On Saturday afternoon at Pier 15 a squad of 35 electric vehicle riders whiz past a pair of women enjoying the waterfront. “What is this, a flash mob?” they ask in disbelief. Kevin Grandon, riding an electric unicycle in padding that makes him look like a futuristic soldier, replies with a smile: “We’re electric nerds!”
For a day, I became one of those nerds, joining the Bay Area Esk8 group on their Saturday social ride.
As an urban cyclist, electric skateboards, scooters, and unicycles zoom past me in the bike lane at speeds that would earn them a ticket in a school zone. I envy the power of their vehicles, but like many people, I have a knee-jerk distaste for … More