In this Rize Blog post, we’d like to introduce you to Calgary YouTube sensation, Dave Schrader. Dave is a Rize Bike owner and has a YouTube channel called MegaDave’s World where he regularly posts self-shot videos that feature him and his Rize Bike. We decided to interview Dave for this Rize Blog post and introduce you to him. Without further ado, here is the interview.
Hi Dave, who are you and when did you launch your YouTube channel?
Hello, my name is Dave Schrader. I’m from Calgary, Alberta, Canada, and my YouTube channel is called MegaDave’s World. I’ve been riding mountain bikes and dirt bikes most of my life and I have a wife and three kids. I edit photos and videos as a hobby and I’m completely self-taught. I saw the Rize Blade and I knew I had to have it, and I planned on making lots of videos about it the second I decided to buy it. I started the channel back in September 2020 right after my first ride on my new bike.
Your YouTube videos look time-consuming to make? Why do you do it? Yeah, it usually takes Between 2-5 days to produce a video, depending on how complicated the edit is. I’ve been editing videos as a hobby since about 2001. Before YouTube existed. So, I’m pretty quick at it but it’s still a process. I knew I was going to be making videos about the Blade the moment I decided I wanted to buy it. There were hardly any Rize Bike videos on the internet (except for EBR’s) so I wanted to make some. I really enjoy making the riding vids (with music) but I also like making skits and making people laugh.
“I edit photos and videos as a hobby and I’m completely self-taught”. -MegaDave
What’s involved in making one of your videos e.g. equipment, script, storyboard, scheduling, etc? Every time I get on my bike I’m at least filming with my GoPro 7 Black. Every time! The second camera I use that gets all my B-roll is called an Insta360 One X2 and that’s the one I get all the questions about because you can’t see how it’s mounted and it looks like pure wizardry. Then, for those beauty shots, I use my Mirrorless Sony cam with a different assortment of lenses. I don’t often do that because it’s a lot of set up and when I’m riding by myself, it’s hardly worth it. I don’t use scripts but I do use bullet points if I’m doing a lot of talking. I have no schedule, I try to get videos out as often as I can but I have a full-time job and a family I’m kind of fond of so I’m usually only able to produce a couple of vids each month. But summer’s coming and I’ve got tons of ideas I can do with the Blade.
Do you enjoy being in front of the camera? I’m actually a lot better behind the camera than in front of it. That's why I’ll be getting my brother, Jimmy, involved. He’s also my dirt biking partner so he also knows how to handle a bike pretty well. I’ll be able to capture some better footage then, and it should look more pro. He’s just waiting on the 2021 version of the Blade to come out, as am I!
What's your day job? I’m a commercial service electrician. I travel all over southern Alberta and sometimes into BC and Saskatchewan [Western and Central Canada]. I always bring my Rize Bike, out of town with me, and try to find some cool little adventures. That’s how I got lost in Banff!
What's your dream job? Hmmm. I would have to definitely say a YouTube influencer but that is an incredibly hard thing to do. If I could just ride my bike all day, film my adventures, go home and edit it, and rack up as much money or more as I do as an electrician, well, that would be all right. But that doesn’t really matter because I really like my job. I work for an excellent and supportive company, and I get to ride and edit in my free time. So that’s close enough!
Where do you live? I was born, raised, and live in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. I’ll never leave. Except when I get rich and can have a winter home away from the snow. Snow’s fun to ride in but I still hate it
“I saw the Rize Blade and I knew I had to have it, and I planned on making lots of videos about it the second I decided to buy it.” -MegaDave
Are electric bikes popular in your area? How do people react to you on your Rize Bike? Electric bikes are definitely gaining popularity in Calgary. We have a lot of hills and Calgary is a very large city with the most expensive bicycle pathway network in North America. Electric bikes make it easy for everyone to get out there and enjoy their city without coming home, soaked in sweat unless they want to.
When did you purchase your first electric bike and what made you decide to make the purchase? My Rize Blade is the first electric bike I’ve owned. I’ve been riding mountain bikes most of my life and my wife was never able to keep up with me because I like to go fast. I suggested she get an e-bike so we can ride together, so she did. Then, all of a sudden I couldn’t keep up with her… We’d ride around the neighborhood looking at houses or going to the park. We would casually climb a steep ass hill and she would stop and wait at the top while I was fighting for my life to try not to be beat too badly by an e-bike. That's when I decided I wanted one, but I wanted one that was more of a toy. I searched the internet and found the Rize Blade and it was exactly what I was looking for. It also turned out to be a far better off-road beast than I thought it would.
What are your YouTube plans/goals for 2021? My plan with the channel has kind of always been to show how cool of a bike the Rize Blade actually is. It is like a toy, it gets a LOT of attention when in public and I want to show that. I also want to make some adventure-type videos with my bro and try to show how much fun these bikes really are. I’d like to show the capabilities of the bikes and help people with tips, tricks, and how-to videos. Also, the second generation of the Blade will be coming out soon and I’ll be getting my hands on one of those and I’ll be making tons of videos about it as well. I can’t wait to see what it looks like. I’d like to grow my channel and include more people and possibly other e-bikes and find people that can ride the same way I do, or better. Basically, I just want to use the channel as an excuse to go out and have some fun with friends. That’s all that really matters.
To learn more about Rize Bikes, please check out our website and please follow us on Facebook and Instagram for updates, promos, and product info. If you need specific info, please call the Rize Sales Dept toll-free, at 1-888-600-1545. Phone lines are open Monday-Friday 9am-5pm PST or email support@rizebikes.com. Thanks for reading!
