This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2017, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Thanks to the Hogle Zoo and Utah Clean Energy for sponsoring the ZOOm Go Electric program. After attending a seminar at my local library, explaining the discounts being offered on electric cars and bikes, I decided to test out an e-bike for the first time.
I used to be passionate about road biking, but after knee and back surgery, I realized that being hunched over on a road bike was stressful on my body and not worth the days it took me to recover. It was love at first ride! I decided to buy an e-cruiser, which allowed me to sit upright, use the pedal assist or throttle if I wanted to take stress off my body, or just ride it like a real old-fashioned bike.
I can now accelerate to get across the street and not worry about falling off my bike as I clip into the pedals. If this discount program did not exist, I may never have tried the electric bike. Now I plan on keeping one more car off the road as much as I can.
I hope you continue this program because my body and the air says "thank you."
Claudia Fruin
Salt Lake City