Discover the real reason yoga therapist and life coach Abi Robins ditched their truck for a PakYak E+ cargo e-bike

Austin resident, Abi, has gone from casual bike rider to bike advocate! They’re part of a community initiative with a big heart – all with a little
help from their Momentum PakYak E+ cargo e-bike

In less than a year yoga therapist and life coach, Abi Robins, has gone from a car-driving commuter to a bike-only convert, which has helped them slow down, enjoy life more - and give back to their community.

Living a more intentional life thanks to their e-bike hasn't just improved their mental wellbeing, it's helped boost their physical health too and allowed them to play a role in an inspiring community project: Austin Bicycle Meals, which helps fight food insecurity in Austin, Texas one meal at a time.

Abi has lived in Austin, Texas for 10 years, settling easily after finding a community while working in a coffee shop. An abundance of green space and nature, combined with year-round sunny weather made Austin the perfect place to enjoy the outdoors more.

‘Austin has a really strong cycling community, but it’s segmented: you’ve got the roadies, you’ve got the mountain bikers; the commuters and the social cyclists but the community itself is strong and vibrant. There are lots of people in this town who love bikes,’ Abi explains.

Cycling convert

Car culture outweighs bikes in Austin, which meant the switch to e-biking didn’t come without some teething problems. However, Abi realized riding made them feel much less anxious and they were able to take in and enjoy the world around them much more.

They’ve been commuting for 9 months now; even ditching the family truck and using the e-bike for all the family’s needs. ‘Being on a bike you feel very light and open and you're aware: you can see, you can smell, you can hear. You're really in touch with all your senses; you have a real sense of place and presence as you ride,’ Abi explains.

‘Taking a break from driving made me realize how bad driving made me feel. But I had just gotten used to it,’ Abi says. ‘I've really been made aware of how much better cycling is for my whole body, heart and mind. All of it is such a better experience.’

Abi has found a real freedom and friendliness in riding a bike: ‘You can connect to the people around you instead of being so cut off in a car. You're free to go anywhere you want,’ Abi enthuses.

‘I don't have to stay on the road: I can hop on the sidewalk; I can take a trail; I can cut through a park. It's so much easier to get around and you have this real sense of connection with the city that you're moving through. You don't get that in a car.’

Ride further and faster by e-bike

During the pandemic Abi got into gravel biking, enjoying the fitness that came with it. As time in the saddle increased, as did the miles and Abi attempted longer journeys to friends’ houses, to the climbing wall and to the office. ‘Before I knew it, I was riding most of the places I needed to go in town,’ Abi explains.

‘Then I got the PakYak E+ cargo e-bike, and suddenly the whole city was open to me. Any limitations I had beforehand were gone. I could ride further and faster with less effort.’

Doing more

Commuting in Austin by e-bike allowed Abi to slow things down and really get to know their community. ‘My whole life has slowed down, and I get to be so much more thoughtful and intentional about what I do and how I spend my time,’ Abi explains.

And it was with this new-found slower pace and headspace - and keen to give something back to the community that Abi found themselves exploring - that let Abi join Austin Bicycle Meals.

‘I started working with Austin Bicycle Meals because I felt like bikes have given me so much and I had all this access to bikes - and not just regular bikes, but specifically a bike that would be really helpful in this situation: the PakYak E+ cargo e-bike,’ says Abi.

‘I knew I wanted to give back. I felt like I had already been given a gift and Austin Bicycle Meals gave me a really great opportunity to give something back. There is something so deep about what's happening during Austin Bicycle Meals. You're right there with people and you’re meeting this very immediate need,’ explains Abi.

‘And something about the way that we're doing this takes away all the pretense; it takes away the barriers of “I have more, and you don't,” or “I'm gifting this to you”. It really levels the playing field,’ continues Abi. ‘And it's not, the haves giving to the have nots. It's just community supporting community. It's neighbors supporting neighbors. And it's been cool to watch.’

Pakyak E+ carries the meals are on the way

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The e-bike for the job

‘I always make the joke that I waited until I thought I had the bike that I needed. Like I waited until I got the PakYak E+ before I went out, and it became very clear that any bike will work but the PakYak E+ does have some very specific advantages,’ explains Abi.

‘As I started to commit more time and energy to showing up regularly and being a part of it - I got my wife to come, I got my kids to come; and then the bike just started to expand.’

‘It was a small bin, then a medium bin, and then it was a big bin. Then it was a bag on the front, a cooler on the front, and then I put bins on the sides. Now I can pull a trailer,’ enthuses Abi.

But the best bit? 'Because of that, we can carry more, and we can serve more people, and we can bring more of what people need to where it's needed most,’ says Abi.

Power to the PakYak!

With Abi’s Momentum PakYak E+ already helping them and the ABM team deliver more meals and help more people, we wondered what would happen if another PakYak E+ joined the ranks, so we donated a new PakYak E+...

Providing a comprehensive and versatile cargo solution to this charitable endeavor has meant the team were able to increase their deliveries from 50 to 300 meals!

The PakYak E+ cargo e-bike can carry up to 361lbs/164kg, while still delivering a smooth ride; and its 500Wh battery offers an impressive range of 60 miles (with its Auxiliary Battery doubling that to a whopping 120 miles), making sure all deliveries get made. With endless cargo options – front basket; rear basket; panniers; and trailers – it's the ultimate cargo e-bike.

Even if there’s a weekend Abi can’t make, now that ABM has its own cargo e-bike anyone can use it. ‘Almost anyone feels comfortable riding that bike and carrying more, so we're able to carry more and more people are able to help out.’

The Momentum team has been blown away by the love, support and organization this community group has shown; and just how important bikes and e-bikes can be in helping collectives and initiatives get things done.

When good people come together, good things happen – and if we can donate a bike or two to the mix, then we’re here for that energy!

Follow these links to find out more about Austin Bicycle Meals and our PakYak E+ cargo e-bike.

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