Podcast 265: Why Electric Bikes are so popular with RVers

This week on the podcast we are going to learn about the booming popularity among RVers of Electric Bikes and out special guest is Ty Collins, the marketing director of Rad Power Bikes. Regular listeners know that Rad Power Bikes has been a loyal sponsor of this podcast for years now. But my interview with Ty is not a commercial. I asked him to come on the show to answer so many of the questions I get from RVers about ebikes. Show Notes for Episode #265 Oct. 23, 2019 of The RV Podcast: WHAT MIKE AND JENNIFER ARE UP TO THIS WEEK JENNIFER It's been another busy week of RV travel for us. Friends have joked that the day after we had the first frost of the fall, we were on the road headed to warmer climes. That's true! MIKE We are now on Okaloosa Island on the part of the Florida panhandle they call the Emerald Coat and we'll stay here pretty much through Thanksgiving, driving a few hours every Friday to Southwest Georgia where our so Matthew is a senior playing his last year of high school football. JENNIFER But though we surely love it down here (October and early November are fabulous months weather-wise on this part of Florida), we'll head back to Michigan for Thanksgiving and Christmas. MIKE And then it's our annual winter campout in the snow at Tahquamenon Falls in Michigan's snow-covered Upper Peninsula. The dates for the gathering are January 10-12, 2020. Here's a link to the details on our special RV Lifestyle Winter Campout group on Facebook. You have to join the group to read it but if you've never camped in the winter and want to try it out, request to join and you can join our winter fellow travelers. It's a ball. This part of the podcast is brought to you by Dish Outdoors, which lets RVers pay as they go and watch HD satellite television from wherever they are camped with easy to set up gear made with the RVer in mind. Just go to https://rvlifestyle.com/dish for details on the service and special deal just for listeners of this podcast RV LIFESTYLE NEWS OF THE WEEK JENNIFER Check out this interesting feature on the lone federal judge who oversees the wild court of Yellowstone Yellowstone National Park is one of Mike and my favorite American national parks. It is just such a unique place - so I read with interest a story that ran yesterday on the federal judge who works there. The judge handles all those crazy cases we write about from time to time - people trying to pet elk, walk on geysers, harass bison, etc. The judge also handles the more mundane things like drunk driving, domestic violence, and other issues that come up. If you are a person like us who is fascinated by everything Yellowstone, the story is well worth the read. MIKE Haunted campgrounds sure to send chills up your spine  We've all heard of haunted houses, haunted corn mazes, but have you ever heard of a haunted campground? Outside magazine had an article on haunted campgrounds, just in time for Halloween. The story highlighted several campgrounds throughout the country that some considered haunted. Some of the places offer night time tours in late October. Halloween camping has become so popular many campgrounds sell out months in advance. JENNIFER Many express strong opposition at idea to privatize national park campgrounds and add WiFi, food trucks and other services As word spread of a proposal we shared with you last week to privatize campgrounds in some American national parks, so did opposition to the idea. An advisory committee recommended last week that American national parks turn to private companies to modernize the nation's campgrounds by adding WiFi, food trucks, limits to senior discounts, more rentals, etc. But opposition to these ideas is also rising, as various groups express concern saying they like getting away from modern life, enjoy the rustic feel, and are worried some would be priced out of updated, privatized campgrounds. This is a story we surely continue to be hearing more about in the weeks to come. MIKE Woman shares story of how her dog was possibly bit by bobcat when camping  Ever let your dog go off leash and run a bit on a camping trip? A woman was in the news last week after she went camping in northern Michigan, let her five dogs off leash at her camping spot, and when she came home noticed a strange bite pattern on one of her dog's neck. She took the pet to her vet and the vet told her the marks appeared to be those of a bobcat. The story is worth checking out, and a good reminder of how our pets can be at risk in ways we may not even consider. JENNIFER Human noise pollution becoming greater problem at national parks, researchers say Human noise is getting harder and harder to escape even in the nation's parks, according to a new report. In a fascinating story out last week, researchers discussed sound recordings they are making at the nation's parks, and how prevalent human noise is - even in the most remote locations. They are analyzing the