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Meet Jessica-Rose.
An EV e.revolutionary.

 

Jessica-Rose's e.bike

Jessica-Rose hadn’t been on a bike since she was a little girl. Then a young man suggested a bike ride to a local beach for a picnic as a first date. The date went well. So well, in fact, that two years later they were married and she found she’d fallen in love with bike riding too.

“I was using my bike so much and never wanted to go back to sitting in traffic. But if I had multiple meetings or had to head home with a backpack full of heavy groceries - the bike was hard work. I needed a better option,” she said.

So, what made her go down the route of getting her e.bike custom made, rather than buying one? “I didn’t want to get an off-the-shelf e.bike, it felt extravagant when I already owned a bike.” Thus began the conversion, with the help of suppliers from all over the country.

Jessica-Rose worked with Lekkie in Petone who make conversion kits, bike shops like Electric Bike Hub in Auckland, as well as Tevachonon for the technical build, which all meant she’d be able to use her bike for longer distances. Jessica-Rose later had disc brakes added from Mixte, plus new wheels and a customised name decal on the chain guard from Joscatcraft for a more personal touch. Her converted e.bike is a real labour of love from Kiwis all over NZ. Jessica-Rose warns, “It’s not for the faint-hearted, but it’s a very rewarding process.”

She re-covered the old seat herself, which is now one of the only original parts on the bike, and her husband hand-made the basket.

On their first date her now-husband turned her into a bike riding convert, then he helped convert her bike to an e.bike. And now she’s returned the favour and converted him to electric bikes too. A wonderful full circle.

“My husband wasn’t convinced about the e.bike, and would still drive to work, even though he biked to almost every other destination. He gave in last Christmas when they put up the parking price around his office. Since then, over a whole year, he’s used the car to get to work only three times,” she said.

Jessica-Rose is now so in love with her e.bike, she uses it every day. She still owns a car but mainly drives it to visit her grandma in Te Aroha. “Or when it’s raining really hard and I need to do a lot of crosstown trips during the day. I’m an enthusiast, not a martyr!”

Jessica-Rose and her e.bike love story have made her passionate about choosing electric and Kissing Oil Goodbye. “Think about what’s stopping you,” she said, “if it’s cost, think about all the hidden costs. An e.bike pays for itself in a year and can be a cheaper option than having a second car.” The time savings are a big drawcard for her too. “A general rule of thumb for me is that e.biking is exactly the same as driving, and usually a little faster than if I take public transport. I’ve done a few challenges around central Auckland to see whether the car or bike gets to the meeting faster, and the bike wins a lot more times than anyone expects.”

She’s been happy to see more resources for e.bikers pop up around town. “Big Street Bikers Rechargery is really useful. They’re looking at rolling out charging stations across New Zealand and they’ve even got a rent-to-own scheme. Anything that makes e.biking more accessible can only be a good thing.” We agree Jessica-Rose. We love supporting the work Big Street Bikers does and even offer a wonderful discount to Mercury customers who use their services.

There’s also been little bonuses she didn’t anticipate. “Riding around on my e.bike has made me so happy, I feel like the fresh air and fun exercise has had a really positive impact on my wellbeing.”

Wise words Jessica-Rose. We wish you and your e.bike a wonderful future together as you ride happily ever after.
 

 

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