Stories
We’re small but growing fast…
and throughout this change we’ll document the things that impact us most greatly along the way
On Quality…
qual·i·ty ˈkwä-lə-tē
1. The standard of something as measured against other things of a similar kind; the degree of excellence of something
2. A distinctive attribute or characteristic possessed by someone or something
Most of the time, I think companies use the first definition. I mean, who wouldn’t want a high degree of excellence in the things they buy and use? I love that definition for it’s versatility but it’s just so damn vague.
What’s in a Name?
I don’t mean to narrow my audience too much when I ask if you’ve ever had the pleasure of choosing a name for your child.
If you have, you’ll remember the mountain of stress that comes with writing that final decision on the government form that will (ideally) identify them for the rest of their existence. I say this as a father of two who, along with my partner, had not named Baby Sartee #1 until about a week before the Canadian Government felt it was prudent to start assessing fines to get things moving along.
The Hidden Cost
The ebike boom is in full swing but we haven’t yet had to reckon with the long-term impacts of our purchases and the waste that comes with it. We are learning this lesson as a business at the perfect moment, at a time where we are making key decisions about who to do business with and what to offer our customers. We want to do the least possible harm in bringing electric transportation to our customers.
An End and a Beginning
About a week ago I found out that the company I am working for is closing its doors in less than a month. This was an unexpected wake up call and a first for me. I’ve spent lots of days at my desk thinking about leaving a job, but this is the first time the job has left me, and to be honest, it’s a bit of a relief.
Designed, tested and handmade in Canada
Most bikes made in North America are simply assembled there. But we take “Made in Canada” many steps further.
Our motors and controllers are designed and assembled in Vancouver. Our frames are welded and powder coated in Montréal. And 100% of our bikes are tested and ridden by us before leaving the warehouse.
What we build, we build for you.
Designed for either, built for both
from $7,499 USD
from $7,999 USD
E-Bikes and the environment
Everything has an impact, almost nothing is truly sustainable.
We’ll share what we learned in our FAQs and Stories. And as we learn, we grow.
FAQs
Ebikes run on electricity, doesn’t that save the environment?
The answer is, “it’s complicated.”
Not all electricity is created equally. If you burn coal to make steam which spins a generator, the energy you’ve created is about as dirty as it gets. You might be better off driving the used gasoline van you own rather than buying a new cargo ebike that runs on dirty power.
Now if the electricity comes from sources that are relatively clean, an ebike really starts to shine. The emissions savings from converting trips by car to bike very quickly outweighs the impact of manufacturing and shipping. And the environment is a little better off for the change.
In general, we don’t ever claim that what we are doing is sustainable, because nothing that involves extracting materials from the Earth is sustainable.
The Earth cannot sustain a western level of consumption and the lifestyles we have all become accustomed to. Similarly, our ebikes are not saving the environment any more than buying an espresso machine to reduce your spending at Starbucks is “saving for retirement.”
We’re simply trying to get people to think and take ownership for their decisions, something we strive to do every day.
What’s the carbon and environmental footprint of making an electric bike?
What we do know is that none of what we make would would exist without massive raw material extraction industries, chemical engineering factories and carbon-based shipping networks. Nobody likes talking about how the sausage is made (okay, maybe you know by now that we actually do), and we aren’t afraid of sharing what we learn along the way. Because knowledge is power, and without asking the questions we will never be armed with the power to affect change.
What are bike companies doing to make a positive impact?
We don’t think it is enough to simply sell a lot of something that is good. True change comes from continuous improvement and never settling with the status quo. Sartée bikes will always be looking for ways to improve the quality of our products, but also reduce the negative impact on our world of making them in the first place.