Biz Buzz Monday: Dubuque couple brings electric bikes to local market

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Sherri and John Driscoll display two of their pedal-assist electric bikes on Friday at Heritage Trail. The bikes are available for rent from their company, Dubuque E-Bikes. PHOTO CREDIT: Stephen Gassman
Sherri and John Driscoll display two of their pedal-assist electric bikes on Friday at Heritage Trail. The bikes are available for rent from their company, Dubuque E-Bikes. PHOTO CREDIT: Stephen Gassman
Sherri and John Driscoll ride along Herritage Trail with two of the electric assist bikes available to rent from their company Dubuque E-Bikes on Friday, July 2, 2021. PHOTO CREDIT: Stephen Gassman
Sherri and John Driscoll ride along Herritage Trail with two of the electric assist bikes available to rent from their company Dubuque E-Bikes on Friday, July 2, 2021. PHOTO CREDIT: Stephen Gassman
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Posted By: BY JEFF MONTGOMERY ​jeff.montgomery@thmedia.com July 5, 2021

business tips sought

Do you have an interesting story or news tip to share about a local business? Ideas can be shared with business editor Jeff Montgomery by calling 563-588-5753 or by emailing jeff.montgomery@thmedia.com.

 

Biz Buzz shares business tidbits from the tri-states. In addition to this update from Dubuque, we will feature additional developments in Tuesday’s edition.

A new, Dubuque-based bike rental business is giving tourists and local residents alike a new way to explore the area.

Married couple Sherri and John Driscoll launched Dubuque E-Bikes this year. The business rents pedal-assist electric bicycles, which are legal on streets and trails.

The Driscolls hatched the idea for the new business last year during a trip to Decorah, Iowa, where they happened upon a business offering electronic bicycles.

“My thought was, ‘Why doesn’t Dubuque do something like this?’” Sherri recalled. “With the landscapes and the scenery we have here, we thought this would be a great thing to offer.”

The Driscolls coordinated with longtime Dubuque business Bike Shack, which helped Dubuque E-Bikes secure the electric bicycles needed to launch the business.

Dubuque E-Bikes allows customers to rent bicycles by the hour. It meets clients where they are at — whether it be a trailhead or on Main Street — to drop off the bicycles and pick them up.

Sherri explained that the Driscolls researched the market thoroughly, deciding to invest in higher-end bicycles.

“We wanted to have a product that holds up in the rental market and something that won’t let you down when you’re out there climbing a hill,” she said.

John Driscoll explained that one must pedal to activate the 750-watt motor, which is concealed within the frame of the bike. The bike has various speeds and settings, which can alter the extent to which the motor assists the rider on their journey.

Since launching the business, the Driscolls have encountered a wide range of clientele.

The bikes have been rented to local residents and to tourists, some of whom wish to explore natural landscapes via trails and others who want to use the bikes to navigate downtown areas.

In some cases, couples use the electronic bikes to level the playing field.

“If there is a husband who rides a lot and a wife who doesn’t, or vice versa, the spouse who doesn’t ride a lot will rent the e-bike so they can spend the day riding together,” Sherri explained.

Dubuque E-Bikes can be reached at 563-599-1268 or by visiting dubuqueebikes.com.

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