In BICYCLING

BY JENNIFER SHERRY (www.bicycling.com)

This is not the first time Benno founder and owner Benno Baenziger has brought joy into my life. In 2004, he and his then-partner and cofounder at Electra Bicycle Company visited BICYCLING with a fleet of stylish, innovative cruiser bikes. I couldn’t take my eyes off the three-speed Revil—a red chopper with orange flames and an ape-hanger handlebar. I’d never seen a bike quite like it.

But those cool cruisers were more than just a novelty. They were a huge leap toward a lofty goal: “to get more people on bikes,” says Benno. To do that, Electra used two ingredients: comfort and style. “It always bothered me, though, that our bikes couldn’t do more,” he said.

Fast-forward to today. E-bikes have become a top choice for two-wheeled urban mobility, promising to get you to your destination a little bit (or a lot of bits) faster. Here’s the catch: Your choices mostly include traditional-looking townies that don’t transport much more than the rider, and cargo models that some of us (ahem) find more cumbersome than fun—or, let’s be honest, just don’t have room to store.

The aluminum, step-through eJoy is the happy medium. With 26-inch wheels, full fenders, a Shimano Alivio nine-speed drivetrain and disc brakes, a wheelbase similar to the average townie, and a big, comfy seat, it has the appearance of a practical everyday cruiser. But its oversize rear rack, silent (yes, silent) Bosch Active Line motor, heavyduty head tube with front-tray mounts (the tray is an add-on) and integrated Supernova E3 lights hurtle it into hmm-thiscould-actually-replace-my-car status. It’s one of the quietest, most convenient, and easiest-to-operate e-bikes I’ve ever ridden.

So, back to that word “more.” Whether you translate that as being able to carry more stuff, inspiring more people to rely less on their car, getting places more quickly, or just having more reasons to ride, Benno is still in the business of getting more people on bikes—and for bringing more (e) joy to their lives.

Click on the images below to view the pages from the printed issue of BICYCLING (April 2018)

For the full Benno eJoy review, click the link below.

Go to digital article: https://www.bicycling.com/bikes-gear/a19595658/benno-ejoy-9d-ebike/

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