Pedego Electric Bikes Opens New Shop in Southlands
It all started with a Santa Claus suit.
Murray Pratt, a long-time South Delta resident and active leader in the local sports community, had been dressing up in recent years as Santa Claus for children in the hockey program and for families at the Beach Grove Golf Club during Christmas.
The COVID-19 pandemic put a stop to that. But Pratt’s friend Gord Sarkissian suggested this past holiday season that Pratt join him and group of electric bike enthusiasts to wear the Santa suit once again.
But this time, they toured Tsawwassen and Ladner with a group of elves on e-bikes, visiting senior living homes, bringing some cheer to the residents through the safety of windows.
“It was transformational,” says Pratt.
The community loved the event and Pratt was taken with the electric bike experience.
“Gord and I started looking closer at electric bikes and studied the business,” he says. “Both of us are getting closer to retirement years and we wanted to do something that contributes to the community; something unique that creates good spirit and keeps us active.”
They decided to partner up to start an electric bike shop and tour business.
They found the perfect fit here at Southlands.
Pedego Electric Bikes is set to host a COVID-sensitive opening in Southlands on Saturday, 8 May 2021 located next door to Prado Cafe (map it).
Pedego will be a 750-square-foot electric bike sales and rental shop that also offers local tours, information and repairs.
With its origins in California in 2008, Pedego Canada started two years later and now has a chain of more than a dozen stores across the country offering sales, service and rentals of North America’s favourite electric bicycle.
Southlands is the Perfect Fit
Electric bikes are best experienced where you have beautiful places to ride.
Southlands is perfect, Pratt says. It has access to trails and is well connected to Boundary Bay for rides along the oceanfront.
A multi-use pathway is set to open this fall will lead directly to and through downtown Tsawwassen.
“Our concept is: ‘Around the Bay Adventures’,” Pratt says. “We’re really excited that our bikes can get you out around Boundary Bay and to see all the things that you can do there.”
Benefits of Electric Bikes
Electric bikes help to reduce our carbon footprint and provide a fun and social way to get around, especially for people of a certain age who prefer some motorized encouragement on their bikes, Pratt says.
You can ride and chat with your friends and family, he says. “You’re not gasping for air.”
“I always loved biking up until the age of 50 and then between my 50s and 60s I got tired,” Pratt says. “It got tougher to go out and do it. All of a sudden, getting an electric bike opened that world back up to me.”
Pedego bikes are technically electric assisted bikes that can be peddled, Pratt notes. “It’s easier on my legs and my knees.”
When the idea emerged to set up shop in Southlands, the team at Century Group immediately loved the idea, Pratt says. It was clear that they shared the same values of fun, activity, health and sustainability.
“We’re looking forward to seeing how the community evolves, and were excited to grow with Southlands,” Pratt says.