ZIZZO ON THE ROAD REVIEW 2022

      With only three days left in 2022 I started reflecting on the ZiZZO adventures we shared with you through our YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and blogs this year. Some say the best way to see the world is by bicycle and the more I travel around with a ZiZZO in my trunk I couldn't agree more. Maybe I didn’t travel the world but we did put some miles on the road and trails across the southwest. Our main goal doing these blogs is to either entertain or inspire anyone to seek out their own adventure while cycling. That adventure can be around the block, trail riding, urban cycling photography, island hopping with a ZiZZO in the boat or a million other things. The possibilities are endless. Have an idea, plan it, and make it happen. Whether you are casual riding, exploring, running errands, commuting, or simply trying to stay fit we hope that these blogs have been helpful in some way. So, let's revisit some of our top 5 places and events we took our ZiZZO’s to in 2022.

1. SEDONA, ARIZONA- In May we took the Urbano to the Bell Rock trail in Sedona Arizona to explore one of the most famous spots known for great mountain biking and beautiful desert scenery. The temperatures were perfect and the sky was blue. Before I knew it the red rock dust was coating the Urbano as I climbed up and down the trails rolling topography. Some of the course was a little rocky and I feared a flat but the Urbano handled everything I did with flying colors.

2. SANTA CRUZ MOUNTAINS- We took the ZiZZO Forte Bikepacking! In the name of product testing, we packed up a 2022 Forte with bags for a night in the woods in the Santa Cruz mountains near Los Gatos, Ca. Loaded down with water, food, tents, and gear we rode 7 miles up a steep climb with 5-8% grades and then another 10 through dirt mountain trails. With rider, bike and supplies weighing almost 300 lbs we experimented with a new “hill climbing” gear for the Forte to help in these situations. It worked so well that it became the inspiration for the setup on the 2023 Forte. The Forte got me to the campsite as planned and we spent a night in the woods. The critters woke me up at 1am with some weird noises but I think they were just checking out the bike.

3. THE DIABLO CHALLENGE- Mt. Diablo is one of the biggest climbs in the S.F Bay Area at 3849 feet. We wanted to see how the ZiZZO Liberte would compare to other traditional big bikes up the mountain. In order to conduct the test, we attached power meter pedals to know the rider was giving out the same exact effort for all the bikes and then looked at the results of the timed 2.6-mile section of the course. It was a great experiment that has been popular on YouTube. The results? You might have to watch to find out what happened.

4. APPLE HILL PLACERVILLE, CA.- Fall is an amazing time to head up to the Sierra Nevada Foothills for a stroll through some of the most beautiful apple orchards, farms, and vineyards in a place known as Apple Hill in Camino, Ca. just outside Placerville. Over 30 farms with apple pie, apple cider, apple donuts and pretty much apple everything. Beautiful rolling country roads greeted us during mid-week when it wasn’t so busy as we did some family fun time with the Bauer clan. Kids in a cart and a teen all riding with Dad made for a good time as we dug into some amazing freshly made apple pie at one of the stops. The ZiZZO Via and Liberte were put to the test with a very athletic family.

5. HALLOWEEN CYCLOCROSS, FOLSOM, CA. - Racing a ZIZZO Campo on a crazy course in a rodeo stadium with hundreds of people in costume was never in the plan. When the opportunity presented itself as the organizers said “All bikes welcome”, I couldn't pass up the chance. As I lined up on the start line in my crazy monster costume on my ZiZZO I looked around and just laughed. I saw a banana on a mountain bike, mice on a tandem, and a gorilla on a gravel bike. The racing was fast and furious but the real fun was going through a section where hundreds gathered screaming and yelling at you as you go up a steep hill. Some kid dressed up as a parrot almost took me out on the downhill but luckily the 20 inch wheels of the ZiZZO kept things stable and up right. I was the only folding bike out there and I think it did surprisingly well. It was too much fun!

Well, there ya go. I could easily talk about so many more places and adventures I had on the ZiZZO this year but we will finish this last blog by simply saying THANK YOU for the time you took supporting us and also for reading these blogs. Let’s ride even more in 2023! Enjoy the Ride!