The bicycle craze of the 1880s and 1890s was probably the first big consumer boom. Young people took to the bicycle in droves as a means of freedom, inexpensive travel and exercise. However, as time went on, and people got tired of pedaling, the single-cylinder motorcycle became popular. Early motorcycles would happily carry one rider up hills and around town at speeds up to 30 mph. Although motorcycles soon evolved to be bigger and faster, there continued to be a market for a simple, light machine. In 1948, Harley-Davidson sold 29,612 motorcycles – 10,117 of which were single-cylinder 125cc lightweights. Over a 10-year period, starting in 1959, Honda sold 101,106 Cubs.
Fast forward 60 years, after battery technology evolved to make lightweight, battery powered motors reliable and cost effective, the next step was the e-bike: a two-wheeled machine with pedals and a small electric motor. The modern e-bike appeared during the 1990s. Acceptance in the U.S. grew slowly until the Covid-19 pandemic led to skyrocketing sales.
The e-bike market has continued to grow, in part due to encouragement by different governmental entities. For example, in addition to rebates, California has recently opened some scenic trails where motorized vehicles were previously banned to e-bikes. In response, manufacturers have designed a wide variety of off road and dualsport e-bikes, which dealerships like Stealth Tahoe sells and rents select brands built for a wide variety of surface conditions.
Stealth Tahoe is a standalone e-bike dealer, rental agency and repair shop, started in 2016 by partners Aaron Vacek and Anthony Zingaro in Truckee, CA, a small town bordering the resort area of Lake Tahoe. Tahoe is a destination for four season outdoor fun. Winter is skiing, snowmobiling and snowboarding. Spring and fall are fishing and trail riding seasons, and summer is the beach. Stealth Tahoe is busy three seasons out of four, and recently started selling Moonbikes, an e-bike for the snow. It has less power than a snowmobile, but is legally able to go many places in the Tahoe area where snowmobiles are banned…