Yosemite e-biking business booms after rough start By JEANNIE TYRRELL Staff Writer
Local entrepreneur Chris Van Leuven has been living in the area since the 1990s. He used to live in Yosemite- te National Park, where he spent his time climbing the vistas and offering tours to those who wanted to explore the park.
Presently, Van Leuven owns and operates Yosemite eBiking, and he spends his time exploring the hidden roads within Mariposa County.
Van Leuven offers a unique and positive biking expe- rience — fully equipped with a good meal, fuzzy ears and unicorn horns.
“There are various places that are totally awesome experienceand amazing around Mariposa,” said Van Leuven.
“And the tours are very fun. We’ll just be out on dirt roads for hours and I feed everyone. You can do a short e-bike ride or commit to longer ones that can reach up to 50 miles.” Van Leuven added what Yosemite eBiking provides operates done in collaboration with the Yosemite Mariposa County Tourism Bureau and Yosemite Sierra Travel Concierge. “Overall, I think it’s an uplifting and fun experience. It’s totally rad and people love it,” he added.
Van Leuven spoke about how his e-bike business started picking up, until the infamous Oak Fire hit Mariposa County and put a stop to all his progress. Van Leuven lost his home to the fire and his fleet of e-bikes went up in smoke.
“I had about six people with me that I was guiding on e-bikes,” he said. Van Leuven added he was also going through medical issues at the time as well. But, like a phoenix, Van Leuven said he rose up from the situation with the support coming from a community of people.
“There are some people out there that lost a lot more than I did, and it could have been a lot worse. I had help.” Since the fire, Van Leuven has rebuilt his e-bike fleet and said he feels as though he is in a much better place. He’s glad to be spending his time biking every dirt road and side road Mariposa County has to offer.
“I’ve got them all dialed in. I’ve kind of learned where the safety zones are and how far you can go,” he said. “When you’re on an e-bike, it’s like a magic carpet ride. I’ve done rock climbing for about 30 years, but when I got on an e-bike, I got that same feeling immediately. All of sudden, you’re just shooting into this beauty at a reasonable speed,” said Van Leuven.
“You can climb any hill and you can see all the views.
You can get out there and go as far and as high as you want. You could be 15 years old, or you can be 70 and you can accomplish that.”
Yosemite eBiking is stated to be the premier destina- tion for unforgettable outdoor adventures in Mariposa. E-bike tours are all inclusive with the best safety equipment provided. Every bike is customized for comfort and control. There are mirrors, bells, tassels and fun helmets for safety.
Half-day tours are currently offered, along with a full day e-bike tour and a full day adventure.
Submitted photos Local entrepreneur Chris Van Leuven owns and oper- ates Yosemite eBiking, and he spends his time exploring the hidden roads within Mariposa County. Van Leuven offers a unique and positive biking experience — fully equipped with a good meal, fuzzy ears and unicorn horns. Ceci Kurzman (right) is shown with her two children during a recent outing with Yosemite eBiking. Visit www.yosemiteebiking.com for more information on Yosemite eBiking and use Presently, Chris Van Leuven spends his time exploring the hidden roads within Mariposa County and he offers a unique and positive biking experience. Andrew Atkins (shown, middle) booked a trip with Gagan Khannah (right; orange helmet) and Shish Lal (left, back).
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