Helm E-Bikes Were A Welcomed Addition To Our North Shore Quiver - Stab Mag

Live Now: Chapter 11 Mini-Documentary With Dane Reynolds

1747 Views

Helm E-Bikes Were A Welcomed Addition To Our North Shore Quiver

To hell with turtle traffic.

elsewhere // Feb 8, 2022
Words by Garrett James
Reading Time: 2 minutes
Lightweight, sleek, low-profile… For all your incognito surf check needs.

This is a sponsored post.

From your local gang of shit groms to the Patagucci-laden sophisticates, electric bikes have played influence to a wide-range of surfers this past decade, changing the way many of us get to and from our local lineups.

Truth be told, I haven’t always been the biggest proponent of the electric bike (see also: Lower Trestles congestion fiasco), but I’d be lying if I told you my opinion hadn’t shifted after spending a winter on the North Shore with a couple of Helm chariots at my doorstep.

While many electric bikes tout their beefed-up complexion and speed-driven demeanor, the setups from Helm are more like, well, normal bikes — less about ripping as fast as you can down a trail and more about making your commute a bit more enjoyable.

An electric bike with the soul of a conventional bike. Photo: Monica Dzik

The Helm City does come equipped with push-the-throttle-and-go mode (aka no pedaling necessary), however these bikes lean more toward their pedal assist technology, and the seven gears that you can shift through depending on your terrain, incline, and desire to speed up or slow down.

In terms of getting around the North Shore, electric bikes are a great means of transportation, especially on a crowded weekend or contest day when Kamehameha Highway is backed up from Pipeline to Waimea. Other than your ability to zip from wave to wave with ease, these zero-emission vehicles run on clean energy, which make them almost as sustainable as walking. With minimal charging time necessary, I found myself enjoying this reliable ride every time I had the hunch to get off of Surfline and use my own eyes to scope the lineup.

Five levels of pedal assist allow you to pedal easier and faster, so you can check more waves in less time and keep your legs fresh for the session. Photo: Monica Dzik

Sacrilegious to some, beneficial to most, you can even charge your phone (and/or other electronic devices) on the bike’s battery via usb charging port, so you won’t run empty without gloating to your friends about the empty midday lineup.

Whether you’re checking the surf or commuting to work, Helm’s got some wheels for you.

Comments

Comments are a Stab Premium feature. Gotta join to talk shop.

Already a member? Sign In

Want to join? Sign Up

Advertisement

Most Recent

Watch: What Happens When A Brand Takes Its Youth Team To A CT Event?

A: Good things, typically.

Mar 29, 2024

Full Frame: Scandinavia Is Surfing’s Next Frontier

A 30-hour drive, bathymetric maps, and 10 years of searching yield surfing's newest discovery.

Mar 29, 2024

Watch: João Chianca Had A Remarkable Hawaii Season Before His Injury

Plus an update on his condition.

Mar 28, 2024

Pittar’d And Feathered

Do the WSL judges deserve the internet's wrath? We asked the man of the hour.

Mar 28, 2024

Robbo, Pickles, And Tyler Wright Become The Underdogs Breakfast At Uninspiring Winkipop

The foreboding blade sharpens and inconsistent judging prevails on Day Two in Torquay.

Mar 27, 2024

“I Don’t Always Win Heats, But When I Do, I Try To Beat John John”

Slater shines and the axe begins its descent on Day 01 at Bells.

Mar 26, 2024

Back Against The Wall: The Ramzi Boukhiam Redemption

Morocco's first CT surfer on speaking six languages, having no coach, and snatching Fil Toledo's…

Mar 25, 2024

Will Kirra, Babies or JJF Stop a GOAT Winning at Bells?

Bluesky BOAG advice from a Superman specialist and former Trials winner.

Mar 25, 2024

Bells Preview: The WSL’s Victorian Sword Dancing Equinox Ritual

Will a Brazilian crack the Top 10 at Bells?

Mar 25, 2024

69 Shin Bones Later + the Anticlimactic State of Big Wave Record-Breaking

Lucas Chumbo might have surfed the biggest wave ever this year. But how will we…

Mar 23, 2024

Watch: ‘Fresh and Fried’ Ft the Quik Kids

How taxing is it to tackle the Gold Coast’s Triple Crown in a single day,…

Mar 23, 2024

The Popular Vote: The People’s Stab In The Dark With Kolohe Andino Champion

Which board looked best — to you —under Kolohe's talons?

Mar 22, 2024

Six Key Learnings From Portugal

Three CT events in, what do we know? 

Mar 21, 2024

‘Zipper’ Is Going On Tour, Here’s Where You Can Watch It  

Dates, times + locations for the Venice, Encinitas, Sydney + Byron premieres.  

Mar 20, 2024

Dane Reynolds On His Future, His Past, And Chapter 11’s Raison D’être

Our 9-minute plunge into the collective psyche of Ventura's pillar(s).

Mar 20, 2024

From ‘Blue Ribbon Cross Country Runner’ to Vogue – How Steph Again Is Back With A Rip Curl Remix

Everything we know about the she-GOATs sponsorship boomerang.

Mar 18, 2024

Stab Interview: Darren Handley Explains Why You Can’t Buy The Winning Stab In The Dark Model

And his decades-long standoff with Slater.

Mar 17, 2024

Griff Embraces Portugal’s Eternal Time Loop To Vanquish Medina + Ewing, Defay Delays The Inevitable

A redeeming closing act at Supertubos.

Mar 16, 2024
Advertisement