Zike Scooters
Zike Scooters — yet another example of what a creative mind and an entrepreneurial attitude can do. The scooters, described as "a stair stepper on wheels" by TV gadget guru Dr. Gadget, were born in the Greenville garage of Zike founder/inventor Nathan Scolari.
Michelle Averell, VP of marketing for Zike Scooters, says, "Zike is in the business of inventing, patenting, engineering and marketing new scooters designed to combat adult and childhood obesity — we're starting off by creating new, innovative human-powered vehicles, but we have many other new inventions/products that we wish to bring to market as well."
Simply put, these scooters with a patent-pending drive system work a lot like a stair-stepper exercise machine. "The Zike is a hybrid between a scooter and a bicycle, except that there is no elliptical pedaling motion. Instead, riders simply step up and down. And, because the riders stand rather than sit while riding, and because the handlebars are adjustable, the Zike allows users to maintain superior posture rather than hunching over," says Averell.
These scooters are colorful and exciting; the look of the design alone makes you smile in anticipation of the fun you'll have.
These scooters are heavy on the "cool factor." But, starting a business — especially one perceived as a fun and leisure business during these economic times — was a challenge, admits Averell.
"Nathan knew he could lose everything, and he has described the last two years as 'a dramatic roller coaster ride,' and we admit, there's a lot of concern for any start-up venture, but we believe that a good product can weather the economic crisis. My companies have still seen growth in the face of these difficult economic times, and we hope to grow quickly as well."
Zike's mission to aid in the prevention of adult and childhood obesity got a huge boost recently, says Averell. "A couple of weeks ago, while our product was featured on ABC-TV's The View, Dr. Gadget said, 'This is the next evolution of human-powered transportation. This is the Zike. The magic is in the motion right here — this is actually a stair stepper on wheels, alright? I want you guys to get out with your families, with your kids. Childhood obesity doesn't stand a chance if everybody had a Zike.'"
And that's music to the ears of Nathan Scolari and his family of employees.
For more info, visit www.zike.net