When I was ten years old, the ONLY thing I wanted to look cool and get around my neighborhood was a yellow 10-speed bicycle—all the cool kids had one!
Since those days of riding until the street lights came on, I have purchased a bicycle here and there, but not with the same excitement and anticipation that I had back in my pre-teen days when I was begging my parents for the cool 10 speed.
Fast forward to my 50’s… the excitement and joy of riding a bike returned, but this time (thankfully!) with a lil’ assist.
Back in 2021, Skinner and I received our first e-bike—the Buzz Centris—a new product being introduced in the e-bike market that offers a foldable frame and fat tires. At the time I had seen a few RVers riding around on e-bikes, but most were very small and I giggled at the men riding around on such a little delicate-framed apparatus! I gotta be honest, I was concerned whether my 5’2” frame would fit on one!
The Buzz Centris, however, looked “race ready.” An e-bike that had a full-size frame, but could be folded in half to be easily loaded into our SUV or in the bay storage compartment under our bus. Most important for our RV adventures—it had a fat tire that could handle tackling our adventures out west and in the NC mountains.
Mike and I needed a form of transportation to enjoy while taking in America through our newfound passion of RVing. When we were racing fulltime, we always had golf carts at the track; but we also had a driver that unloaded the golf cart, made sure the proper race property stickers were adhered, paid the increasing insurance policies to be able to drive the golf cart… it was a hassle and EXPENSIVE. Don’t get me started on the number of times I thought we were close to hitting someone while trying to exit a race, or feeling like I could be dumped out when Skinner turned a corner too aggressively, or the many times I cringed as I watched Skinner set up ramps so he could ride up the golf cart up into the bed of our Toyota Tundra truck. Don’t forget the lost time that Skinner spent tying down the golf cart before we could take off toward our next racetrack. Basically, what I’m trying to say is—loading and traveling with a golf cart for recreational use is a pain in the rear. I still love my golf cart, don’t get me wrong, but the days of loading and unloading for RV travel seemed just too much.
We set out for our 2021 three-month Wild West Tour with 2 Buzz Bikes in tow. Something new to try and test out for our RVing friends and Skinner Round-Up YouTube channel’s RV Round-Up playlist. We were pleasantly surprised!
I never imagined feeling like a kid again riding a bike—Skinner in his 60’s and I in my 50’s. This was the unexpected joy of testing out this new e-bike craze. Mike and I instantly started smiling, laughing, racing one another and taking in state parks and Wild West towns in a whole new way. We were finally enjoying all the amazing views and were able to stop anytime we wanted to take it all in!
Mike and I love to be active. We play pickleball, golf and take hikes with our rescue Doberman, Clyde. We are in shape, but I gotta be honest, I am not into tackling hills or long rides for my enjoyment. The pedal assist makes riding a bike FUN again. If I want to work out, I simply turn the power off, or if I want a little assist, I turn the level up. If want to just ride… You get the idea!
Skinner had to “educate” me on proper brake usage going down the switchback at Zion National Park, but WE RODE THE SWITCHBACKS AT ZION NATIONAL PARK! We didn’t have to jump on a crowded park bus to take in the mind-blowing sights of Zion. We also rode where no cars are allowed to drive—another new bonus of traveling with an e-bike.
At the end of the day, our batteries were still over half full. This was a big test, because I have been stranded while riding an e-bike before (NOT a Buzz!), and I was miles away from my starting point with some massive hills in between.
By 2022, we were quickly becoming e-bike pros. We used them riding to and from the pickleball courts in our summer RV Park home, and around our neighborhood in Florida. We planned trail rides with friends, and stopped to take in new pubs and lunch spots along the way.
Now, in 2023, we are making sure all of our friends know about our new passions—e-biking! I felt empowered to share my knowledge of e-bikes with my following on social media and my friends.
I also started investigating other e-bike brands. I had NO idea people paid over $3,000 for an e-bike! When talking to friends and followers about Buzz Bikes, their affordability is my top selling point... for under $1,000 (delivered to your doorstep) you can have an amazing e-bike with up to a 40-mile range of power, a 500-Watt motor and 48V battery to tackle hills. The bike will go up to 20 mph, which is plenty fast—I know all you racers wanted to ask me this! And let’s be honest, it’s fun to not pedal and watch by-standers awe at you zooming up a hill using the thumb throttle! lol!
The control panel is also easy to read, which is essential for someone as “mature” as me. (I don’t need my cheaters to see the panel!!) There is a light, a basket up front and place to tie down a bag in the back.
Yes, Skinner and I are now a part of the Buzz Bike family, but we are proud to be ambassadors of a product that makes us so happy. We are navigating our lives in a new direction after racing in NASCAR for so many years… We want to take in America and all its beauty. We want to navigate and maneuver WHERE WE WANT as we enjoy our fourth quarter of life. Buzz Bicycles is making that possible, and we are having too much fun sharing it with anyone who wants to listen!
If you are interested, please give us a little love by checking out BuzzBicycles.com. If want to purchase and join the ride, enter “Skinners20” during checkout for a special discount — 20% off! AND you can use it on either e-bikes or accessories!! Hurry up!!! See how a Buzz e-bike can help you navigate a new and fun path.
If you are interested in seeing us “buzzing” around, please check out our YouTube Channel Skinner Round-Up. We have quite a few fun videos touring around on our bikes, test driving on race tracks, even showing you how easy the bikes are to store and travel with. Some new episodes are coming out this fall featuring our Buzz e-bikes with rides around The Badlands, Wyoming, and Bristol Motor Speedway!