Monday, October 12, 2009

Green Pedals to bring electric bikes to Lancaster


I'm stoked like the guy on the back of a tandem about a new two-wheeled development in Lancaster City, Pennsylvania. A business called Green Pedals has taken residence at 24 W. Orange Street and is rushing to stock an inventory of electric bicycles by the posted opening date of October 19.

According to its own website, the shop is planning to sell a range of electric-assist pedal bikes and electric scooters with the $2,699 Ultramotor A2B Metro electric bike as the flagship ride. The Pedago Umbrella Bike is a curious little $1,299 machine that can fold up to fit under your desk or, gasp, in the trunk of a gas-guzzling car. Green Pedals is also planning to pedal some $2,200 Motorino electric scooters that look like Vespas without exhaust pipes.

The owner, self identified as Andrew Herr on greenpedalsltd.com,  sounds like he may be one of my Mennonite cousins. I'll have to look into that. I'm cheering for his success either way, but I predict that this is going to be a tricky business endeavor.

My concern is that there is not yet enough of a critical commuting mass in Lancaster to support a shop that solely deals in electric bicycles. Ever since the wonderful Cycle Circle moved out of the immediate downtown vicinity to its new location on Plum Street, there has been room for a bicycle shop in the Downtown Investment District. But I feel that there would be better success for a store that deals in both electric bicycles and traditional bikes. Plowing forward with a new product without the support of a proven product base is, at best, risky.

I hope I am wrong.
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Posted by Ninja Fast at 1:12 PM
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3 comments. thank you for commenting:

  1. Just got an email from Andrew "Drew" Herr in response to a contact form that I filled out on the Green Pedals website.

    "Ted, Thanks for your interest in Green Pedals Ltd. I am working out about a million details of starting a new business and hope to have a decent amount of inventory for my limited opening starting Oct. 19. My goal is to be fully operational by November 1 and perhaps a Grand Opening celebration on the First Friday in December. Hope to see ya there."

    I am definitely planning to attend and learn more.
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  2. Thanks for the exposure Ted. My tree is full of Mennonite cousins but you'd have to go back about 4 generations to find one on my branch. FYI, I will have some traditional bikes, not mountain or road bikes though, lifestyle and retro cruisers as well as some foldables will round out the mix.

    Andrew Herr
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  3. Excellent! Glad to hear about the traditional bikes. I would think you also may do well with bicycle commuting accessories (panniers, reflective vests, locks, etc).
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