.”

Bentley has enjoyed watching as the e-bike boom has created a revolution, with increases in technology shaving off pounds of weight and foldable frames helping reduce bulk.

“In the almost two years I’ve been here the number has really grown,” Bentley said. “They are changing the world. In 2021 there were about 16 times more people buying e-bikes as regular bikes. These are all people who might not have biked at all.”

Though clearly a seasonal activity on the coast, Bentley is riding high on his new business, which he opened in 2020 on July 4.

“It’s been fun and I can't think of a funner business to have gotten into,” he said. “Everyone comes back with a big grin on their face.”

E-bikes don’t just get people riding for the first time or back into it after a long absence, they also help level the playing field for families, since regulations prohibit renting to kids younger than 16.

“I rent regular bikes too for kids so that they can huff and puff keeping up with mom and dad,” Bentley said. “It’s usually the other way around.”

For really small kids, Bentley does rent trailers too, but families with kids have remained a small portion of his customer base.

“A large percent of our customers are older riders that haven’t ridden in a really long time,” Bentley said. “The beach gives them a safe place to re-learn. We also get lots of people who want to buy one who come to try them out.”

Bentley can also help out people who need a mechanic on the coast.

“I’m a certified e-bike tech through the Light Electric Vehicle Association,” he said. “I went all the way to Florida to get the certification. I’ve now built my own e-bikes and I tinker all the time to try to combat the elements. The coast is pretty hard on these things.”

He also helps with custom jobs.

“I converted a local guy’s mountain bike,” Bentley said. “He told me that it’s changed his world.”

And though batteries are pretty toxic, Bentley says the overall environmental footprint is still smaller.

“People are getting on the e-bike instead of in their car, so there is still an environmental benefit,” he said. “Plus, because you still have to peddle plenty, there are still health benefits. I actually read somewhere that because the bikes encourage people to go longer distances, some riders get even more exercise because they end of peddling for a longer total distance.”

Bentley has also seen interest in the differently abled community, and is hoping to create an electric wheelchair he can include in his rental offerings.

As far as other places to rent, options include the South Ace in Lincoln City, where you can take an electric beach cruiser for a spin. With new businesses springing up all the time offering e-bikes for sale or rent, I can almost guarantee, it won’t take long before you find one.

EZ e-bikes is located at 881 NW Beach Drive in Newport. For rental and more information, go to the EZ-e-bike page on Facebook or call 541-264-8487.