New, Temporary Enterprise at Joe's Pond Beach!

This is an interesting new business venture that will be available on Thursdays at the Joe's Pond Beach in West Danville. Gretchen Farnsworth sent these photos and mentioned what a great opportunity it is to try out an electric bike - maybe take a short trip up or down the rail-trail, go to lunch in Danville (or St. Johnsbury, if you are confident of the bike and your ability!) Gretchen did not know prices to rent one of these, but it sure looks like it would be fun to at least try one out. That is the owner of the business, Jim, in the photo below.

I had no idea how far these bikes will go before they need recharging, so I did a little research, and if you are interested, click here.

I was also curious about what Vermont's rules of the road are for e-bikes. So that information can be found here.

I know several people here at Joe's Pond already have e-bikes and really enjoy them. It beats laboring up hills on either the recreation trails or back roads. It also allows older folks to get outside and enjoy the beautiful landscapes of our area. According to information I found online, Electric bikes cost from $600 - $2,000 or more, depending on the make and model you buy. A mountain bike with stronger frames and custom equipment such as GPS and a trip computer can cost up to $8,000. Whatever model you buy, plan on maintenance costs for tune-ups, recommended every six months or 500 miles, tires at around $30 each, and a new battery that will cost from $350 to around $800. However, recharging the battery will run under $5 for every 1,000 miles you put on, and you won't need to replace the battery until you've recharged it about 1,000 times. Happy e-cycling!