My dad had passes for the week, and I volunteered to join him on the links a couple of the days.

Monday was the Mike Weir charity tournament. I rode the GIO scooter out to the course, and navigated the various security checkpoints and closed roads.  I asked 12 security guards where the bicycle parking was. I got 11 different answers – some as far as 45 minutes away from the golf course. I opted for the closest location, but saw nary a bike (or rack) anywhere nearby.  I locked the scooter to a fence and made my way to the front gate.

I met up with my parents near the first tee, watching the groups tee off. They watched celebrities like Maple Leafs captain Dion Phaneuf, Olympic gold medalist Jon Montgomery, actor Kevin Dillon, NHL goalie Martin Brodeur, Canadian rocker Tom Cochrane, NHLer Rick Nash, and Jedi master / Snakes on a Plane superstar, Samuel L. Jackson.  As well, there were professional golfers like Camilo “Spiderman” Villegas, Stephen Ames, John Daly, and, of course, Mike Weir.

We enjoyed the sunshine, strode among the towering trees, admired the unforgiving bunkers and rolling, lightning-fast greens.

I went back on Wednesday, for the Pro-Am. I found the bike racks, and parked there was another scooter just like mine!

At the Open, I took some photos, wandered around and planted myself near the 11th green to watch the groups come by. Daly, Couples and Weir were the fan favourites, drawing the largest crowds. Then again, with the outfit Daly was wearing, how could he not draw a crowd?

Being at the Open was an interesting experience in people-watching. There were a lot of people at the event:  Kids who clearly come from money. Bored-looking teenagers who got roped into volunteering. Old guys who were at the last St. George’s Canadian Open. Women decked out in diamonds and cocktail dresses.

The one group that I couldn’t figure out were the autograph seekers. People lined up between holes to get their hats and St. George’s branded towels signed by the celebrities and golf pros. But why? I saw one lady give the cutest-looking kid in the audience $20 to get John Daly’s autograph.  I saw I grown man begging for autographs, openly admitting that he didn’t even know who it was that he was asking. It was interesting.

The Canadian Open was a good time. Live sports always offer experiences unique to what you see on TV. This was no different. I’m happy I had the scooter to get there!

All the while, I’ve been taking photos of my adventures and experiences. Here are some:

A newly-assembled GIO scooter, glistening in the sun.

Good looking from all angles.

Great for a commute if you need to avoid the “sweaty” look.

Honest Ed’s: a Toronto landmark.

In front of MuchMusic in June … days before the MMVAs (and the appearance of Justin Bieber.

GIO in T.O. – at Queen and John.

The exhibition grounds.

Sailboats, scooter and skyline. Brilliant.

Student on a budget? I can think of no better way of getting across the U of T campus than on a GIO electric scooter.

Scooting alongside the ROM.

Torontonians have no shortage of opinions about the ROM. What do you think?

The majestic CN Tower.

There it is again!

The G20 will live on in Toronto’s collective memory for many years. I’m glad I was there to document it!

More G20 madness. This picture was taken on the Friday.

Toronto’s Pride Parade brought the levity that the city needed after the G20.

GIO is a great way to visit Toronto’s many sites and festivals. No joke.

Proud to be scooting around at Pride.

All in all, driving a GIO scooter is a whole lot of fun. It’s an affordable, environmentally-sustainable way of getting around the city.

Saving Money

I’m not paying for gas. I’m not paying for insurance. I didn’t need to pay to get my motorcycle license. I don’t pay for parking. I don’t have to shell out for a TTC monthly pass. I am saving money. I like saving money. My scooter is an extremely affordable way to get around, and actually costs a lot less than most of my friends’ fancy road bikes. For the $260 that I’ve seen a lot of the bikes go for on the GIO Auction, this is arguably the most affordable commuting solution – unless you walk to work (and don’t buy expensive shoes).

What would you rather spend on your way to work: $260 on a GIO scooter, or $260,000 on a Lamborghini.

