You know all about love at first sight. But what about love at first ride?
It was an apt beginning for Louise and Casey, two Rad riders who fell for each other while exploring their adopted hometown of Columbus, Ohio, three years ago.
Their relationship has all the trappings of a classic love story: a charming first encounter, seemingly insurmountable odds, and a string of coincidences that could be nothing short of destiny.
And because the couple met in an online group for Rad owners, it’s naturally one of our favorite Rad stories.
“I ended up in a chat with this guy who said he had also just ordered an ebike,” Louise told us. She found out they both lived in Columbus.
As if by serendipity, their bikes arrived on the same day, giving them plenty of excuses to keep the messages coming.
“We were texting each other daily, talking about where we were going on our bikes, exchanging photographs of the places we'd been,” Louise said. “We started asking when we were actually going to meet. It became a running joke."
However, actually meeting up seemed unlikely. During the course of their back-and-forth, Casey had made it very clear that he was a proud introvert.
She told him about Yay Bikes, a local advocacy group that was hosting a group-ride on Earth Day. But she honestly didn't expect him to come by.
That's when he surprised her.
“I had my reservations about meeting in-person, but we really seemed to have bonded. It felt right,” Casey said.
That's how he explains it now, anyway. In truth, he actually showed up a few minutes before the ride began ... and decided to bail.
Fortunately, he had a change of heart. He rolled back, took a leap, and introduced himself to Louise. The two rode side-by-side for 12 miles, chatting warmly amongst themselves and realizing that they had a lot more in common than just ebikes.
They ended up with the rest of the cyclists by the banks of the Olentangy River, where the group cut down invasive trees and replanted them with local species — classic first date stuff.
To Lousie's surprise, Casey joined the fellow riders for drinks and stayed by her side into the evening.
Three years later, the couple now shares a home -- one with a big garage. They need it to store all five of their ebikes.
They share a RadWagon for grocery trips, a pair of RadCity commuter bikes for long weekend excursions, and a RadRover to round out their fleet for off-road adventures.
But their bikes are more than just a way to get around, Casey said. "Our bikes brought us together," he recalled. "They're an integral part of how we spend our time as a couple."
A couple years back, he sent Rad Power Bikes a hand-painted poster of our logo that his mother had made. He told us his and Louise's story and asked the team to autograph it.
Louise unwrapped it on Christmas morning, and she was floored.
"You can see why this guy is so uniquely special to me,” Louise told us.
Indeed we do, Louise.
There are a lot of power couples out there, but not many are powered by Rad.
Keep racking up those miles, you two!
Have someone you want to share the ride with? Our Valentine's Day sale is live now!
Save $300 when you mix-and-match 2 ebikes, take $200 off the RadRunner Plus, or hit the road with 20% off Hollywood Racks. Offer ends 2/15.
(Cover photo credit: Ben Ko)
