BikTrix opens large downtown e

Customers can test drive the BikTrix e-bikes right out of the showroom and onto the nearby Meewasin Valley trail.

Businesses and non-profit organizations regularly open and move in Saskatoon. Today the StarPhoenix talks to Roshan Thomas, who originally opened Biktrix out of his own Saskatoon garage over 10 years ago. Now he and his over 50 employees opened their new almost 4,000 square foot showroom in April near Midtown in downtown Saskatoon. Biktrix sells a wide variety of electric bikes and accessories. Customers can come to their showroom and test drive one of their e-bikes.

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Q: What inspired you to found Biktrix a decade ago?

A: I was looking for a motorcycle, but that was too expensive. I was trying to build one and then that was also too expensive. So I toned down my vision and built an electric bike and a lot of people wanted to buy it. So I started selling them. Originally I was actually selling conversion kits. (We don't see them anymore.) They were basically retrofit kits for people who have bikes to convert their bikes to electric. And then I was introduced to Fat Tire electric bikes during one of my trips to Europe. We were one of the first ones to make a Fat Tire electric bike back in 2014.

Q: What led to your recent move downtown?

A: We started off with our first showroom at the farmers market back in 2017 and then we moved to a bigger spot within the farmers market and then from there to Broadway. Now we’ve moved to Auditorium Avenue because Broadway location was too small for us. Our new showroom is close to 4,000 square feet. It's pretty large. Our previous one was about 1100, so we’ve done an upgrade. We could always have more but I think it's good right now for us, at least for the next little while.

Q: What range of e-bikes do you sell?

A: We have all sorts of bikes. Prices start right around $1500 to $1600 and go up from there. The primary thing to choose in an e-bike is the purpose that you use your bike for. We have several different types that you can ride on the road, some on the streets, some are like cruisers, some are full suspension bikes for off-road riding and some are just easy bikes to step on. Lots of different choices. Different sizes, different motors, different batteries.

We have a couple of folding bike models. Those are really popular here in Saskatchewan. Basically people fold them up and put them into the back of their cars or RV when they’re travelling. They’re just easy to take with them.

Q: What sets you apart from other e-bike dealers?

A: The biggest difference is that we’re not just a dealer. We’re actually a brand that specs these bikes. We assemble them here in Saskatoon. We have one model where the frame is made in the U.S. and we make the bike here in Canada. But most of our bikes are assembled here and so the key thing with doing that is that people have lots of options. They can pick everything from what colour of bike they want to what components are on the bike and we can totally customize it to meet each person's needs.

Q: What motor options are available with your e-bikes?

A: The way it works is the battery is what you charge because the batteries drive the motor. Depending on what you’re after, you can get lots of assist from the bike or a little assist or you can use it like a regular bike. On the screen there is a little monitor. You can tell on the monitor and control how much assist you wanted. Some bikes have three levels, some have five and some of them have nine levels. The higher the level, the more work the motor does.

Most of our bikes go anywhere from 50 to 150 km. We have a video on our website where we go from here to Nokomis on a single charge (about 168 km).

Q: What are the benefits of an e-bike over a regular bike?

A: There are several benefits. The biggest benefit that we hear from our customers is that it brings fun back to biking. A lot of people have physical ailments or even when you’re getting a little older and you have knee replacement or hip replacement, a regular bike becomes a bit of a chore to ride because you’re never confident if you’ll have enough energy to come back and face all the head winds in Saskatchewan. With our bikes most of those excuses are taken away and basically it brings back a lot of fun to biking.

Q: How easy or difficult is it to assemble your e-bikes?

A: The bikes in Saskatoon in our showroom are delivered fully assembled. They can ride right from the showroom. But if they order online and we ship it, it's 95 per cent assembled. You need to put the handlebar on, the pedals on, and the front wheel fender and that's it. You’re ready to ride. So it's fairly straightforward.

Q: Do you sell other products?

A: We have lots of accessories for all of our bikes. We sell things like different types of seats for different people because everybody is a little bit different. We have different types of headlights and locks and bells, fanny bags, lots of small but important choices for our customers.

Q: What do you have for bike lock options?

A: We sell several different types of locks. Some of them even come with an insurance where if your bike gets stolen and the lock is cut and they steal the bike, then the lock company would cover the majority of the cost of the bike. We have lots of different options for locks.

Q: Do you fix and maintain the bikes you sell?

A: In the showroom we have two mechanic locations that service and help all the customers that come in through the door.

Q: Do your e-bikes come with warranties?

A: We have a lifetime support warranty on our bikes, and one year on the frames and all the parts.

Q: Can customers try out the e-bikes in your showroom?

A: We let people try out bikes and we also rent out bikes. We’re just two blocks away from the river trails where people can take their bike out and ride and really experience what e-bikes can do for them.

Q: Where are your bikes available?

A: We have three Canadian locations — Vancouver, Kelowna and Saskatoon. And we sell across the U.S. and Canada online through our website. In the U.S. we have hundreds of customers that are owners of our bikes. They are brand ambassadors so they sell a lot of bikes.

This interview has been edited and condensed.

Biktrix

CEO/founder: Roshan ThomasAddress: 123 Auditorium AvenueHours: Tuesday to Thursday, 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; Friday to Saturday, 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Closed Sundays and MondaysPhone: 866-245-8749Website: biktrix.comCheck: Facebook

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