eBikes are available for rental at Shelby Farms Park, with Overton Park, River Park, and Big River Crossing coming soon.
These electric bikes are part of Explore Bike Share, Memphis' nonprofit bike-share system.
"eBikes are have become very popular worldwide," said Anton Mack, Explore Bike Share's executive director. "We really think it's a perfect fit for Memphis given the climate and the distances that people travel. People love to ride bikes in our parks. You can ride this with the electric pedal assist and stay cool, avoid exhaustion. You can literally ride from Downtown to Shelby Farms."
The bikes work on an electric motor and battery. The motor kicks in when the bike is pedaled. This is known as the "pedal assist."
"This is not a motor scooter or motorbike," Mack said of the eBike. "It does not operate if you do not pedal. It will help you as you get started, but if you start pedaling fast, it will stop working. Because it knows that you don't need help, but then you get to a hill, you're slowing down, there's a little more pressure, it starts to help more."
The speed on the eBikes top out at 15 miles per hour. Distance is about 30 miles per charge.
The eBikes use a different docking station than Explore's regular bikes. The docking station in Overton Square has been installed. It just needs to be activated.
The goal, said Mack, is to have a total of 60 docking stations in the city with 300 eBikes.
For a limited time, Explore Bike Share is offering $120 annual membership that unlock both smart “Explore” bikes and eBikes for unlimited 60-minute rides.
Morgan Rameker is the executive director of Bcycle, which is Trek's public bike-sharing system. Bcycle provided the eBikes.
She said, "We have launched more than 50 bike share systems in the past decade."
Cities Bcycle have entered include everywhere from Los Angeles to Spartanburg, South Carolina.
"Some places, it really is a critical part of transit," she said. "In other places, they're recreational options. So, it's really pretty fun to see the magic of getting people on bikes."
The eBikes are expensive, though — about $3,000 each. Mack said they're hoping for support from the city and county, grants, and private contributions.
"We're reaching out to the entire community and hoping that they will help us complete the mission of an eBike launch that's going to cover the city," he said.
Mack said Explore Bike Share has already replaced the car for some people in Memphis.
"Riding a bike is really one of the safest and healthiest forms of transportation," Mack said. "Today, in Memphis, we have always had a limited number of options for public transit. So, our goal really is to expand the mobility platform for the whole city and county. We've had tens of thousands of rides, thousands of miles ridden, which means lots of calories burned, lots of carbon offsets.
"The reason an eBike is even better is because even more people can participate," he continued. "For those who need a little extra boost or a little help along the way or getting back into the saddle after a long time, it's just the perfect segue. … It is fun, because you can ride a further distance. It's great for running an errand or going to a meeting or riding with friends."