Sleeping Bear Electric Bikes
Do you lack the stamina or athleticism of a Lance Armstrong? Does the notion of pedaling up those hills south of the Glen Lakes scare rather than excite you? Then perhaps Sleeping Bear Electric Bikes is your answer. Phil Lepak is an aging baby boomer and recent transplant from New Mexico who owns a farm on French Rd and wants to remain active outdoors but without hurting his body. He recently secured permission from the National Park Service to rent electric bikes at the Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive — an arduously hilly and beautiful 7.4-mile road off M-109, between Glen Arbor and Empire. Sleeping Bear Electric Bikes is the first of its kind within a National Park, and it could expand in subsequent years to other areas of the National Lakeshore.
Contact information:
(231) 633-BEAR … SleepingBearElectricBikes.com
Check out our story on Sleeping Bear Electric Bikes on the Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive, which ran in the Glen Arbor Sun in May 2012
These high-tech bikes are made in California and boast compact lithium batteries behind the seat that, once fully charged, can take you 20 miles. But you don’t have to use the battery at all times. Just let go of the throttle by your right hand and pedal under your own power on the straightaways or while descending a hill.
“Last summer we were looking for both a ‘green’ and economical way to get around our property and community,” explained Lepak. “We were fascinated with the idea of electric cars, but they were just too costly. That led us to the electric bike, on which we could experience the beauty of our region, and get exercise without wearing out our aging Baby-Boomer bodies.”
Sleeping Bear Electric Bikes recently attracted the attention of the American Association of People with Disabilities, and could provide an opportunity for disabled Americans to enjoy the National Park on two wheels as well. Lepak’s bikes can be rented in the parking lot of Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive, on Thursdays through Sundays at 1 p.m., beginning June 7.
