When longtime cyclist and Eagle-Vail resident Paul Hields went shopping for his first e-bike seven years ago, he was disappointed with the austere options available. 

“If I was going to ride an e-bike, I wanted something cool,” he says. “I started Googling cool e-bikes and couldn’t find anything. Eventually, I came across a frame design I liked, and I decided to build a bike around it.” His pursuit of cool evolved into Wildsyde Electric Bikes, an e-bike company that he started in his garage in 2018 and now includes five models (priced from $1,995 to $2,995) for sale in a showroom on West Beaver Creek Boulevard in Avon and online. 

“Our niche is lifestyle commuter e-bikes, which are ideal for bike paths and town and neighborhood cruising,” Hields says. The brand’s primary lines are retro-style bikes that resemble a cross between a classic motorcycle and a cruiser bike, which are the epitome of comfort with a motorized kick. All models have a Class 2 throttle assist, which Hields says is particularly advantageous when starting from a stop in car traffic or on a hill, something the Vail Valley has plenty of.      

For Hields, the appeal and utility of e-bikes is wide-ranging. In addition to arriving at a destination less sweaty than you would on a regular bike, he notes that e-bikes “allow people who no longer have strength, energy, or fitness to ride a regular bike to get back outside and get some form of exercise.” They’re also perfect for quicker commutes or for casual transport to a sold-out summertime concert at the Vilar or the Amp, without having to worry about finding a place to park.