Check Out E-Bikes at Scarlet, Gray, Green Fair April 20

A northern Ohio company called E!RIDE will bring a selection of electric bicycles to Ohio State University's Wooster Campus Scarlet, Gray and Green Fair, where you can see, try and buy them.

The free event - a celebration of sustainable living tied to Earth Week - takes place at the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center (OARDC), 1680 Madison Ave., in Wooster, from 11 a.m.-7 p.m. on Tuesday, April 20.

E-bikes get the equivalent of 500 miles per gallon, said E!RIDE owner Kenn Curren. Recharging them costs "just pennies a day" or is free if you do it with a solar charger.

They go about 15-20 miles an hour; have a range of 20-30 miles, depending on such factors as the terrain and the rider's weight; and you can pedal them, too, like a regular bike - either to assist and extend the electric power or alone if the power runs out.

"In China, electric bicycles are leaving cars in the dust," Time magazine reported last year, with some 100 million e-bikes on the road there already - more than four times the number of cars.

E-bikes, Curren said, "allow you to travel farther with less effort than a regular bicycle."

But they usually cost more to buy, with E!RIDE's models ranging from $698 to $1,350, including a folding one for $900.

About the Scarlet, Gray and Green Fair

Now in its third year, the Scarlet, Gray and Green Fair will feature exhibits, demonstrations and some 100 vendors, all on a theme of "Green is for Life!" Renewable energy, energy conservation, alternative fuels and transportation, local foods, gardening, composting, and recycling will be some of the topics. About 1,800 people attended last year.

Call 330-287-1263 or visit http://www.wcsen.org/wcsggf/ for more information.

Coordinating sponsors are Ohio State's College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences; three parts of the college - OARDC, Ohio State University Extension and the Ohio State University Agricultural Technical Institute, also in Wooster; and the Wayne County Sustainable Energy Network.