Countdown to the E-Bike Rebate
Set your alarm for 11am, Wednesday, June 5, when the MN Department of Revenue will open the application portal. They will close it once 10,000 applications have been received. That won’t take long, so don’t snooze. Go to this URL (https://mnitservices.my.site.) and have the following information ready:
- Name and contact information
- Date of birth
- Social Security Number or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN)
- Tax filing status for 2023
- Adjusted gross income for 2023 (line 1 of Minnesota Form M1 or line 11 of Federal Form 1040)
One last important note from the Department: ‘The online application for individuals applying for the rebates will go live at 11 a.m. (Central Time) on Wednesday, June 5, 2024. You may need to refresh the webpage at 11 a.m. to access the application.’
Good luck.
E-Bikes For Sale!
Perhaps you have noticed that we want you to know about the e-bike voucher program. The main reason for that is we want to sell you an e-bike. Our family has an e-cargo bike and an e-bike we use to haul the kiddos around with. We are big believers in them, and, no, switching to an e-bike won’t make you fat and lazy. Cars do that. And having two 3.5 year olds. Guess how we know.
Our shop is an approved dealer for Surly and Yuba. Both brands sell e-bikes which are eligible for the voucher program. We won’t be stocking those bikes, but we can special order them if you already know what you want. We will be stocking e-bikes from the Australian brand Reid. These are great bikes and they are competitively priced. We ordered a few different models and sizes for you to try out. They should be arriving Friday and you can watch our webpage and Instagram for updates on when they are built up and ready to ride.
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This is the Blacktop 2.0. It has a 250w mid drive motor and built in battery. MSRP is $2,099. Size Small. |
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This is the Blacktop 1.0. It has a 250w rear wheel motor and built in battery. MSRP is $1699. Size Medium. |
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The is the newest entry from Reid which is the Let’s Go. It is meant to hit the $1k price point which is popular with consumers. The bike has a 1×7 drivetrain, hydraulic disc brakes, a 250w motor and a 350w/hr battery pack. MSRP $1049. Size Small. |
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Finally, we have the Ladies Classic at $1199. It features a 1×8 speed drivetrain, hydraulic disc brakes, and internal battery and a 250w rear drive motor. Size Large. |
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You may have noticed a trend: these are all step-through frames. We used to call these girls bikes until septuagenarians came to respect the agility, balance, and flexibility required to throw a leg over a boys bike. We’re all getting older; ride what feels right for you.
All of these bikes are well-equipped and zippy. If you have been shopping already, the 250 watt rating of these motors may look underpowered. They are not; torque is what matters, and the motors here range from 40 Nm (wheel based motors) to 80 Nm (mid drive). Don’t believe me? Come by for a test ride. You will be impressed.