Our E-Bike Road Trip from Nebraska to Colorado

Earlier this month, John and I went on a small vacation. Here’s how it went.

Planning Our Trip

We didn’t want to do anything too huge or expensive, so we decided to take our bikes to a couple of the state parks around the Midwest and explore. I don’t believe we’ve had many trips without an itinerary, but we were both ready for it. Relaxing time, good weather and nothing set in stone. We were taking our e-bikes so that made it even more exciting.

Getting the Hang of E-Bikes

We’ve had our e-bikes for two years, but have only rode them around town. Earlier this summer, we bought a carrier for them so we could load them on the back of our SUV. We even practiced loading and unloading them so it wouldn’t be too much of an ordeal. Let me tell you, the first time we loaded them on the trailer, both of us cussed a few times, but we got better and better with each practice.

First Stop: Chadron State Park

After a day driving in Nebraska not on interstates, we stopped at Chadron State Park. Weather was perfect and we set off on a short ride. By the time we got home, our oldest daughter had left a message saying they were going to be up North of us with their two girls but weren’t sure of their timeline.

They weren’t going too far, but they knew we were close. We were excited to meet up with them somewhere. Later, we learned their timeline changed and we would not be able to meet up with them. We understood and continued on our trip.

Second Stop: Summit County

We set off for Summit County in Colorado. We had a great time riding on the trails to the different summits. We did ride to Copper Mountain one year on regular bikes when we were in our twenties. It was fun but tough. We would never have made it this year without the e-bikes.

Checking in with Our Daughter

Soon, our daughter contacted us saying they were enjoying their time away from home. They boated and swam in Lake Granby.

I did mention to them John and I had taken our e-bikes and thought it would be a fun thing for their family to experience. My son-in-law and granddaughters are pretty athletic, and we thought they would enjoy trying something different. I sent them some pictures and hoped they’d be able to give it a try.

But they hadn’t seen any e-bikes they could rent. I told them to keep trying, and their goal was to continue looking before leaving the area. I reminded them the e-bikes are heavy and even when they are pedal assist, they can take a bit to get used to while riding them.

My Daughter’s E-Bike Experience

By the next day, they had discovered a bike rental store and planned to ride in the afternoon. They got back to us that evening. Both my granddaughters and son-in-law loved the e-bikes. They enjoyed seeing the scenery from a different perspective and relished the freedom they felt during their ride.

However, my daughter did not like the e-bike. She was shocked by the weight of the bikes and expressed concern about how hard it was to turn corners or even go through a curve.

I understood their concerns and congratulated them on trying something very different. That’s a trait I always remind them to work on and need to remind myself to continue practicing.

All in all, we all had a great time. I’m disappointed we weren’t able to meet up but such is life. All of us trying something new was good! As I reflect, I think I know who we’ll leave our e-bikes to once we’re done with them, which I hope is never!