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FORT WORTH  —  Paul Jung loved the idea of the electric bike, but the ones he saw were all too technical and clunky. So, he created his own.

He says, “We spent a year and a half and focused just on design, we wanted to focus on is having that retro feel, that cruiser style bike.”

Fort Worth based Bodhi bikes has a classic, vintage look, which has even caught the attention of the fashion industry.

But it’s all green, from the stylish bamboo rims to the electric battery.

Paul says it’s light weight and you just pop it out of the bike and charge it at home, like you would a laptop.

We asked him what makes him a trendsetter and he says, “This is going to allow people to get back on a bike who haven’t ridden in a while, and spend time with their family.”

The gears are easy to change, all you have to do is twist the throttle and with the push of your thumb you can give yourself an electric boost, of up to 20 miles an hour.

Paul says, “I call that the Ashlee-mode, my wife wanted total control, like our marriage.”

I asked him, “What is it about bicycles that you love?”

And he says, “Ever since I was a kid it was that sense of freedom that you feel when you’re riding, you’re free and you feel the wind in your face.”

You can customize your Bodhi bikes, which start at $1,500.

A worldwide movement into the electronic age is steering Fort Worth entrepreneur Paul Jung down a new career path.

Earlier this summer, Jung rolled out Bodhi Bicycles LLC along with wife, Ashlee, and business partner Kirby Smith. The family-owned company makes electric bikes, bicycles just like regular bikes – with handlebars, brakes, pedals and gears – but powered by the addition of a small motor along with a rechargeable battery for a faster, smoother ride.

An idea more than a century old, the e-bike is an evolving and promising alternative form of urban transportation that has exploded in China and is just taking off in Europe and the United States, Jung said.

By far the growing demand for electric-powered motorcycles and scooters – many e-scooters are sold as bicycles so they do not have to be registered – is in China, where one out of every three inhabitants uses two-wheeled transport, according to research firm Pike Research. Many Chinese workers weary of crowded public transport or pedaling long distances to work are ditching traditional bikes and cars for electric two-wheelers.

Pike Research forecasts that the total number of e-motorcycles and e-scooters on the road, worldwide, will increase from 17 million in 2011 to 138 million by 2017.  Sales of these vehicles will rise sharply in North America and Europe over the next six years, the firm predicts.

“People in the U.S. still enjoy their cars and SUVs but we’re starting to see a trend toward bicycles, particularly in big cities,” said Jung, a native New Yorker. “More bike paths are being built, including our new ones in Fort Worth. Mayor Price is a great advocate for cycling. More infrastructure is being architected to support bicycling. More people are choosing bicycling as a lifestyle and as part of their transportation in their daily life. As Fort Worth moves to more urban living, we think our bike is perfect.”

Jung’s high-end Bodhi Bikes are not your grandfather’s two-wheeler or even your father’s e-bike.

Carrying a price tag of $2,500, the bikes run the federally regulated 20 miles per hour, and are designed with new technology and a fresh, hip look. The current Sport and Step-Through styles feature a 250-watt electric brushless front-wheel motor powered by a 24-volt lithium-ion removable battery, handcrafted bamboo fenders, a plush saddle, ergonomic grips and a drive train that uses Austin-based NuVinci’s new continuously variable planetary technology for ideal gear ratios.

The power-on-demand system results in miles of fun and zero emissions, Jung says, and is unlike anything available on the market.

While Jung is proud of his bikes’ technical features, he remains focused on their aesthetic and cultural amenities.

“We’re really providing an accessory to people’s lifestyles. Our lifestyle brand is defined by three themes – wellness, family and environment,” Jung explained. “Our bikes can help you reconnect with family and friends. You’ll get a whole different perspective touring outside, and more power going up hills. You can also get a total gym workout outside while protecting the environment and reducing your carbon footprint.”

Shifting gears

Wheeling into more advanced technology and different markets is nothing new to 50-year-old Jung, who admits to having a “techie-geek inside of me.”

Jung, a first generation Chinese-American, graduated from New York University with a degree in computer science and economics. He worked six years as a software engineer for a firm in Atlanta and later spent eight years as a tech executive for Taleo Corp., an online talent management company now publicly traded.

