Getting Butts on Bikes in the Texas Heat

Nicole Zinn, owner of the Rocket Electrics shop in Austin, TX, recalled her first e-bike experience: “It was a hot summer day … I throttled up a hill and continued to cruise around without breaking a sweat. I hadn’t even known e-bikes existed, and I instantly became an evangelist, with just a twist of the wrist.”

Eight months ago, Zinn opened the doors to Rocket Electrics. She has sold just under 100 quality e-bikes and has provided hundreds of people with the chance to experience the freedom of riding an e-bike through rentals and tours.

When asked how she sees e-bikes affecting her customers, she told me of many instances where they are changing people’s quality of life. “One of our customers lost 14 pounds in two months without even trying,” she said. “Another customer chose to commute via e-bike to thwart her ‘soul-crushing’ commute.”

Her shop also takes advantage of any opportunity to demonstrate e-bikes at events. “The BOB program,” Zinn explained, “is simply getting ‘butts on bikes’ – our e-bikes get people on bikes that wouldn’t normally choose to use one for fun or transportation.”

“My next step,” said Zinn, “is to teach my dog to calmly sit in a trailer so that he can enjoy e-biking too.”

rocketelectrics.com