As a lifelong cyclist and owner of The Spoke Shop, Dean Cromwell knows a thing or two about cycling trends. “ I raced dirt bikes when I was a kid and as a young adult,” says Dean. “In my twenties, a store had bikes with full suspension on sale for $999. Good thing it wasn’t $1 more or I wouldn’t have bought it,” he says with a laugh.
Now, he’s an avid proponent of e-bikes. “They are the future!” he says.
Over the years, both professional and recreational cycling has evolved to offer many options to advanced and novice riders alike. Trends show a growing bike market for a number of reasons including individuals looking for more exercise or opting to commute on bikes for cost saving measures, and even government initiatives. Fortune Business Insights predicts double digit global market growth and rising e-bike sales to be a key driver of market growth in the US.
“E-bikes make cycling more accessible,” says Dean. “They allow access for a much broader base of the population. I have customers on e-bikes that haven’t been in the saddle in 20 years and wish they had come in sooner,” he continues. “And they are ideal for commuting, since you can get to a place without getting sweaty and back home without as much effort.”
An e-bike-or electric bicycle-are bicycles that are equipped with a battery-powered electric motor that help propel you, all or part of the time. They are quiet, non-polluting, and can make cycling a lot more fun. The Spoke Shop’s website breaks it down here with a full page of FAQs.
Dean says new e-bike users make sure to check out the trails our area has to offer. “All of the Billings TrailNet trails, with the coolest being the Skyline Trail across the top of the Rims or even the Marathon Loop if you know the route. And for dirt trails, the Acton Recreation Area and Elk Basin we are developing.”
However, it may be most important to remember your helmet. ‘While how fast they go depends on class, some can go up to 28 miles an hour!’
BTN: As a longtime supporter of Billings TrailNet, a lot of our members know you well. So, tell us a little more about The SpokeShop for new folks!
DC: To new members of Billings TrailNet not familiar with The Spoke Shop, we’ve been here for 50 years, supporting cycling in Billings. We continue to support local trail building efforts with Billings TrailNet on the paved side of things and Pedal United on the dirt side of things. I have a passion for building trails and have been a big part of the Acton Recreation Area, which is a destination for folks in Billings. We are building a mountain bike network outside of Belfry called Elk Basin.
You mentioned the connected trail system in Denver in a 2019 article. How do you think the landscape in Billings has changed over time? Are you optimistic we will achieve that goal in the near future?
DC: What impresses me most are the ideas that come up like concepts of The Skyline Trail and how it goes from A to Z and now it’s done. The Stagecoach is new and now to connect everything is a major piece from the valley up to the top. It’s also important to get up there safely, I’ve been up there plenty of times and you definitely have to pay attention. I’m optimistic that we will achieve this goal based on the success of the Skyline Trail. If you can think and conceptualize it, there are a lot of people in our community that are willing to get behind it. Another thing, e-bikes are a big part of our business which means you are getting way more people on bikes. Which means we need more trails! And I am excited for the Stagecoach Trail.
BTN: What suggestions do you have for individuals looking to support trail initiatives and outdoor recreation in their communities?
DC: Basically supporting your local advocacy groups like BTN and Pedal United, and then within them there are volunteer opportunities. If the public gets their minds around the economic benefits of supporting trails, they know the trails are good for the community. People want to live in places that have access to recreation like the Acton Recreation Area. Having events like a marathon, or a century (100-mile) race are the kinds of things that will bring people to our city.
BTN: You mentioned the term ‘e-bikes’ earlier. Can you tell me what it is?
DC: To define an e-bicycle, it is a bicycle that has an electric motor that assists the rider. It makes you stronger and rides just like a bicycle. There are classifications of e-bikes. We sell electric pedal assist bikes. You can select power modes: 1x, 2x and 4x stronger. This means e-bikes make cycling more accessible. For example, you may have someone that isn’t as mobile as they used to be. The assist makes the bikes easier to ride and makes them more fun.
BTN: Is it possible to get more people to ride e-bikes for commuting? ,
DC: We do have customers that use them for their main mode of transportation. It helps you get to a place without getting that major sweat on, and back home with not as much effort.
BTN: How fast can they go?
DC: Depends on class, but they can go up to 28 miles an hour. An average non-e bike is usually somewhere between 15-20 mph.
BTN: Tell us more about e-bikes and what role you see e-bikes playing in the future of biking and trail exploration?
DC: E-bikes allow access for a much broader base of the population, there are a ton of people that ride e-bikes that would never ride regular bikes. But there is always room for both.
BTN: What are some of the best trails, parks, courses you might recommend for e-bike riders?
DC: For dirt trails, the Acton Recreation Area, Zimmerman Park, or the developing Elk Basin. For paved trails, all the urban trails are worth exploring. The coolest ones are the Skyline Trail across the top of the Rims from Swords to Zimmerman Park. You can do the Marathon Loop if you know how to do it. The vision of having the Marathon Loop itself would be cool. These are the kinds of things that put a community on the map, things like a marathon loop or a century ride.
BTN: And now for a few more fun questions! What’s the most adventurous thing you have done and does it have to do with bikes or trails?
DC: Recently, I jumped out of an airplane for my birthday! It was my first time skydiving. I have always been an adrenaline junkie. I used to race motorcycles and bungee jump. I think because of the way I am wired, I’ve never had much fear! I was with someone jumping tandem, his feet just dangling outside of the airplane. Then we just went over the edge and free fell for a minute, once the parachute opened it was so peaceful.
BTN: Are you going to do it again?
DC: Oh yeah, 100%
BTN: In another one of our posts from last summer, you mentioned you grew up playing music. What’s on your playlist?
DC: Classic rock and blues and funk, although my tastes have broadened over time. I recently went to a Dave Matthews concert, but my favorite band is Tower of Power. I love their song What Is Hip.
‘E-bikes make cycling more accessible. It allows access for a much broader base of the population. I have customers on e-bikes that haven’t been in the saddle in 20 years and wish they had come in sooner,’ he says. ‘And they are ideal for commuting, since you can get to a place without getting sweaty and back home without as much effort.”
An e-bike-or electric bicycle-are bicycles that are equipped with a battery-powered electric motor that help propel you, all or part of the time. They are quiet, non-polluting, and can make cycling a lot more fun. The Spoke Shop’s website breaks it down here with a full page of FAQs.
Dean says new e-bike users make sure to check out the trails our area has to offer. “All of the Billings TrailNet trails, with the coolest being the Skyline Trail across the top of the Rims or even the Marathon Loop if you know the route. And for dirt trails, the Acton Recreation Area and Elk Basin we are developing.”
However, it may be most important to remember your helmet. ‘While how fast they go depends on class, some can go up to 28 miles an hour!’
‘E-bikes make cycling more accessible. It allows access for a much broader base of the population. I have customers on e-bikes that haven’t been in the saddle in 20 years and wish they had come in sooner,’ he says. ‘And they are ideal for commuting, since you can get to a place without getting sweaty and back home without as much effort.”
An e-bike-or electric bicycle-are bicycles that are equipped with a battery-powered electric motor that help propel you, all or part of the time. They are quiet, non-polluting, and can make cycling a lot more fun. The Spoke Shop’s website breaks it down here with a full page of FAQs.
Dean says new e-bike users make sure to check out the trails our area has to offer. “All of the Billings TrailNet trails, with the coolest being the Skyline Trail across the top of the Rims or even the Marathon Loop if you know the route. And for dirt trails, the Acton Recreation Area and Elk Basin we are developing.”
However, it may be most important to remember your helmet. ‘While how fast they go depends on class, some can go up to 28 miles an hour!’