Bruce Pezewski
Bruce Pezewski, who is legally blind, gives new meaning to bikes as lifechanging.
His purchase of a Riese & Muller Supercharger in 2019 has allowed him the freedom to go anywhere, and as he says, “take the burden off my wife” who has been his main form of transportation. After 3,600 miles of biking last year, Bruce provides perspective on eBikes and the new freedoms they provide.
What led you to purchase an electric bike?
My wife picked up a rummage sale bike a few years ago, which opened my world. We live around Holy Hill (in Wisconsin), and I quickly learned that having a better bike was key to getting places. Then I bought a Trek Verve 3, but the hills were killer.
Going to your Bike Expo allowed me to test ride electric bikes as an option. You had several Riese & Muller eBikes to try, which led to my connection to Matt Geib from the Brookfield store.
I was looking for an excellent quality electric bike - not “cookie-cutter” - to customize it to my needs. I continued to research Riese & Muller before I finally decided to buy it.
How did you research Riese & Muller? What do you think of your Supercharger?
Electric Bike Review and other web sites have great detailed videos showing the bike up hills and on rough trails. It just fit with my riding conditions, so I bought the Supercharger with all the components I wanted.
And it does exactly what it said it would do! The style is so unique that you don’t even know it’s an eBike. You get that front suspension when you need it. The dual battery means I get double the mileage, and Gates Carbon Belt affords me no worries about my pants getting caught.
The Bosch Kiosk monitor is better for my vision because of the black background. The Rohloff shifting is really unique, with 14 speeds by just pushing a button.
The Supercharger also has a great locking system. It’s a more substantial bike, but I don’t mind since it gives me confidence on the road.
3,600 miles! Wow! Where have you gone with your Supercharger?
Everywhere. I can go farther with the same amount of effort. Holy Hill has long grade hills, so I mainly use the eco and touring modes.
Because of the eBike, I can make the 35-mile round trip to help my mom more a few times a week. I even rode the 50 miles round trip to Brookfield for my bike maintenance.
I am also enjoying trails like the Bugline and Glacial Drummond near my home.
What have you observed about riding on the roads?
I feel like if cars see you, then they respect you. My eBike has the SuperNova light to improve safety. You can see those flashing lights up to 2 miles.
Bikers pay taxes too, so we have rights on the road. Some highways only have 3-foot strips and aren’t the greatest for riding. Cars really need to keep that 3-feet distance.
What do people say about your eBike?
They stop, look at the bike, and ask a bunch of questions. Mainly they tell me it doesn’t look like an electric bike.