The Story of the Stripes

The Story of the Stripes

The Lectric XP™ 2.0

It's been 531 days since the most popular eBike in America hit the market. In honor of the exciting upgrades Lectric eBikes has coming down the pipeline this week, we wanted to take a moment to recognize the 'lectrifying journey that our widely-known XP™ 2.0 eBike has been on for the past year and a half.

Let's take a deep dive into where it all started, how the numbers panned out, and whose lives this epic eBike model has impacted thus far! 

 

Where It All Began

As a team of over 100 employees, it is hard to believe that we had only 31 dedicated individuals working for Lectric eBikes before the XP™ 2.0 launch, in the spring of 2021. Our team was the definition of tiny, but mighty, to say the least.

At that point in time, we were still relying greatly on customer advocacy and word-of-mouth for our marketing efforts. Luckily, Lectric riders are some of the most supportive individuals in the world and word had traveled fast regarding our original XP™ design including a folding frame, fat tires, and a powerful motor and battery setup. Our fleet of original Lectric XP™ eBikes was growing fast, and riders were vocal about the things they loved about their eBikes, as well as what they'd change. 

Our customer service team had received numerous bits of feedback regarding the original XP™'s lack of suspension and accessory compatibility, so our engineering team had a great place to start in terms of designing an upgraded eXPerience for our riders.

We quickly geared up a new XP™ model including front oil suspension, an array of internal motor and controller upgrades, and compatibility with brand-new accessory options. With our team's great focus being on utility, the XP™ 2.0's full compatibility with Cargo Baskets was a real game-changer. This eBike could now provide a way for our customers to haul groceries, firewood, and much more without having to tie their own milk crates onto the rack and come up with other homemade utility solutions. 

An iconic three-stripe retro paint job was also a huge change for the second generation of the XP™ series. Our talented graphic designer wanted to bring out a retro feel with the paint design, while maintaining a classic and simple look. Our iconic Lectric blue, triple stripe design soon came to life, and our entire team loved the nostalgia it brought about. 

By mid-May 2021, we were ready to announce the next generation of the Lectric eBikes XP™ series. As always, we were able to rely on our customer advocates on Youtube and social media to tell their followers, friends, and family members about the Lectric XP™ 2.0, and what made it awesome. That kind of strong reliability we have with our riders is why we often refer to our community of riders as our Lectric family. 

 

The Result

Thanks to the fast and plentiful support we gained from our Lectric family and the eBike community at large, the XP™ 2.0 became the single most popular eBike model in the U.S. The accessibility of our industry-shattering price, and the convenience of the Step-Thru option and foldable design made our eBike a true staple within the world of eBikes.

To date, over 140,000 Lectric XP™ 2.0s have been sold. Yep, you read that right. Our Lectric XP™ 2.0 owners could fill every seat in Madison Square Garden nearly seven times. 

The trust that our riders are willing to put in our relatively young, passionate, and quickly growing space in the eBike industry is something we wouldn't trade for the world, and we know how lucky we are to have you here. Our XP™ 2.0 is just one epic portion of the Lectric story so far, and we look forward to the adventures yet to be had by our riders! 

 

The Inspiring Stories

With over 140,000 XP™ 2.0 riders out there, we're bound to hear some awesome and inspiring stories. Our riders use their eBikes for different occasions and tasks every day. Some of them are for work, and others are purely for adventure.

Here are a few of the many epic adventurers we have out there! 

Chuck M. 

Sometimes in the face of adversity, all we can do is pedal forward and not look back. Chuck M. was just 31 years old when his life changed forever. In the midst of happily continuing his married adult life, he discovered a small growth in his left foot. The growth continued to grow over time and Chuck decided to get the growth diagnosed by medical professionals.

His doctor assured him that this kind of growth was common, and the removal process would be quick and easy with a short two-week recovery timeline. Unfortunately, the removal procedure led to a larger discovery.

As it turned out, Chuck had a severe form of pediatric cancer in his foot, and it had grown so much that his doctors all agreed that amputating the foot was the best plan of action. "It wasn't even an option at that point to try to save the foot," Chuck explained. The option was to "just move on forward" the best he could without his left foot. 

After the amputation, Chuck found himself with little motivation to lead an active life for about 10 years. He recalls watching a lot of TV, and struggling to get outside and explore with his wife as he once did. 

About 10 years later, Chuck decided that he was tired of the sedentary life he'd adopted, and wanted to make a change for the better. He jumpstarted an active lifestyle by taking up traditional cycling, which he remembered loving as a kid.

Chuck slowly, but surely built up his endurance in cycling, and that endurance sparked up a competitive attitude within him. He then signed up for a 100 mile century ride to fuel his motivation. 

The energy and camaraderie from the cycling community during Chuck's first race were unlike anything he'd ever experienced before, and he immediately knew wanted to race again. He kept up with participating in competitive rides nationwide for a few years, and eventually hit the impressive 16,000-mile mark in 2018. 

As much as he enjoyed all of the excitement of race days, Chuck eventually began to lose steam and passion for competitive cycling. He took himself out of the sport, and decided to watch from afar and cycle less frequently.