Jung met Ashlee in New York, where she was beginning her career as an executive search consultant and where he had returned to become an actor. The couple moved in 2003 to her hometown of Fort Worth as a better environment for their two young children. Before launching Bodhi Bicycles, Jung was running a boutique executive recruitment solutions firm he and Ashlee co-founded.

Although selling electric bikes is a decidedly different career change, Jung says the new endeavor is the just the type of challenge he wanted.

“I decided it was time for a new challenge,” he said. “I have a firm belief in continually challenging yourself. I like to find that next thing to stretch my limits.”

Jung’s interest in e-bikes piqued after a friend introduced him to one.

“I fell in love with it immediately,” he said. “When you get on one you’re taken back to getting on your first two-wheeler as a kid, just feeling that freedom and laughing and smiling.”

Jung and Smith developed a business plan and assembled a board of directors for the company. Both partners oversee sales and customer service activities for their start-up, while Smith also conducts sourcing and manufacturing in China. Paul and Ashlee became the first investors in the company, which has raised about $500,000 from local angel investors.

An ancient story inspired the company’s name, and was chosen to set the tone for the upscale brand.

“Prince Siddhartha sat under a Bodhi tree and meditated,” Jung said. “When he awakened from his meditation he became the first incarnation of the Buddha, an enlightened being. We aspire to the values associated with the Bodhi tree – enlightenment and awakening. Those are themes we think are relevant to who we are,” he said.

Jung said the new technology and the high-end components used help set Bodhi Bicycles apart from its competitors.

“When Kirby and I did the research we realized we had the opportunity to build something different, both in terms of style and in terms of ease of use. It’s still a fairly complex technical machine but at the same time we’ve made it very easy to ride,” Jung said. “That’s one of our key differentiators from our 
competitors.”

Currently, the owners are working on a folding e-bike, which is expected to be available next spring.

Additional features being considered for future models include GPS and wireless  technology.

The company does not have its own storefront as yet but bikes are available to test ride and buy at Colonel’s Bikes in Fort Worth and Custom Scooters in Plano. Jung said the company is looking to expand to other dealers across Texas as well as nationwide.

“It’s a fun ride. We’re riding the wave of a very nascent industry in the U.S. We think we have a unique product,” Jung said. “My wife and I are trying to create something for the long haul and something we can be passionate about and have fun with, too.”

Consider experiencing the wine country from a great new perspective.  Our newest partner, Change of Greenery, rents electric bicycles so you can quite literally “sip and ride” from winery to winery.  Rent your e-bike at their location in the newly-appointed 4-star Napa Valley Marriot Hotel & Spa.

On our recent trip to California, Paul had the opportunity to visit with Carolyn Nguyen, the Founder/GM of Change of Greenery.  Carolyn, with her amazing spirit, made time in her busy day spent managing and sending off group rides to give Paul a tour of her
operations.

Having such an e-bike pro at our disposal, of course we had to get Carolyn on a Bodhi Electric Bike.  And, we’re happy to report that she is currently cruising around Napa as our newest Ambassador!

Cheers to Change of Greenery!

For people who aren’t familiar with Change of Greenery’s “egreenery” electric bicycles, these unique bikes can cruise at a top speed of 18mph and can reach a range of over 30-miles using pedal-assist. For those seeking a break from time-to-time, these battery-powered velos are also equipped with a throttle, which acts as a moped with a twist of the wrist.

Carolyn Nguyen, General Manager of Change of Greenery states, “Visitors of all ages can bike Napa Valley with these electric cruisers. Guests can go the distance without worrying whether they will be able to return to their starting point or be frustrated trying to catch up with other cyclists who have more stamina than the average person.”
All electric bike rentals are fully equipped with a removable basket, a removable combination lock and a bicycle helmet.

For more information visit www.changeofgreenery.com.

We are donating a Bodhi Step-Through electric bike as part of the Grand Prize for the  “Green Your School Year Challenge.”

Want to learn more?  Try the Challenge.  It’s easy, it’s free and it’s super informative.  In about six minutes, I racked up 115 points and received several helpful hints on how to live a “greener” lifestyle.  What do the points get you?  Points provide you access to many incentive discounts from a wide range of businesses – shops like Brookstone, Home Depot, Staples, Martha Stewart, Sunglass Hut, Kashi, etc.  You get the idea.

Join us in supporting the campaign by liking the Recyclebank Facebook page.

