Let me just preface this entire piece to say: I am a self-identified cyclist.
I’ve lived in Los Angeles for my entire life, save a few years that I escaped to Honolulu to get my degree. I spent my younger years eager for the day I’d finally get my driver’s license – when I’d be able to carry my freedom in my wallet. But before I was “finally free,” I carpooled with friends. I rode my bike to school. Then, my electric scooter. I couldn’t wait to drive all on my own! Now, I’ve come full circle, looking to drastically reduce how much Sohrab and I use a car. We’ve done our research over the past year, knowing it would soon be time to part with one of our beloved MINI Coopers. Rather than move on to another, we decided we’d be on the hunt for an ebike that could replace it. In LA, that’s almost a joke! But we realized that enough of our car-driving is local enough that a bike and/or electric bike could do wonders for our environmental footprint.
Enter Lithium Cycles. You may have heard of their sleek lineup, the Super 73. Part electricity, part motor bike. It looks rad, it has an incredibly smooth ride, and it’s environmentally friendly. Win, win, win.
On a warm Saturday in August, we drove down to Huntington Beach, CA for the company’s very first official meetup! But this was not just a group hangout – it was a celebration of micromobility in a big city dominated by the car.
The irony of driving an hour and a half through the heart of Los Angeles to get to an electric bike meetup was not lost on me. It’s true that LA is an incredible large and spread out metropolis – with commutes spanning from every corner. There’s even a song from 1982 called “Walking in LA” by Missing Persons that makes fun of the idea of not driving a car in Los Angeles – it’s just not in the city’s DNA to support an ecosystem of mixed-mode commuting.
https://youtu.be/R_UpLtGEWoY
But that’s not how it’s always been.
Old photos show public transportation reigning supreme in the city streets – automobiles dodging pedestrians and streetcars that had dedicated rails in the road. Today’s subway system is a mere memory of the ways people used to get around in my town. Although many people rely on it to get around, it’s just not effective enough to inspire someone living here to ditch their car in its favor.
And yet, we’re seeing a resurgence in micromobility.
Even though I’ve only traveled to 4 countries outside of the US, I can safely say that the majority of cities I’ve been to in Europe have better public transportation than Los Angeles. Many of us are fighting for better and more multi-use roads, providing a safer environment for more people to walk, ride bikes (or ebikes), and use electric scooters like Lime (RDD5TYU for $3 off!) or Bird (BXPVVJ for a free ride!). Most people don’t need a car to get to the grocery store, or the gym, and yet we use them. Some commutes, even, don’t require a car. This hyper-local approach to transportation is a driving force behind the change that we are pushing for.
I could get into the politics behind ridesharing, bikeshares, and scooter shares, but instead of derailing this piece entirely, I’ll simply say this. Los Angeles is a city begging to come out of the transportation dark ages, pushing for an infrastructure that comes all too slowly. We’re already using bikeshares. We’re already renting scooters off the street. Now we just need places to ride them safely.
Yes, the city is listening, and I’m lucky to live in a part of Los Angeles that’s doing a pretty good job. But we’re not there yet.
In a world where people are getting more and more picky about how they travel, Lithium Cycles is leading the charge for the personal movement revolution. You don’t need a license or registration to ride a Super 73, and with the range these electric motorbikes have, they’re a reasonable option even for those of us in Los Angeles.
So, when Sohrab and I drove down to Huntington Beach for the inaugural Super 73 meetup, we were delighted to see that most people arrived on their bikes – Super 73s and other brands. Yes, this meant that many didn’t need to travel far to get there – but others had flown into Los Angeles from all over the country. This is a testament to the brand power that Lithium Cycles and their Super 73 has already commanded – and it’s only been 2 years since the bike was launched!
On that August morning, the celebration started long before its announced time as everyone eagerly lined up to sign in and get their raffle tickets and branded t-shirts. Lithium team members ran up and down the line with water bottles, snacks, and of course, a hype guy with a camera.
We dodged the summer sun to crowd around the Revive Kombucha truck and the High Brew Coffee tent, all while talking bikes, goofing off at the photo booth, and eagerly awaiting the raffle for the ultimate prize: the not-yet-released Super 73 Z bike.
We stared at our raffle tickets, willing them to call out our number. Sohrab’s was just one digit off.
Womp womp. 😉
Because we didn’t have bikes with us (Super 73 or otherwise), we decided to forgo the group ride that went along the coastline after the event. Next time!
We walked away impressed, not only by the bikes, but by the community that has already formed around them. We got the chance to speak to Michael Cannavo, one of the co-founders, and it’s very clear that the Super 73 was created and is being promoted out of passion. (Seriously, have you seen their killer Instagram?!)
Thanks to Michael and the entire Lithium Cycles team for hosting a fun event. We can’t wait until the next one!
YOUR TURN: Have you ever considered swapping your car for a bike (or ebike) on those short errands?
