Visitors to the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame in Red Deer can get sporty this spring by taking a trail ride on electric bikes and scooters.
These latest additions to the museum can be rented for $25 an hour and are designed to enhance the visitor experience, said Breanna Suk, collections and exhibits co-ordinator.
“As well as honouring provincial sports heroes, the museum also tries to encourage Alberta families to be active outdoors, explained Suk. “We would like to help people explore the Red Deer area.”
The Alberta Sports Hall of Fame recently purchased seven fat-tire electric bikes, two regular electric bikes, and four electric scooters through a $10,000 grant from Travel Alberta designed to broaden local tourism attractions.
Suk said the fat-tire bikes have been available since January for use on snowy terrain. But more people are hearing about them now, so they are really starting to catch on this spring. The bikes can be used by anyone with legs long enough to operate an adult-sized bicycle.
Physiotherapists have advised some people with knee and hip problems to try out electric bikes as they can reduce the strain on joints while still keeping them active, said Suk. She thinks the museum’s rentals are a great way for people to take a test run and see how much they like riding electric bikes before deciding whether to invest in their own.
Anyone who’s interested in having more of a work-out can turn down or turn off the electric capacity on the bikes and use regular gears, Suk noted.
While electric scooters of various brands are available for rent all around Red Deer, the four scooters at the sports hall do not require downloading an app or paying per minute. Suk said patrons can just pay the hourly rental rate and take them out to explore city trails.
Kids can also rent the museum’s scooters, “they just have to be accompanied by an adult who can sign the waiver.”
The goal is to have all-season activities available to sports hall patrons.
Besides having fat-tire bike rentals available throughout the winter, Suk said the museum will also have snowshoes to rent.