We’ll continue to look for ways to support meaningful programs like the Recyclebank Challenge– to promote sustainable living and to encourage a more environmentally friendly, health-conscious, and just plain-old-fun means of transportation.

Recyclebank Launches the Green Your School Year Challenge

NEW YORK—WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 17, 2011—Recyclebank®, the company that rewards people for taking everyday green actions with discounts and deals from local and national businesses, today launched the Recyclebank Green Your School Year Challenge, a nationwide effort to motivate and inspire families to make eco-friendly decisions throughout the school year.

“As the school year goes into full swing for families across America, we urge everyone to examine their daily school year activities and consider how they impact the environment,” said Jonathan Hsu, chief executive officer at Recyclebank. “With our Green Your School Year Challenge, Recyclebank is making it fun and rewarding for both parents and kids to make greener decisions. Whether it’s packing a waste-free lunch, buying sustainably packaged school supplies or recycling your old computer, it’s the perfect time to get the entire family thinking green, as collectively, we can make a measurable difference on our planet.”

For more details on the Recyclebank Green Your School Year Challenge,  visit http://schoolyear.recyclebank.com.

With Sherrie’s new Bodhi Step-Through electric bike, complete with Nantucket baskets, she will now be riding alongside her husband, Bruce, as he takes his 30+ mile weekly rides – and look great doing it.

In the fall, she plans to try e-biking the 3-mile commute from her home to her workplace.

Congratulations, Sherrie.  Enjoy the Ride!

The Gabriel Family of Fort Worth, Texas

The Gabriel family has been riding together for years – and loving it.  However, like most families, not everyone pedals at the same level or speed.

The solution:  An e-bike with dual power modes of Pedal Assist and Throttle.  And preferably one that looked smart too.

As of this week, one lucky family member just became the proud owner of the Bodhi Step-through Electric Bike.  Now let’s see who’s keeping up with whom…

Congratulations, Gabriel family!  Enjoy the ride.

Everybody has a bike.  And everyone rides his or her bike.

With our love for the Austin beat, we’re also enamored with the work of professional photographer and Austinite-extraordinaire, Kirk Tuck. Over the course of a long, hot weekend, Kirk captured our imagination with his shots of our fabulous talent accessorized with our Bodhi electric bikes.

Kirk scouted out cool locations from a hip sushi bar in downtown Austin to a colorful alleyway that most of us would walk by without a second thought.

We’re grateful for Kirk’s incredible energy and talent.  And, we look forward to sharing the images with you in print and online in the near future.

We hope to see you on our next trip to Austin, Kirk.

Thank you to Atmtx Photography for capturing this moment!

www.kirktuck.com http://visualsciencelab.blogspot.com/
www.atmtxphoto.com www.mostlyfotos.com

A penny a mile?  Houston’s first electric bike store looks to change commuting

The bicycle is probably the closest you’ll get to the perfect mode of transportation. You aren’t polluting the environment, you’re getting some exercise and fresh air, you’re enjoying your surroundings, and golly gee, it really earns you that pat you give yourself on the back.

So why on earth would you need to put a motor on a bike?

Dave Martin, owner of Montrose’s brand new Revolution E Electric Bike Store, says it’s about time.  “Nobody in Houston was doing it exclusively,” Martin says.

“It’s a low-cost way to commute,” Martin tells CultureMap. “For the price of a gallon of gas, you’re getting 1,500 miles on an electric bike. It’s about a penny a mile.”

Martin might be on to something here. The Greater Houston area is nothing if not a vehicle-happy metropolis of six million commuters. Quite a few of us drive laughably short distances (um, live in the 610 Loop and work in the 610 Loop, anyone?), yet we still rely on the gas tank to take us where we want to go.

Competitive cyclists may scoff, but if you love two wheels, you’re going to dig the addition of an electric jolt to your ride. Pedal along a street and then give the throttle some juice. You go from coasting to cruising in no time flat, all while experiencing the rush of the elements in plain view.

Remember how much fun riding a bike used to be? Well, it still is, and it still can be. Electric bikes may not be the perfect answer to everyone’s eco-friendly transportation quandary, but at least it’s a different spin on things.

Read more: http://houston.culturemap.com/newsdetail/06-26-11-a-penny-a-mile-houston-first-electric-bike-store-looks-to-change-commuting/

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