NAMPA, Idaho — The electronic bike market in the United States reached $850 million in 2022. The e-bike trend is expected to nearly double by 2028 according to the latest market report.
Sunrise Electric Bicycles in Nampa opened its doors in 2019, and this family-run business tries to help people enjoy the outdoors in different ways as the e-bike trend grows.
"We have been booming! Growing year by year," said owner Nate Schwegman. "We do offer a 'buy local' discount and it comes with a five-year warranty."
Sunrise manufactures 11 different e-bikes providing people with a variety of different options. We met this company at the Idaho Outdoors Expo as e-bikes have become popular with hunters and anglers, and I could see using it as a shuttle option on river trips.
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"We have regular cruisers, we have hunting bikes, we have folding bikes for camping and we have downhill mountain bikes," said Schwegman.
Sunrise sells class two e-bikes, which means they are pedal assist with a throttle. The bikes have been manufactured with fat tires, full suspension, and top out at 20 miles per hour, by design, so that people can ride them in more areas.
"You can ride in sand, snow and dirt," said Schwegman. "I took mine on a 37-mile bike ride and the battery was still 77 percent full."
E-bikes are still pretty new so there are some misconceptions. These bikes still need to be pedaled, but the pedal assist can help people get in shape and they have been extremely popular with older generations.
My parents bought e-bikes that they have taken to National Parks, rode along the beach in California and also here in Idaho. They use e-bikes to give them a boost and sometimes that can be the difference between riding or not riding at all.
"There is a misunderstanding that these bikes aren’t a good workout, that it is the lazy way to ride a bike. When in fact, it is the opposite," said Schwegman. "You can control how much you work out and how much you don’t."
E-bikes can also be used for commuting in cities, but regulations are still being ironed out and vary depending on local, state and federal regulations.
In the Treasure Valley, people can ride class two e-bikes on the Greenbelt. The Eagle Bike Park allows e-bikes, and the Ridge to Rivers systems allows them on a few select trails, but most places designated for 'non-motorized use' prohibit e-bikes.
Some of these regulations could change in the future, but in the meantime, Schwegman advises people to know the rules for where they ride.
"Follow all posted signs on trails," said Schwegman. "That is something that is eventually going to be evolving. It does have a motor, it does have a battery, but it is still a bike."
If this is something you are interested in learning more about, Sunshine Electric Bicycles provide tours and they also rent bikes.
