Wheels in motion for first electric bike rental service in Kamloops

KAMLOOPS – Kamloops's first electric bike company will hit the ground rolling this summer. Electra Ride, founded by Gary Holland and his girlfriend Dana Marcano, will be the first of its kind in the city.

Holland has grown up in Kamloops and leads an active lifestyle, often hitting the local bike trails with Marcano. They bought two of their own electric bikes and quickly realized that it was an experience worth sharing with others.

In a city with such a strong passion for biking, Holland finds it surprising that there has been a gap in the electric section of the biking industry.

"I bought two, and I just thought it was amazing, and no one's offering it. We looked in Vancouver and Kelowna, and they're offering it," he says.

The bikes cost $2,500 a piece and will be rented out at prices similar to the electric bike rentals in Vancouver and Kelowna. The bikes can reach speeds of up to 33 km/h and have a battery life of nearly 65 kilometres. Holland says the bikes are all folding bikes, and the average car or hatchback can fit two.

"They're good for cruising around the streets, going on trails, on all the bike walks in town, and the dirt trails on the hills. They're not aggressive downhill bikes."

The couple is expecting shipments of bikes from June 15 to July 15 and will kick off the tours and rentals as soon as possible. The tour spots are being decided, but Holland hopes that Sun Peaks and the Shuswap are two of the main destinations.

As well as the destination tours, he is eager to showcase his hometown to visitors for the local tours.

“We're going to get a bit of history of Kamloops and throw it in there and tell people from out of town about Peterson Creek, Tranquille farm, you know, there are tonnes of places to go," he says.

Although Electra Ride hasn't officially opened, the inquiries have already been pouring in, according to Holland.

“We went down to Brewloops yesterday, and 20 people asked ‘Where can I rent those bikes?’ and I don't even have decals on the ones I've got yet."

Holland has ordered merchandise such as decals and shirts, and plans to start advertising by wearing them around while on the bikes.

"Basically, we'll have it running this year, but next year we're going to hit it really hard. We're hoping to have another ten bikes next year."

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