Hello Fun! Thats what got Robert Esti to open a Pedego Electric Bike store in Leesburg. The companys slogan caught his attention as he was looking for business opportunities. Esti saw the growing popularity of electric bikes in Europe and the United States but noticed there was no real place in the area to test-ride them or to even see them with your own eyes. They were all direct-to-consumer. But the Pedego brand has created a model of a dealership. You have a brick-and-mortar store where you can service the bikes, do tours and rentals and really provide a five-star treatment to the customer, Esti said.
When Pedego Electric Bike opened this month in Leesburgs Crescent Place neighborhood, just off the W&OD Trail, it will be the brands first location in Loudoun County.
They have over 20 different bike models with three different watt engines from the Pedego brand. They will also offer service Pedego brand bikes, rentals, accessories and tours.
Esti noted whats nice about a Pedego Electric bike is it can be pedaled like a normal bike with the added benefit of pedal assist that gives you additional propulsion to make you go farther faster, as well as a turn throttle on the handlebar for riders who want to ride their bike without pedaling.
According to Esti, there are three class systems for electric bikes that have been launched by the federal government. Of the three classes, Pedego bikes are considered class 2, which means they can go up to 20 miles per hour on a throttle.
Not everyone has the stamina to ride a bike, but now with electric bikes they become utilitarian, Esti said. He said they are perfect for all the trails in Loudoun County.
In Virginia, electric bikes are allowed on all roads that other motorized vehicles are allowed on as well as on most greenways and trails. There is no license required to ride one.
Esti said the class 2 electric bikes have the same rules as a regular bicycle.
Pedego Electric Bike store manager Cody Hackett, and Chief Fun Officer Robert Esti stand next to a bike in the new shop in Leesburg.
Pedego will rent three different styles of bikes: fun fat tire bikes, low step bikes for anyone who struggles with the high step up of a regular bike, and the powerful and colorful 749-watt bikes. When asked how far the bike will go on a charge, Esti said it depends on the terrain, the weight of the rider and the battery size but on average it can do 20-75 miles and only costs about 25 cents to charge in a regular outlet.
He said it typically takes about four hours to charge a battery.
Esti said with how far it can go and the different options to pedal or not there should be no reason not to bike all the way into Washington, DC, on your electric bike. Your butt is going to get tired before your battery gets tired, Esti said.
Esti said there is a common misconception about electric bikes that people think you arent exercising when you ride it.
Look up the stats, look up some hard research about it, because its a bunch of bologna. There are studies that show you get more oxygen on an electric bike than on a regular pedal bike. You are getting your heart rate to where you are burning fat. You still pedal on an electric bike, you are just getting farther and faster with your pedaling, Esti said.
Esti encouraged anyone who is interested in trying an electric bike to come down to the shop and take one for a test ride before buying it.
The Pedego Leesburg Electric Bike shop is open Tuesday through Sunday at 412 Madison Trade Plaza SE. A formal ribbon cutting ceremony is planned at 12:15 p.m. on Saturday, July 30. The event will feature Pedego giveaways, refreshments and more. Learn more at pedegoelectricbikes.com/dealers/leesburg.
