In this month's edition:

1. An Invitation

2. What's Up With Xootr

3. NYCEwheels Readers' Poll: Does Bert's Halloween Costume Make Him Look Fat?

4. Eye on E Commuting: A Canadian in Calgary, YippeeeiAA!

5. NYCE Introductions: Nick, Bike Guy

YOU ARE INVITED
You are cordially invited to NYCEwheels 2nd Birthday Party! Come out and party with the gang at NYCEwheels on Tuesday, November 18th at 6 o'clock. There will be plenty of home cooked food, a tasty keg of beer and Andersson Incredible Ice Cream - a treat for everyone! Plus, the art gallery next door will be having an opening and we're hoping Bailey's Pub, just two doors down, will have some live music, so it should be a regular block party here in YORKVILLE. Make the trip - we want to see you again or meet you in person if we haven't yet!


What's Up With Xootr?
Many of our readers have been wondering the same thing, "What is up with that Xootr company?" For those not in the know, the XOOTR KICK SCOOTER is the most popular adult kick scooter on the market. They feature sturdy yet lightweight construction, a quick fold down design and large polyurethane wheels created for low resistance and high speed. People simply love them. The company also dabbled in high-powered, lightweight electric powered products including the Xootr eX3 scooter and the revolutionary VOLOCI ELECTRIC MOTORBIKE.

After a 6 month restructuring period, Xootrs are finally back! Xootr Street, Cruz and Venus kick scooter models are available now and within the next few weeks NYCEwheels will be dealing and free-wheeling the Voloci electric Motorbike, including parts and service for Previous Nova Cruz customers. We will also service and provide parts for the Xootr eX3 electric scooter, stop in the shop to check it out or else give us a call at 1-800-692-3943.

NYCEwheels Reader's Poll: Does Bert's Halloween Costume Make Him Look Fat?

a) No-he is as slight as the slightest Russian ballerina

b) Jah...He like healthy farm girl working in fields! He like Bavarian Princess

c) Oh no-he just looks big boned and he has such a pretty face it doesn't matter.

d) Are you kidding-That guys practically bursting with strudel

Eye on E Commuting: A Canadian in Calgary, YippeeeiAA!

NYCE Kim: OK, so. Eye on E Commuting. This month's interview takes me to beautiful Calgary Canada where Mother Nature reigns supreme. This is a lovely city situated in the Canadian Rockies and home of more Wild Wild West shows than seems natural. Of course, all that's natural is the main attraction in a town that boasts thousands of acres of parkland and wildlife preserve. Not that I don't LOVE donning a rodeo outfit and marching around in my Stetson hat. I'm here today with Bernie, UBK Electric Bicycle Kit owner. Bernie, we shipped you this bike last spring. Tell me about it.

Bernie: I was trying to find someone - anyone - who would ship a bike into Canada. When I called Bert, he told me that he has sent kits into Canada, "no problem."

NYCE Kim: That's true, we haven't had any problems, but I've heard a lot of people who have had trouble with Canadian customs and electric powered vehicles. Any customs stories come to mind?

Bernie: How about the time I ordered a replacement controller from the manufacturer that cost $40. They sent it UPS, and it took 4 weeks to arrive and cost $45 in brokerage fees.

NYCE Kim: Whoa! Whad'ya say we mosey on down to the ol' customs depot and show them sons of a guns a lesson or two about justice! Like in the old West! YeeHaa! But, back on topic, tell me about your kit. What do you use your "home-made" electric bike for?

Bernie: Well, winter has come in Calgary. We had six inches of snow yesterday and more today. So now my bike is parked. But in the spring and summer I had a great time on my bike. As soon as I left my house, I was on a bike path and did not see a single car until I got downtown. As soon as it leaves my neighborhood, the path drops down into Fish Creek Provincial Park. That is a protected nature reserve on the south end of the City. It is full of deer, porcupines, coyotes, etc. and I was always meeting animals on my trip.

NYCE Kim: Yeah, I hear ya. I've met some real animals in my travels too, the things some people say!

Bernie: Uh . . . . The park then becomes part of Bow Valley, which runs along the Bow River. The river is the prime breeding grounds for various Trout species and runs from the Rockies at Banff National Park.

NYCE Kim: We have a spot in Central Park that is like a breeding ground for the West Nile Virus. I'm starting to see a lot of similarities between our two towns, pardner!

Bernie: As I was saying, because it is full of breeding fish, it attracts a lot of
migrating birds, like falcons, hawks, owls and the odd eagle.