Saving the Planet

I like the planet. It’s where I keep my stuff. Electric motor and battery technology are constantly improving. This scooter is virtually emission-free. I say “virtually” because the manufacturing process would have emitted carbon dioxide; and the electricity that charges the battery has a carbon footprint – though negligable.

One GIO rider calculated that charging the GIO uses about $0.05 of electricty. That’s not a lot of energy consumption at all.

I also love zipping past gas stations.

You know that environmentally smug feeling that you get when you pull up next to a Hummer or a Super-Duty 4×4 truck? I get that when I scoot alongside Smart Cars and hybrids. Okay, maybe I’m overstating a little bit. I’m not that self-righteous about my environmentalism; however I do feel good about my GIO as a more sustainable commuting choice!

Meeting New People

People are generally curious about the GIO scooter. Cyclists, pedestrians, motorists and even police officers are interested in my scooter.

They want to know where I got it (from the GIO bikes website).

They want to know about how fast it goes (32 km per hour).

They want to know why it’s so quiet (because it’s electric, of course).

They want to know why it doesn’t have a license plate (because it counts as an electric bicycle, not a morotcycle or moped).

They want to know all about it.

This weekend, I was downtown giving my friend Laura a “tour” of the scooter. She borrowed it for the day to go exploring (her blog post about her experience is forthcoming). While we were going over the basics, a woman in a Volkwagen Bug pulled up to listen and ask questions. As we were speaking with her, a guy watering flowers across the street approached us, saying that he’d overheard us, and had some questions too. It turns out that he, and the rest of his family members were thinking of getting Vespas, but was intrigued by the possiblity of foregoing the cost of licensing, insurance and gas!  I think I convinced him to reconsider the Vespas!

I love bumping into strangers and people interested in the scooter!  I find that I can hardly go to the store without at least one person stopping me to ask a question or two. It’s fun.

There are a lot of reasons why I like this scooter. I think most importantly though, it’s a lot of fun to ride.

I’m someone who enjoys people watching at the best of times, but the Pride Parade provided an excellent anthropological opportunity to observe the human species in all its diversity!  There was a fair share of svelte young topless guys, as well as a number of hipsters wearing clothes far more trendy than my own. Boas and beads abounded. There were women in costume, men dressed as women, and dogs sporting doggie “bondage” gear.  Couples walked hand in hand. They kissed. The energy in the air was palpable. This was the levity that Toronto needed after the G20.

Shortly after 2 p.m. a British Bobby in a tutu and platform heels got things started. He posed for the cameras, and had the entire crowd in the palm of his hand!

He was followed by a gang of women on motorcycles. The parade has begun.

The best way to tell this story is to use pictures:

I will say that I would have enjoyed the parade a lot more had it not been for the elbow that was pointedly embedded in just to the right of my spine. Apparently there was a gentleman behind me who did not like confined spaces. He was making a point of asserting his spot in the crowd with his arms crossed. I would have loved to have given him some more space, but I was already encroaching on the people in front of me. Unfortunately, at this particular part of the crowd, there wasn’t much room for arm crossing. He was being pushed by one side … into me. He called out, to nobody in particular, “I need more space.” Eventually he got it, because he found a more comfortable spot, that didn’t involve my T7 vertebrae. I was thankful for that.

The parade was fabulous. Toronto was vibrant and united in the celebration of sexual diversity.

Towards the end of the parade, I decided to make my move and beat the crowds out of there. I hopped on the scooter, and made my way home. I avoided the throngs of people. I missed out on the traffic. All thanks to my GIO! The breeze from the scooter was a welcome change from the stifling heat of the crowd!

Another successful scoot!

I will answer none of those questions here.

