SALISBURY — The sounds of tires treading over gravel and dirt accompanied excited chatter Monday morning outside the Salisbury Senior Center as dozens of seniors hit the trails testing out e-bikes.
“We’re excited getting people out, enjoying the day and looking at life in a different way. The good thing here is we have access all these wonderful trails,” Council on Aging Director Liz Pettis said.
Western Cycle President Jamie Fisher joined Pettis beginning at 10 a.m. bringing over a dozen e-bikes from his Seabrook business and helping with a presentation on the pros and cons before taking folks outside to begin riding them. E-bikes are still pedaled like a normal bike, but offer varying levels of assistance with an electronic motor.
Following the presentation, Fisher took questions from the audience, with many asking how best to secure a bike to a car.
“You need a good rack. Need a decent car rack,” Fisher said.
He specifically recommended a hitch rack.
“Really opens up the world of where you can take your bike,” Fisher said.
In terms of maintenance, he said they typically need a yearly tuneup dependent on use.
“We had one guy who came in from Seabrook that had 8,000 miles for it and that needed a huge tuneup. He should be coming in more than once a year,” Fisher said.
Regarding flat tires, he said most of the tires they use are flat-resistant.
“So it’s not foolproof but the rubber is a lot harder to get through,” Fisher said.
Pettis said her own e-bike has been very durable.
“Two-thousand miles, never flat,” Pettis said.
Before bringing folks outside, Fisher informed that each e-bike had keys in them used to lock and unlock the bike’s battery. He said as the technology improves, newer models may not share that feature.
“Some don’t even have keys, you need an app to unlock it,” Fisher said.
Once outside, Fisher and Pettis helped seniors pick out a bike that fit them and begin riding.
Tina Villnave, 66, said she drove from Southern New Hampshire for the seminar and shared she was still deciding if she wanted to take a test ride on the trails.
“I have a bunch of friends that cycle together and I’m to the point where I might appreciate a little assist once in a while,” Villnave said.
She tested some of the bikes by lifting them to see how their weight felt.
“I lost some of my upper body strength, so I need to be able to handle the bike or I won’t use it,” Villnave said.
Pettis said she would be taking out a group together once everyone was comfortable with a bike.
“Today, I’m leading the pack,” Pettis said.
Matt Petry covers Amesbury and Salisbury for The Daily News of Newburyport. Email him at: mpetry@northofboston.com.