NYCE Kim: That is so interesting - on 5th Avenue there are some hawks that nest in the top of a building and there are always bird watchers in the Park with amazing telescopes looking at them. But I never thought the birds were very odd, more like the bird watchers if anything. But of course, these aren't eagles and not odd eagles to say the least . . . .maybe that makes a difference. I have an uncle who can be described as odd. I'd like to learn more about this Odd Eagle.

Bernie: I think I told you the story once about how I accidentally ran into another cyclist? Because a bald eagle had landed on a tree in between both of us and we were
paying so much attention to the eagle neither were actually watching where we were going!

NYCE Kim: That is funny! Only in Canada! But that is a story about a bald eagle. I suppose that will work since my uncle is sort of bald too.

Bernie: Anyway, that's an aside. Once I would get into the Bow Valley, there would be 2 inclines and declines up and down the valley until I got into downtown. The UBK is not strong enough to carry a person up the valley - it's meant for long distance. So I was always running my batteries down by the time I got downtown. That's OK though, because the speed limit on the bike trail is actually only 14 mph and the local police actually have radar traps setup on the bike trails downtown.

NYCE Kim: Wow, that is crazy! Must be for lack of other crime . . . Speaking of crazy - did I mention my uncle? Odd as an eagle, that one. Let's talk more about the conversion kit - UBK has a 400 watt hub motor. The kit actually comes with the motor built right into the wheel. Is that why you chose this kit?

Bernie: I bought the UBK for a couple of reasons. I like how easy it looked to setup and I wanted something that could go more than 25 miles at more than 15 mph. The other consideration was I wanted something that was still classified as a bicycle. Some of the electric scooters are classified as motorized vehicles and fall under the same licensing and insurance requirements as motorcycles. A motorized bicycle (that is not capable of accelerating more than 22mph) is still considered a bicycle.

NYCE Kim: Then our 36 volt Currie Upgrades would never be allowed! So what is your commute like?

Bernie: Let me first answer that by explaining a bit about where I live. The city of Calgary is a beautiful city. Its biggest drawback is how difficult it is to get around when you live in the outskirts. These are all new communities that have expanded very quickly and the city/province have cut back spending on roads etc. So it is a very difficult commute. When I moved to that area, I worked close by, but then I started working downtown and the commute was terrible. My options were: 1hour+ by train or 45 minutes driving in heavy traffic, and if there was an accident or bad weather it could take 2 hours each way, easy. The greatest thing about Calgary is its extensive bike paths. It has the largest, most extensive bike path system in the Americas. There was a bike path that went almost from my front door all the way downtown - about 25miles.

NYCE Kim: Wow. That is a pretty long electric bicycle commute. You enjoyed it?

Bernie: It was great. No matter how stressful a day I had, spending just over an hour (1 hour 15 minutes) surrounded by trees, river and all of nature in general REALLY has a calming effect.

NYCE Kim: Sounds awesome and inviting. You once said that if you live in Calgary you work in the Oil and Gas business - how does riding an electric bicycle fit in with your line of work?

Bernie: I am not actually in the oil industry. I'm the controller of a petroleum engineering company. My background is in international finance and venture capital. Most people don't realize how much energy is used to produce energy. The company I am with tries to optimize production - that is- make it as energy efficient as possible.

NYCE Kim: I see, and riding an electric bicycle to work is efficient and practical. Cool! How has electric bike riding changed your life?

Bernie: I got into electric bike riding for a reason. My daughter had recently been diagnosed with Leukemia and dealing with everything was getting very difficult. You cannot underestimate how spending 2 hours a day riding through nature reserves made each day so much easier to deal with. It allowed me the time to avoid people, reflect on things and otherwise got me away from the rat race. The commute to and from work everyday was something I looked forward to. It was what got me out of bed some days. We moved, in part to be closer to the hospital, and now my daughter is doing great and I don't necessarily need that same motivation right now. But it will always be there when I need a change.

NYCE Kim: I'm glad your daughter is doing great now - our hopes are with you and your family. Any parting words of wisdom to share?

Bernie: It's not just about getting there first. Its about enjoying the ride.

NYCE Kim: Awesome, thanks so much for your time and your story. Next month - A Xootr Kick Scooter In New York!

NYCE Introductions: Nick, Our Cool New Clerk



Welcome to Nick, the newest member of the NYCEwheels team. Nick, a graduate of Temple University, comes to us after two years of bike messenger service. I wrote an ad for a "smart under achiever willing to settle" and we scored BIG with Nick. Nick is a "bike guy" and none of us are so it is great having him here. He can answer all those tricky questions about derailleurs and gears and what not and he really knows what he is talking about.

Welcome Nick!