Last Friday, as people left the city in droves, determined to avoid G20 gridlock, I decided to take a trip downtown to see, firsthand, what a billion dollars looks like. I wanted to check out the security fence. I wanted validate the claims that there were police at every intersection and Gardiner ramp. I didn’t want to cause a fuss or get caught in the middle of anything untoward. Perhaps in hindsight, given how ugly things got over the weekend, I may have been wiser to stay away; however I was keen to see what the city in lock-down was like.

The fact that the Gardiner Expressway was intermittently closed was no deterrent. No Gardiner? No problem, not with a GIO!

I made my way downtown along the waterfront, and noticed police officers stationed at every ramp on the Gardiner – as promised. As I got closer to the city core, I was struck by the number of officers there were. They were on guard everywhere!  I have to admit, many of them looked fairly bored. Some were smiling and chatting with one another.  Others looked terse.

I scooted up Jarvis and along Queen. A motorcade with dignitaries rushed by in dark sedans with red lights attached to them.  Motorcycle cops stopped traffic.

I circled back along Spadina and across Front. By Union Station, I stopped at the light.  Through the fence an officer was eying my bike. I flashed her a smile, thinking she was admiring my scooter.

“That thing has no plates,” she said.

“Yes, that’s because it’s an electric bicycle,” I politely replied. “It doesn’t need plates.”

She looked again. “If it’s a ‘bicycle,’ where are the bicycle parts?”

I answered, “They’re stowed away under the seat. Apparently I just have to have them available.”

I smiled again.

She glowered at me and my scooter through her tinted sunglasses and nodded.

The light changed colour and I went on my way.

I continued on Front, past the heavily-barricaded Union Station, and at Yonge, I was passed by a group of riot police on horseback. There were a lot of them. They turned up Yonge, as did I. They took no notice of me and my scooter. There must of been the 50 horses – all of which were doing a great job of making a mess of the far right lane … you know,  the one where cyclists ride? Eww.

I snapped a couple more photos, and a cab driver pulled up to me, saying “You better not take too many pictures – they’re going to question you.” Really? Is it seriously that bad? Pulled aside and questioned for taking photos?

I glanced at the instrument panel of the GIO, and noticed that my battery power was waning. Remembering that the “bottom” half of the battery drains a lot faster than the “top” half, I decided that it would be prudent for me to head home, rather than have to push the scooter part of the way.

I traveled out of the core along the Lakeshore to the Queensway.  There were some police officers stationed in lawn chairs in little sitting areas where High Park meets Parkside Drive and the Queensway. I couldn’t decide if they were the lucky ones, out of harm’s way and able to relax; or if they’d drawn the short straw and were going to miss all the “action.” I suppose it depends on their perspective!

Scooting home on a nearly-empty battery, I cursed every hill that I chugged up, and celebrated when I crested and then coasted down, preserving what little charge there was left.

Home at last.

I plugged in the scooter and listened to the news … to hear about what was going on downtown with the G20.

I first noticed it when my mom took it for a spin.  She was pretty hesitant riding at first, and so when she began to accelerate, the entire front end shimmied and wobbled uncontrollably.  Fortunately, she was going about 7 km per hour at the time, so she stopped the bike and tried again with a little more luck.

Other people who have tested the scooter and have been more … tentative … have had the same experience. I tried to figure out what was going on by actively trying to make the front end wobble.

As the weeks of riding have continued, I’ve discovered that the e-bike has grown increasingly prone to wobbling. It was getting worse, especially when I’ve travelled over bumps, taken a hand off the handlebars, or sat with my weight forward on the scooter. I consulted my new favourite resource for all questions GIO: the GIO eBike Users Discussion Forum to see if anyone else had a similar experience.  It turned out that a few people had.  I was advised to “pop the hood” and see if anything was loose and needing tightening.

Here’s what I did:

First, I loosened the two screws that hold the front cover in place.

Next, I slid the front cover partially off horizontally.

I then disconnected the wire for the headlight.

I checked to see where the flex and movement was coming from.  I examined all of the nuts along the steering column to make sure that they were all as tight as possible. Everything was rock solid.

