May is Bike Month and Reno has a new bike shop that's helping more people get on two wheels.

Pedego Electric Bikes opened on Lakeside Drive last week.

"The difference between a Pedego Electric Bike and a regular bike is we have 500 watts of power that help push you up the hills," Pedego Reno Owner Patrick Hogan said. "Going down the hills, flat land, it's a regular bike; regular gear shifting, chain, tires, but when you need some assistance it will help you up the hill."

The bikes have throttles, like a motorcycle, but are legal on any paved surface a regular bike is allowed on.

"These are class 2 bikes, they will do up to 20 mph and that's by law, they are limited there," Hogan said.  

The goal here is to get more people on two wheels here in the Truckee Meadows.

"The Washoe RTC has have over 300 miles of marked bike lanes and 86 miles of bike paths," Hogan said. "Communities like Caughlin Ranch and Somersett all have bike paths incorporated into their master plans."

The shop has a simulator room where customers learn how the get the hang of things and customize their ride.

"There is maybe a two minute learning curve and we show you that," Hogan said. "We even have a device where we will measure your pelvic bones to get you the proper seat because we want you to be comfortable and we want you to be safe, that's our thing here at Pedego Reno and of course, the corporate tag line is 'Hello Fun!'"

The shop opened last week and business has already been brisk.

"This weekend we had four couples come in and all buy matching bikes," Hogan said. "Our clientele seems to trend a little older, they're not aggressively pounding the hillside, they just want to go for a ride," Hogan said. "Maybe before Grandpa and Grandma couldn't keep up, now they're waiting at the top for the youngens."

Washoe County has bike-related events all month long.

More information:  www.bikewashoe.org and https://www.pedegoelectricbikes.com/dealers/reno/

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