SLO LIFE JunJul 2021
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| EXPLORE<br />
Going<br />
Electric<br />
BY PADEN HUGHES<br />
Recently my family showed up in Avila Beach on<br />
a beautiful sunny day and cruised into BoltAbout,<br />
a bike store located behind the restaurant Blue<br />
Moon Over Avila. BoltAbout was started by<br />
three Cal Poly grads. They originally intended<br />
to provide fun transportation specifically for<br />
students. They pivoted their business model to<br />
serve locals and tourists alike in Avila.<br />
Upon our arrival we were greeted by a cute little<br />
shop lined with charming beach cruiser electric<br />
bikes, ready for rent. They also had scooters,<br />
which is next on the top of my list for fun date<br />
ideas (sans kids). We had made a reservation<br />
online for two bikes and a kids trailer. I told my<br />
kids it would be like royalty pulled in a carriage—<br />
they bought into the idea and were thrilled to hop into<br />
their attached cart.<br />
Within 5 minutes we were dodging tourists and their dogs<br />
and happily throttling our way out of downtown Avila<br />
towards the Bob Jones Trail.<br />
I have walked, jogged, golf carted and pushed a stroller<br />
down Bob Jones Trail what seems like a hundred times<br />
since moving to the area in 2004, but never have I enjoyed<br />
it as much as I have on an electric bike.<br />
Now as someone in fitness, advocating for an electric<br />
experience over using your own athletic performance, is<br />
about as rare as it gets. But in the name of fun, electric<br />
wins for me for a couple of reasons.<br />
First, you can arrive dolled up for a date and jump on<br />
an electric bike and not break a sweat. So, anyone who<br />
is worried it’s too physical, rest assured—the only thing<br />
you will be experiencing on an electric bike is the wind<br />
through your hair and enjoying the uphill as much as the<br />
down.<br />
Now of course electric is only there if you want it. You can<br />
still choose to peddle your heart out. I thought I would<br />
do that, but then I found the throttle lever. Which brings<br />
me to my second reason I had so much fun: the thrill of<br />
bolting ahead so easily and smoothly, took over. It was the<br />
TIP!<br />
Check out<br />
bikeslocounty.org<br />
for regional bicycle<br />
maps and future<br />
bikeway paths.<br />
42 | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | JUN/JUL <strong>2021</strong>
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