I continued down the bike to the front axle and bolt that held the tire in place. I found the problem! It could have been tighter. I got a socket wrench and pliers and cranked it tight.

After reconnecting the headlight and re-installing the front panel, I took it for a test drive. Perfect! No more wobble – not over bumps, one-handed, slowing, accelerating or sitting forward on the bike.

No problem!  As it turns out, the front bolt and nut had come a little loose from my initial installation. Problem: solved.  Case: closed.

The GIO Auction

GIO sells its bikes from its website in an auction format.  I have to admit, when I first visited their website, I had a moment of hesitation about whether I had the right site. It turns out the auction is actually a pretty clever way to see the bikes.

You can get a GIO electric scooter, which would normally retail for $999.00, for much less.

I’ve spent some time sitting around on the auction site, watching the bikes sell, and I’ve seen them go for as little as $255.00. Here are a couple of screen shots.

When I meet people on the street, they usually ask me how much the GIO electric scooters go for. They say “How much does one of those cost? $2000? $1500?” They’re always surprised to hear that they retail for $1000, but can be bought for less on the auction. One of the GIO electric scooter advantages is a matter of price point. Compared to a gas-powered scooter, which requires a motorcycle license, plates and insurance (not to mention regular visits to the pumps), a GIO electric scooter is incredibly affordable! Since getting the scooter, I’ve saved almost $250 in TTC fare, gas and parking.

What I’m trying to say is: if you watch the auction, you can get your own GIO scooter for around $260. It can save you money.

How To Buy A GIO Electric Scooter

1. Go to the GIO bikes website.

2.Click “electric scooters” up at the top – unless you change your mind and decide that you would like a dirtbike / ATV / chainsaw / generator instead.

3. You will come to the scooter auction site. You can read some user reviews and learn more about the bike.  You will also see the different scooters currently available on auction. Pick the one you want and click on the picture. This will bring up some more information about the auction.

4. Click “Bid.” This will bring up a form for you to register an account (or sign in if you already have one). You need to complete it before you can bid. Enter your amount, and you’re in the game!

5. At this stage, it’s on you to decide how much you would like to spend on the bike. Bid to your heart’s content, and when you win the auction, you get to look forward to your scooter arriving by courier!

Some Notes:

• In addition to your bid price, you’ll also have to pay for shipping as well as a $50 auction fee. Depending on where you live, the shipping may be a little steep. If after shipping and everything the bike comes up for less than $1000, you’re still winning.
• I’ve noticed that on the GIO Bikes website, a lot of the same names appear to be bidding on the bikes. I’ve wondered if these are dealers trying to get the bikes for cheaper than wholesale; or if they’re people buying them to re-sell on Craigslist or Kijiji; or if they’re robots that ensure the bikes don’t sell for $1.00.  On a discussion forum devoted to GIO electric scooters, these questions are hotly discussed and contested.

All in all, buying a GIO electric scooter is a good deal. It saves you money, and it saves the environment by getting cars off the road!

I think the issue is that I have a long, narrow head. It looks normal most of the time, but slap a helmet on there, and things get whack (a term that the kids these days are saying to mean “bad”).

Of course it could just be that helmets don’t look good on me. Ahh, vanity.

So I have two helmet options for keeping my brain safe.

Helmet # 1:

It’s a motorcycle-quality, scooter-style helmet. It’s big and black. It’s also pretty warm, with very little ventilation. It doesn’t fit in the top box of the scooter.

Helmet # 2:

It’s a straight-forward bicycle-style helmet. Foam stuff encased in plastic. What I like about it is that it fits in the top box of the GIO and I don’t need to bring it into the store with me.

So which one should I wear? Which one looks better? Which one seems safer? Should I sacrifice safety for vanity?

I need your help to decide! Please vote below.  There are some more pictures there to help you decide.

This video shows how to lock and secure your GIO electric scooter, and how to activate the alarm.