1. Organizational Overview
Electric Riders was founded in 2021 by Cristóbal Calzado, in the Aran Valley, part of the Pyrénées mountain range in northwest Catalonia, Spain. Famous for its landscape and outdoor lifestyle, it is anchored by Baqueira, one of the best ski resorts in Southern Europe.
For Calzado, a lifelong motorcycle enthusiast, the valley has also been the testing ground for Electric Riders, a (mostly) seasonal, two-wheeled touring business that complements the ski-school he runs over the winter months.
2. Fleet Overview
Electric Riders was initially founded three years ago as an off-road riding school for children that offered a range of different small-scale electric motorcycles for youngsters aged from two to 15 years.
“We formed the company around electric vehicles,” says Calzado. “Because we live in such a beautiful place, we have extra concerns around both noise and preserving the environment, so I wanted everything I do to support that.”
3. UBCO Solution
Over the course of 2023, the business evolved in partnership with UBCO to begin offering off-road trips for adults, which are guided by Calzado, and take advantage of the Aran Valley’s 700km of mountainous trails.
“The terrain of the valley is steep, but it’s criss-crossed with 4X4 trails. It’s 700m at its lowest altitude, and we can reach a high point of 2,000m with the UBCOs — that’s more than a kilometre of elevation,” he says. “This environment has proved perfect for the UBCO and allows the riders to get up into the mountains — for example, one of the trails runs for 30km, winding further and further up.”
For Calzado, who has ridden motorcycles since he was a child, a test-ride aboard on an UBCO 2X2 was enough to convince him. He bought his first and began testing it with potential customers — as well as the local government and police — to ensure it was the right type of vehicle for previously inexperienced people to ride into the rugged mountain landscape. The feedback was universally positive, which allowed him to begin building his fleet and launch the new tour over summer 2023.
Calzado estimates that, over August — the busiest month in the northern summer — he took out around 300 people for tours: a huge achievement for a nascent company, and one that has encouraged him to keep expanding. A second project is now planned for the Balearic Islands that will allow luxury hotels to offer UBCO bikes to guests.
“I like that they are user-friendly for every person,” he says. “Personally, what I like is the silence. That’s the most interesting part of riding an electric vehicle. Then, the UBCO has a very low center of gravity, which makes it very easy to manage. It’s very low maintenance, and very easy.”