STOKED ON SPOKES: HOW THE E-BIKE MADE GOING SURFING WAY EASIER

Reading Time: 5 minutes

Riding a bike to the surf has always been a popular transport mode for surfers. Few things deliver a sense of freedom like a surfboard and a bike and recently Electric Bikes have made that perfect connection even better.

On an E-bike it’s easy to check the surf quickly, or cruise straight down with your board in a secure rack. You can also skip the parking hustle and hit that spot just over the hill without getting caught in the local traffic jam. Instead of putting sky-rocketing petrol in the car, it’s wind in your hair and more money in the bank. 

We recently got our hands on an Electra Townie Go! 7D model and took it for a test-ride in the beachside terrain. Below is a run-down on some of the features of an E-bike that lets you kick back in the saddle while you head to the beach and beyond.   

It’s Easy to Use

This was not a complicated piece of equipment that required deciphering and set-up time. It was a jump on and ride away kind of deal. It took about two minutes to become familiar with the practical elements of the bike. The seven speed gears on the right handlebar worked with a classic throttle mechanism – simply twist up or down to gain more or less torque. Meanwhile, the power supply on the left handlebar was a basic, button-operated job. Hit plus for more juice and minus to power down. A cute, light system indicates where you are on the power scale. Most of the time a mid-range power mode is ideal for performance and battery economy.            

A Smooth Ride

When I first jumped on; I had two major concerns – one that the bike would take-off like a horse that had bolted and leave me holding on for dear life. The second was that it would be too slow off the mark (like a regular bike) and hard to get going from a standing start, particularly if you were in a high gear.

Both these fears proved to be unfounded.

While the Townie Go! 7D requires you to pedal to crank the motor, once I started turning over the cogs the bike had good pick-up. The transition from stationary to cruising-speed was silky smooth. A couple of gentle rotations and you could feel the power kick in – not a jolting surge like a motorbike that has been over-throttled, just a nice steady supply of power that allows you to glide along the bitumen at an even clip. There was enough grunt for a reasonably heavy person to get a kick out of the bike, but the acceleration was also moderate enough to make you feel safe handing the wheels over to a young teenager whose looking for an express ride to the beach.

Plug it in and forget about it.

The electric engine is contained within the bike frame. No detaching or fiddling necessary. The bike comes with a simple battery charger that plugs into the wall at one end and the bike frame at the other. Two seconds and bingo-bango your bike is on charge. It doesn’t take long to fill up and a full charge will provide multiple trips, depending on how far you are travelling. Just remember to POWER OFF when you are not riding.   

The Rack is Secure

The Electra Go! &7D rack is purpose built to transport surfboards on their bikes. When you are carrying a board on a rack you want to know that A: The rack and board are attached in a manner that doesn’t make the journey clumsy or dangerous. B: Your prized board is secure and never in danger of sliding out of its slot. Initially, I was a little nervous powering towards the beach with my board nursed by a u-shaped rack. However, the snug fit of the rack combined with the secure strap that wraps over the rail of the board ensured that I could turn and twist and go up and down steep hills without fear that my favourite board would be dislodged.      

Comfort is Key

There are other electric bikes around that offer more speed and acceleration but make a compromise on comfort. By comparison The Townie Go! 7D, with its wide seat and curved handlebars, feels like a mobile lounge chair. It’s also a great option for parents who are reticent to let their kids jump on something that is a motorbike by another name. Meanwhile, it’s hard to look cool if you don’t feel comfortable. It’s worth noting that if you want to power-off and ride it like a regular bike to give the quads and heart a little more work, then the Townie still functions as a classic, pedal-powered beach cruiser.     

The Hill Climb

While the Townie Go! 7D doesn’t have as much vertical grunt as some other models, it’s still got more than enough to ascend the local inclines. We tested it out on the meanest hill in a nearby neighbourhood and with a little pedal  work we had no problems making the climb.    

Why the Townie Go! 7D?

One of my favourite surfing haunts is notoriously crowded when it comes to finding a park. The search for an appropriate gap can be painstaking and frustrating, particularly when the road is close enough to afford you a view of the waves breaking. Sometimes – particularly in summer – you spend so much time looking for a park that the tide and conditions change by the time you actually land a slot and walk to the surf. Similarly, when you are trying to squeeze a quick surf in on a work day, searching for a park simply adds to stress. I figured the electric bike was the solution to my dilemma. A straight pushie might make me baulk just a little when I thought about the big hills either side of my favourite little nook. However, a reliable E-Bike like the Townie 7D Go! with a rack felt like the ultimate solution.                 

Click here to find out more or to shop the entire Electra Bikes collection.