Biking with Rocket Electrics Is the Ultimate Way to Explore Austin

As Austin bloggers, we can assure you that there’s no shortage of things to do in Austin. Our Austinot blog is full of them, and each week we’re invited to try something new and unique.

When it comes to exploring all that Austin has to offer, there are only three things that limit you: traffic, parking and your imagination.

Any Austinite will tell you that parking and traffic can be maddening.

But what if you could permanently eliminate these maddening aspects of our city and let your imagination run free?

Enter Rocket Electrics.

First Impressions of Rocket Electrics Austin

We were invited to come and check out the electric bikes at Rocket Electrics. I-35 southbound was a parking lot, and I smirked at the irony. Brittany and I were going to be late to the electric bike tour because of traffic. I thought to myself: if I had an electric bike right now, traffic wouldn’t be an issue.

Arriving at 1608 E. Riverside Drive, I was greeted by John Dawson, General Manager of Rocket Electrics. John ushered me into the minimalistic shop (think Apple Store of electric bikes). The store is clean, has only top-quality electric bikes, with an open techie feel.

As I profusely apologized for arriving late, John smiled and said, “Traffic is never an issue for us.” Touche, John.

Snapping a few quick photos of the shop for my article, I went out to meet a sizable group of electric bikers who were ready to get going.

What to Expect from an Electric Bicycle at Rocket Electrics

Think of a beach cruiser with a throttle. The bikes have an ample seat and wide tires. Honestly, they look almost exactly like sturdy beach cruisers, other than a small rectangular box on the back (the battery) and a throttle on the right handlebar.

The folks at Rocket Electrics were great about making sure everyone’s bike was adjusted for height. In minutes, we were all off on the tour.

Funny thing was, because we were late, Brittany and I missed the part of the briefing where John explained how to kick in the electric power to the bike. I used to own a scooter, and the principles were the same, so I understood it.

We took off, everyone was just cruising along enjoying the scenery except Brittany who was peddling away to keep up. She never complained; she’s a champ and a trooper. But when she started lagging behind a bit, I stopped to make sure everything was okay. Once she caught up to me, she explained to me privately that she didn’t “get it” but she didn’t want to say anything. I showed her how to turn up the throttle.

The look on her face was priceless.

Our Tour on Electric Bicycles in Austin

We headed in a big caravan across Town Lake and along the Hike and Bike Trail. We ended up at the Long Center for Trailer Food Tuesday. After we parked our bikes, the group enjoyed some trailer food and an amazing view of the Austin skyline.

It was a perfect night. The weather was sublime, the bikes worked perfectly and the live music and food at the Long Center was excellent.

On our return trip, we took a different route through downtown Austin, through the warehouse district, over to Rainey Street and back to the shop at Rocket Electrics.

I honestly didn’t want the night to end. This is one of my favorite things I’ve done in Austin.

How You Can Benefit the Most from Rocket Electrics’ Bikes

Whether you are looking to get to the Longhorns game, do the Austin City Limits Festival thing, or just spend a day on the town, there’s nothing like doing it on a bike from Rocket Electrics.

Rocket Electrics offers a variety of tours like the one we experienced. Their Rock N’ Roll Tour even concludes with a live rooftop concert. Really great stuff!

They have rental packages for all the main events in Austin, which you can find on their website here. They currently have a few ACL packages left, but they are going fast. Give them a call at (512) 442-2453 to reserve your bike today.

If you are looking to purchase an electric bike to save on gas and help the environment, you can also do that through them. Their customer service is second to none.

Though the purchase price of these bikes can be steep, the savings on gas, parking and the amount of fun you’ll have definitely offsets the cost. Nicole Zinn, the sole proprietor of Rocket Electrics, informed me that Austin Energy has an Electric Bike Incentive Program. If you are an Austin Energy customer, you can receive a $100-$200 rebate when purchasing an electric bike from Rocket Electrics.

Rocket Electrics has also partnered with a local bank to offer financing terms. This is a service that many customers have been asking for from Rocket Electrics, and it’s now a reality.  Nicole hopes that the new financing service will allow even more customers to enjoy the freedom, fun and savings that an electric bike offers.

Trust me when I tell you that whether you rent or buy, you absolutely must try out an electric bike! Tell John and Nicole that The Austinot sent you.

 

@EricHighland asks:

Have you ever ridden an electric bike? What was your experience?

 

Disclosure: We were given a complimentary Rocket Electrics tour for the purposes of this review. For what it’s worth, I’d recommend them even if they hadn’t and would love to go again.