# Why Do You Do This?


My goal is to help more people understand whether an e-bike is right for them, and help them find
the one that will work right for them if so.

I bought my first e-bike in spring of 2021, and I found it to be a transformative experience. It
immediately changed how I navigated the world: huge parts of my city were open to me that hadn't
been accessible before, and I was able to drastically drive down the amount that I used a car.

From watching the [Charlottesville E-bike Lending Library](https://www.ebikelibrarycville.org/), I 
knew that there was an opportunity to help people try out e-bikes to figure out if they would work
for them. When I saw a terrific deal on a RadPowerBikes RadMission (their clearance sale for just
$500), I bought one for myself... and also told all my friends to buy one. I expected to lend out
a single bike to help people experience e-bikes for the first time.

But it turns out that I have a lot of friends.

Over the 3 days until RadPower sold out of RadMissions, I had more than 180 people follow my
referral link to buy bikes. Rad eventually gave me referral bonuses for 90 of those people,
meaning I had $4500 in RadPower Gift cards.

A question I asked myself at that point: **What do I do with $4500 in gift cards to an e-bike retailer?**

I did the only sensible thing: Buy two more RadPower bikes, buying
different shapes and styles of bikes with the goal of helping people find the bike that's right
for them.

<img src="/ebikes/radpower-4.jpg" 
     alt="4 e-bikes lined up in a row in a driveway; each is a different model." />

Since launching the library, I've had at least a half dozen different people try and then buy an
e-bike. And based on my recommendations, I know I've helped dozens of people buy bikes that they
love riding, and have resulted in thousands of miles of car trips reduced in favor of e-bikes.

It's my hope that by helping people find out what works and doesn't work for them, we can help even
more people find their way to a great transportation tool that can change their life, like it has
changed mine.