When I first began riding my electric bike, “The Dasher” as I like to call him, I was a physical mess. Less than a year ago, I had a hard time walking, cleaning myself, cleaning my home, dressing myself. I didn’t want to move and didn’t want anyone to see me. I’ve been suffering from arthritis and other ailments that were compounded by my weight gain. Because I couldn’t move, I wouldn’t move which just made things worse. If you can understand how it feels even a little bit then you can understand how depressed I have been.
I have always been a fan of a good long bike ride, a short bike ride, bike commuting, doing errands on my bike, you name it. But with the weight gain, the joint pain, what used to be pleasurable has become painful.
So I turned in total desperation to IZIP electric bikes. That’s when I got outfitted with this beauty, the IZIP E3 Dash Electric Bike. In the last five months, I have felt renewed, reborn, like I can fly, like I am myself an electric lady. I have lost over 40 pounds! My electric bike, officially dubbed The Dasher, has played a huge role in my transformation from ordinary middle aged unhappy fat lady into the fabulous electric being with wings. Now I can ride, now I want to ride and best of all I feel so comfortable and so in control while I ride.
I am an event producer as a profession and I have had the pleasure of once again being able to really conduct business via bicycle. I live in Hollywood which means I am pretty centrally located and most of my business or errands take me between 10-20 miles.
Lately, I have had meetings at the Santa Monica Airport, a marvelous bike ride with great views of cool little planes. I was so exhilarated by the fun ride from Hollywood to the airport that I myself felt like I was flying. I just had to snap this pic of my electric bike with these planes. They may be different, but to me they are just the same.
Another bit of business took me up to the top of Elysian Park and Griffith park, retrieving the course markings from my last event. I was absolutely astonished by the incomparable views of all over LA. You can see the basin and the valley from the same peaks. I would never have been able to accomplish this task via bike a few months ago, even a few years ago. It is only thanks to my IZIP E3 Dash electric bike that I got to experience this.
The ease of travel with this wonderful electric bike has been a literal lifesaver and as the weight keeps coming off, I am finding that I can go longer distances without having to recharge the battery. I am experimenting with working harder on the bike so I can get more of a work out and continue my weight loss. I keep the setting on one, the lowest setting for as long as I can, then on the hills switch up just to two. I used to get it up to three or four on hills. The longer you can ride in a lower setting, the longer the battery will last. Just yesterday, I was able to conserve battery life for so long that I found myself with plenty of charge on my last three miles home. So I gave myself a treat and put the bike up to number four, which really makes you fly. All I had to do was move my legs like puppet legs and the bike did the rest. I clocked in at 27 mph! It was so exhilarating. All the while I felt completely in control. The bike gives you confidence that you are fully in charge of yourself and your vehicle. It takes the burden off your tired muscles so you can focus on control.
I am renewed. I am reborn. I feel electric. I feel like I am flying. I feel like I’m 25 years old again.
I look forward to every day that I can get up and get on my bicycle. Where will I go? What new thing will I experience today?
Content and Photos: JJ Hoffman.