recordings to discover how often sounds generated by humans can be heard. The idea of reducing your sound footprint is something we have heard about before, and the story touches on the impact human noises make on the environment - something most do not often consider. This part of the podcast is brought to you by RadPower Bikes, an electric bike manufacturer offering direct to consumer pricing on powerful premium electric bikes. Now with free shipping LISTENER QUESTIONS OF THE WEEK From our 586-372-6990 Voicemail number: QUESTION: Hi, Mike, and Jennifer. My name is Sarah and I am from California and I do have a question for you…So my husband came to me about 5 months ago and said what would you think if we rented our house and we took a year… we took all four of our kids, bought a fifth wheel and a truck and toured the US.. and I said, okay. So hey, I've been doing a lot of research listening to a lot of podcasts specifically your Facebook group your YouTube channel and am just really trying to understand what this mean. I wanted to know if you guys have any special advice for us with traveling the US with four children. We are gonna be hitting about 31 national parks. A lot of the major cities. My children are ages fifteen thirteen nine and five. I know but we are super excited and I just want to make sure I have all my ground covered. So if there's anything you can give me advice on I would be so appreciative. Thank you. Bye. ANSWER: The first advice we have for you is to keep doing what you are doing, reading and watching everything you can and asking lots of questions, like on our RV Lifestyle Facebook Group. But I also recommend you join an RV Club. One in particular, though there are certainly a bunch – the FMCA, RVillage, for example. And both are great organizations. But the one I most recommend for you is the Escapees RV Club. It is absolutely perfect for fulltime RV families, which you will be. It can help you handle everything from mail, to putting you in touch with other RVers who Road School their kids as they travel, to finding ways to supplement your income on the road. It will also connect you with a group of instant friends, other young families who have been doing just what you are about to do and can help you along the way. Here’s our affiliate link to the Escapees Club [Full Disclaimer: As an affiliate, I receive compensation if your purchase a membership  through this link.] We did an interview a few months back on the RV Podcast with Travis and Melanie Carr, the leaders of the club and I think that will help you prepare a lot, too. You can hear the interview here RV clubs serve as a network of like-minded folks, offering support, encouragement, adventure and fun, usually with special perks and discounts for its members. Do you have a question you’d like us to answer, or a comment on the things we’re discussing. If so, we invite you to leave us that question or comment on the special voicemail number we have for the podcast – it’s 586-372-6990.  If you are driving and can’t write it down right now, just go to the RV Lifestyle travel blog at rvlifestyle.com and scroll down the page. You’ll see that number prominently posted on the blog. This part of the RV Podcast is brought to you by Battle Born Batteries, maker of quality, safe and reliable lithium batteries that can be installed in just about every RV. Get in touch with Battle Born to find out what lithium batteries and an upgraded energy management system can add to your RV Lifestyle. Check them out at https://rvlifestyle.com/lithium [Full Disclaimer: As an affiliate, I receive compensation if your purchase through this link.] RV INTERVIEW OF THE WEEK This week on the podcast we are going to learn about the booming popularity among RVers of Electric Bikes and out special guest is Ty Collins, the marketing director of Rad Power Bikes. Regular listeners know that Rad Power Bikes has been a loyal sponsor of this podcast for years now. But my interview with Ty is not a commercial. I asked him to come on the show to answer so many of the questions I get from RVers about the bikes. Here’s a transcript of the interview. Mike Wendland: Well Ty Collins, thank you, first of all, so much for being with us on the podcast. We're delighted to have you with us as we've been talking about Rad Power Bikes for years now. It's the first time I think we've had you on. Ty Collins: Yeah, definitely. Yeah, Mike. First off, thank you so much for having us. Any excuse to talk electric bikes, we'll gladly take it. Mike Wendland: Now, let's talk about them because as we notice every week, we are seeing ebikes, electric bikes, more and more as we travel across North America. So, let's sort of start as a primmer. I know a lot of our audience is either considering it or wondering now after seeing them if this is really what they need. So, maybe you can help answer some of the more common questions. Let's start with just that question, why are electric bikes so popular today,