Randy Schneider and Andy Haas Schneider - Electric Bikes

Delafield/Lake Country, Wisconsin

Like most of us, Randy Schneider, 60, and Andy Haas Schneider, 58, have tackled some pretty big hills in their life raising a family and working busy jobs. But the one next to their house in Delafield, Wisconsin almost got the best of them until they bought their Trek Verve+ 2 electric bikes. Andy’s surprise Mother’s Day present, followed by Randy’s early Father’s Day eBike, is the gift that keepings giving with every ride!

You have a history of biking and then stopped.  What brought you back and led you to purchase ebikes?   

Randy:   I actually bought my first bike at Wheel & Sprocket when I was 16 years old and rode it home from the shop while my parents followed by car.  I always loved biking.  

Andy:  I got the first bike of my very own after we were married.  When the three kids came, we used a Burley trailer and bike seats until they got big enough to ride their own.  At one point we had five bikes on our car rack!  We got so busy with the kids growing up that we took a biking hiatus without thinking about it.  

About three years ago we built a house on top of a hill in Delafield near the Glacial Drumlin and Lake Country trails and started to bike again.  But it stopped being fun riding uphill back to the house.  

Randy:  I’ve had both knees and both hips replaced, so I really need to keep moving. Our daughter-in-law worked for a bike shop in Portland and told us about eBikes.  I watched various videos and read a lot on-line before heading into Wheel & Sprocket Delafield to buy the Trek Verve + 2. 

What has surprised you about riding your eBikes? 

Randy:  They are truly so much fun.  We’re getting exercise and biking twice as long.  We’ve decided to use the assist mode only when we need a boost.  

Andy:  Plus we get such an endorphin rush when you zip up hills.  It’s such an excellent way to spend time together, and we’re noticing a lot of people on eBikes now. 

We are exploring our beautiful area and also using running nearby errands on our eBikes.  I put a messenger bag on my bike and head out to the post office, library, and stores. Delafield is a very bike-friendly community, but I wish there were more places I could lock my bike and spend more time like the coffee shops and stores. I think we would ride to even more places that way.  

Where are some future rides?

Andy: It’s been great to explore trails and get ourselves moving during the COVID pandemic. We feel safe on our bikes.

At some point, we’d like to take our bikes to places like New Glarus to visit the breweries.  

What would you say to people exploring eBikes?

Andy:   You’ll ride more because it's just so much fun.  Talk to friends about getting one for themselves because it’s a great way to socialize.