My name is Zack. I like social media, the environment, being outside, meeting new people and remembering useless trivia. I also live in Toronto, Canada. I am a student in the Public Relations program at Humber College.
My interests are colliding, as this summer, I’ll be using social media to tell the story of a summer spent cruising through the streets of Toronto on a GIO electric scooter, or e-bike. Cool gig, right? I think so. I’m going to be blogging about it. I’ll be taking photos and putting them up on Flickr. I’ll record videos and post them on my YouTube channel. I will also be tweeting as @GIOinTO.
I also want to be transparent here: I’ve been enlisted as a blogger and social media guy by Maverick, a public relations firm that was hired by GIO, the company that makes the scooters. Am I going to be a corporate “yes-man” who only sings the praises of the product, and conveniently overlooks its shortcomings? No. I’m going to be honest. I’m going to take the product through its paces and describe what I like and what I don’t My intent isn’t to be a curmudgeon; but to give useful information that consumers will be able to use to make informed purchasing decisions, and to give constructive criticism, as a consumer, that GIO can use to improve its product.
I’m not a salesman. I’m a blogger.
Even as I write this, I haven’t even laid my eyes on the actual product. I’ve seen photos, watched some videos and read reviews, but I haven’t actually seen the e-bike. I’m excited. I can’t wait.
This is going to be fantastic summer! Come take a ride with me.
Good work Zack. Maverick is a great company and that’s a fun assignment. I’ll be checking in periodically to read about your adventures. My first question…
Top speed?
Thanks, Rob. I may come a-Tweeting for some advice.
Top speed: 32 km/h. It counts as a “power-assisted bicycle,” which means the speed is limited, but it doesn’t require a motorcycle license or registration. It’s like riding a bike.
This sounds awesome, Zack! What a cool gig! I look forward to learning more about social media through you!
Thanks Meghan. It’s been fun so far – I’ve been having a blast zipping around Toronto. It’s refreshing to not have to rely on transit or a car to get from A to B.
How do you charge it? Can you use any outlet or do you require a “charger unit”?
The scooter comes with a charger. One end of the charger plugs into the outlet, and the other end plugs either directly into the bike; or into the battery pack, which can be removed from the bike. The cord is about 4 feet long, which is handy.
Is the charger small enough to be portable?
Absolutely. The charger fits easily in the storage compartment under the seat. When the bike is parked and there’s an outlet handy, you can plug the charger right into the bike, and keep the charger in the seat compartment so that it doesn’t get stolen. There is a place for the cord to poke out. You just need to make sure there is a little bit of space around the charger so that some air can gen into the fan. It’s a great way to charge on the go.
I just discovered that my apt building doesnt have electrical outlets in any of the parking areas.
Can the Gio battery be removed easily and charged in my apt?
Gerry – I’m in the same situation: no outlets where I park the scooter. The battery comes out extremely easily. It is on the “floor” of the scooter beneath a rubber mat. You simply lift the mat out of the way, and the battery has two handles on it to pull out of the scooter. Once it’s lifted out of place, you unplug the battery from the scooter and bring it inside to charge. I will caution you that the battery is heavy – maybe about 40 lbs. It’s not too much hassle at all though!
I forgot to mention: the batter can also be “locked” into place using your ignition key to prevent other people from doing exactly what I described.
What Gio model do you have? The 500 or the 500+?
I have the 2010 GIO 500 W
My new orange one is on the way!
What tools will I need to put it together?
All right! So exciting! I hope you got a good price on the auction.
To put it together, you’ll need a Phillips screwdriver, a pair of pliers, and either an adjustable wrench or a ratchet and socket set. Also, having an exacto-knife would be handy for removing some of the plastic around the lights and instrument panel.
Have fun! Happy scooting.
Hi Zack, can you please tell me from where did u buy that extra safety helmet.
I got a normal bicycle style helmet but i don’t think its safe.
I would really appreciate if you can help me.
Thanks
Muz
Hi Muz.
The helmet that I have is directly from the GIO Bikes website. Click on the link to go there, and in the search bar at the top, enter “helmet.” GIO has a pretty good selection of helmets. The one that I have is called the “On-Road Scooter Helmet.” You’re absolutely right in wanting to stay safe on the road, and certainly the scooter helmet provides some great protection – more than a bicycle helmet does. I hope this helps. Happy scooting.
Great Blog!
One question…my GIO bike arrived and with it the “head cover” that goes on the top front. There are no instructions provided on how to get it on, only the plastic piece and some screws.
Any help would be appreciated!
Just to let you know, I found the answer at the following link:
http://web.me.com/thebandmobile/TBM/Assembly_Hints.html
It has some good tips. You can also check out the GIO forums at:
http://gioebike.dailyforum.net
Cheers!
Any issues with your ebike so far? Have you run in a snow covered road?
Does this have this label?
“bears a label that is permanently affixed by the manufacturer and appears in a conspicuous location stating, in both official languages, that the vehicle is a power-assisted bicycle as defined federally, and”
Have you tried riding with a 2nd adult passenger? How is it? It would definitely be more than the stated maximum weight right?
Ran my Gio last summer, but it stopped working in August. The tires spin when I lift the back, but when I sit on the bike the metre spikes and the tires stop spinning. The bike then jerks erratcially. I’ve tried replacing the controller (easy to do by the way), but no luck. Do you have any advice on how to fix the problem or do you know of any reputable place that can fix it? I’d like to be up and running again by June. Thanks.
Hey,
Im just wondering how the GIO has held up over the winter. Im interested in getting one before the summer. Have you needed any replacement parts yet? How hard are they to get?