Around that same time, Chuck and his wife were in the market for a trustworthy electric bike to continue their adventures with, and stumbled upon the Lectric XP™ 2.0 on its release day. 

The couple ended up ordering two Lectric eBikes so that they could ride together. Chuck explains that his eBike "completely reawakened the feeling of enjoyment while riding a bike again." The powerful motor of the electric bike, paired with Chuck's innate love for cycling has allowed him and his wife to achieve their greatest adventure yet. 

Clint & Jared

Our team was ecstatic to connect with Phoenix locals Clint and Jared and talk about how their Lectric XP™ eBikes have helped them in their sailing livelihood, and business endeavors. 

Clint and Jared are twin brothers, roommates, and co-owners of the Go Sail AZ sailing school in Lectric's home state of Arizona. Their sailing school gives Phoenix locals the unique opportunity to go out on the lake and enjoy the fresh air while learning a new skill.

The brothers explained that when they are living on their sailboats full time, the toughest part about it is not having the means to explore once they reach a destination on land. Without a car, sailors have to turn to alternate modes of transportation when running errands and getting into town. Clint and Jared's compact and foldable Lectric eBikes take up minimal space in their sailboat so that they can simply unfold their rides and hit the road once they dock.

Clint and Jared go on to explain that eBiking makes getting from point A to point B an adventure in itself, just as sailing does. Rather than simply going through the motions to reach an end goal or destination, the brothers get to see nature in a whole new way and enjoy the fresh air as they glide over the water by sailboat, and across the pavement by eBike. When emphasizing the pleasure that eBiking provides, Clint explains that "you typically don't get road rage on a bike," and he couldn't be more right about that.

Some of the biggest adventures in the brothers' lives have been on the water, and their hope is to share that sense of adventure with their sailing students. Lectric is happy to share a similar mission: sharing the adventure of exploration with folks from coast to coast. 

Check out this awesome video showcasing Clint and Jared's sailing and eBiking livelihood! 

Clifton M. 

Full-time US semi-truck drivers have the opportunity to see parts of the country that many Americans wouldn't typically see in a lifetime, especially while on the clock. Clifton McKinney is a full-time trucker and his favorite part of his job is the travel and adventure built into his day-to-day life.

Recently, Clifton was looking for an easy and convenient way to get around after parking his semi-truck for the day. At his stopping points, he wanted to be able to fully immerse himself in brand-new adventures and knew that an eBike could help him accomplish this. Clifton did a bit of research on popular eBikes within the trucking community and eventually landed on the Lectric XP™ 2.0.

The XP™ 2.0 was attractive to Clifton for a couple of reasons, one of which included the eBike's folding capabilities. Since it folds down to just 37"x18"x28", Clifton can fit his folded eBike into his front passenger seat, and still have room for personal cargo and luggage within his cabin. 

Another reason Clifton chose to ride Lectric was due to its cost-friendliness and reliability. The XP™ 2.0 is both accessible and affordable while maintaining the high-quality components that eBikers deserve. Clifton can ride confidently on his eBike and rely on it as a primary form of transportation, just as he does with his truck. 

Our team is lucky to have a vast group of adventurous truckers trading their 18-wheelers for 2-wheelers after a long day of driving. We can't wait to watch this community grow! Check out the video below to learn more about Clifton's experience! 

Sara B. 

Ever since the pandemic began two years ago, native Iowan Sara B. noticed that people are much more receptive to and curious about Midwest travel than they once were. Many Midwesterners have not been able to travel easily by plane or train, so she created an online community of encouraged her network to focus on what they could explore locally. “There’s plenty to do right around you,” she explained, “you just have to know where to go.” Sara provides that knowledge to her network, allowing them to share stories and provide guidance for travelers with similar mindsets.

Sara and her husband joined the Lectric family early last year and they regularly achieve 30+ mile rides on their eBikes throughout the Midwest, and beyond. Their XPs™ have amplified their ability to discover and explore what lies just beyond their Iowa backyard. 

Between her passion for travel and exuberance for the Midwest, it is safe to say that Sara has an incredible talent for bringing the best out of the places and people surrounding her. Here’s to the Midwest, and here’s to adventure! 

Willie S. 

When it comes to inspiring stories in the world of Lectric, Willie’s name is one of the first that comes to mind. He purchased his XP™ 2.0 at the beginning of 2022, and hasn’t looked back since delivery day.

Willie was born in Cuba and has been in the US for the past 25 years. Within those 25 years, he has served in the Marine Corps, built a loving family, and become an expert in social media management.

Sadly, Willie was diagnosed with cancer last year, which temporarily pumped the brakes on his fast-paced, adventure-seeking lifestyle. As a former avid mountain biker, Willie yearned for a way to keep biking in his life after his diagnosis. He wanted to keep traveling throughout the southwest both with his family and solo, and knew he needed to find an outlet for adventure.

Thankfully, Lectric provided that outlet for him. Willie's Lectric XP™ 2.0 has become one of the staple items in Willie’s camping setup. He’s made his Lectric adventures a family affair, acquiring a fleet of eBikes for his wife, son, and father-in-law. As we all know, the exuberance of bike riding is best enjoyed with loved ones nearby, so Willie has the perfect support system to accompany him on his ride. 

Back to blog