Desert Shores man peddles electric bicycles as local LiteStream dealer

Desert Shores resident Douglas Schoeffler is out to make bicycle riders out of even those not in cycling shape. The answer: the electric bicycle.

He is the dealer for LiteStream eBikes, operating out of 2620 Regatta Drive, Suite 102. There is no showroom — Schoeffler said that with the Internet, there is no need for one. But that doesn't mean you can't check out the bicycle.

He rides his own to work and uses it to go get his Starbucks fix, leaving it outside where it garners its share of attention. It did so this day outside his office, drawing three people to it with its unique style.

"Oh, my, gosh, we thought it was a regular bike at first, and we were trying to figure it out," Jessica LaFountain said. "We couldn't tell whether it was or wasn't (electric). It's interesting looking, really cool."

It's a reaction Schoeffler said he gets a lot. He ended up giving a mini review of the bicycle to LaFountain and her friends, telling them the specifics, such as its range and speed.

The electric bicycles have nine gears and can go as fast as 29 mph and can be set lower if, for example, a child were to use it. The battery range is 20 to 43 miles per charge, and it uses a 110 watt outlet. Recharging it can take two to six hours, depending on how one uses it. It has a headlight that senses whether dusk is near and automatically turns itself on or can be initiated with an on/off switch.

The bicycles start at about $1,500.

Schoeffler, who lived in the northwest U.S. before moving to Las Vegas, became interested in the electric bicycle after he injured his knee while hiking in the mountain area of the San Juan Islands off of Washington state. He investigated electric bicycle manufacturers, and after three years of research, bought one overseas.

"I was uneasy at first about the battery running out of juice, so I decided to test it," he said. "I was never an avid rider, and at 67, I thought this would be a great test. I rode from Fremont Street, up Alta (Drive) and over to the entrance of Red Rock Canyon (National Conservation Area) and back to Fremont," he said. "I had a third of the battery charge left."

He said it was a 38-mile round-trip ride that included a more than 1,500-foot elevation climb. "And yes, the way back is mostly downhill, but you still have to pedal," he said.

He became so enthusiastic, he decided to import electric bicycles to sell nationally.

Schoeffler worked out a deal with a manufacturer in China with a seven-year record of selling internationally but not much in the states. After three years of negotiations and a couple of trips to Vegas to visit, they set up a distribution center in San Francisco from which the bicycles are shipped directly to the buyer.

In September, they were officially introduced at the 2015 Interbike International Bicycle Expo in Las Vegas.

Schoeffler said he saw an untapped market in aging America — people who would like to ride a bicycle but need the convenience of a motor to get them up hills or extend their range.

"I figured they'd be my biggest market, but it's the young kids who are showing interest," he said. "They want to go faster; they like that it's powerful — Americans like power."

How does he answer the dedicated cyclists who tell him an electric bicycle is cheating when he passes them on the hills?

"I say, 'Wait a minute, you're using 22-plus gears to augment your muscles, and I'm using nine.' There's no difference to me," he said.

The office is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Visit litestream-ebikes.com or call 702-664-1227.

— To reach Summerlin Area View reporter Jan Hogan, email jhogan@viewnews.com or call 702-387-2949.