CORONA DEL MAR TODAY

Electric Bicycle Shop to Open in CdM

A Pedego Electric Bike shop will open — possibly next week — at 2515 East Coast Highway, a company spokeswoman has confirmed.

The shop will sell and rent Pedego bikes as well as possibly offer tours, said Beth Black, a spokeswoman.

“These bikes are really hot,” Black said. Pedego shops also have opened in Huntington Beach and Newport Beach, with another shop planned for Dana Point, she said.

“They really want Orange County to be the center of it all,” Black said.

Founder Don DiCostanzo founded Pedego in 2007 after struggling to ride uphill from the beach on a regular bike. He bought an electric bicycle but found it too loud and ugly, so he began buying bicycles and fitting them with motors and throttles. Eventually, he began buying bicycle frames in Asia and then putting the bikes together in Irvine; read our earlier Advertiser Welcome feature story here.

According to the company’s website, Pedego bikes cost $1,895 for a 24-inch bike and up to $2,675 for a tandem model. DiCostanzo said the bikes work well when you have groups with varying skills levels — a slower cyclist won’t have excuses not to be able to join on longer rides.

The storefront currently has a few bikes inside and the message, “Hello, Fun” in the window.

“That pretty much sums it up,” said Black, who has her own Pedego bike and loves it.

The shop will replace Full Circle Fitness gym; read about Full Circle’s closure in our earlier story here.