Bikes

You might have missed it, but automatic e-bikes are here, and they are amazing. Although the days of selecting your gears on bicycles may never leave us, we are now at the point where shifting is optional. Today we have two otherwise identical bikes with only one major difference: automatic vs. mechanical gears. How do they fare side by side?

The Evelo Omega is the most technologically advanced electric bicycle I’ve tried in over 10 years. Other bikes are faster, throw out more power, or load up with IoT gadgets, but the Evelo Omega pushes the boundaries of eBike tech by removing the gear shifter from the handlebars entirely.

The Spectre-ST is yet another step forward for the once small e-bike company EUNORAU. Somehow, they managed to make a very stable step-through electric mountain bike with a great deal of equipment weight while keeping the price reasonable.

HeyBike makes moves in the eBike industry, by upgrading on their very popular Mars electric bike. The new Mars Hyper comes with upgraded components, fit and finish and even some regalia. With a limited run of only 500 units, this bike could sell out this season.

The Velotric Discover 1 is a great value electric city cruiser with surprising quality given the entry to mid level price. There’s so much to love about this bike, but the look, is undoubtedly the first positive impression. The Discover 1 has a wonderful build that blends utility and aesthetics.

Heybike, makers of eBikes small and large, has set a new standard for a feature rich electric folding bike. With so many ways to enjoy electric bikes, the Ranger model can make short work of any commute, off-road short-cut or an otherwise hum-drum day.

It’s a nice break to ride a bike that’s made for someone my size. The Heybike Explore lands in the middle of a popular segment for electric bikes, being equipped for comfort, commuting, and a dash of off-road. It’s honestly a lot of fun riding a bike that’s sized just right for papa-bear.

Electrek had the chance to tour EUNORAU’s main USA eBike facility earlier this month. This Chinese importer has undergone a transformation from a white-label startup to a recognized USA brand in its own right. It was a great opportunity to meet some of the people who have steadily built the company at their workplace.

Magicycle breaks onto the USA electric bike scene with a full power fat-tire cruiser that includes a comfortable stance and a wealth of extra goodies. The high powered 52v electric system can clim most any hill, and the full-house of commuter accessories can tackle most any situation. With a clean look and decent components, there’s a lot to love about the Magicycle Cruiser.

The SWFT brand is relatively young in the electric mobility space, but it’s coming out swinging with a variety of options. Casting a wide net, SWFT sells direct and through Best Buy, both online and in 10 stores in the US. Today we’ll be reviewing an offering right in the middle with their electric cruiser, which is called the Fleet.

TurboAnt, makers of both electric bikes and electric scooters, aims to answer 3 rides in one with the Thunder T1 electric bike. Being a jack of all trades, the Thunder T1 can tackle the trails, blast to work, and even has a touch of comfort for a Sunday cruise.

EUNORAU, the makers of electric bikes both large and larger, is blazing a new trail for both its customers and its company. The Spectre S is its new flagship electric bike, built to rocket up rough terrain and bomb down with equal grace. As the company’s first foray into a new segment of the industry, there are improvements to be had, but this solid freshman entry should catch the eye of the varsity team.

REI, the nation’s premier outdoor equipment retailer, enters the e-bike space with its CTY e2.2. For reasons unclear, REI decided to enter the electric bike space with a city bike rather than something made for off-road. If their goal was to nail down a commuter bike and test out their mettle, I believe they’ve succeeded. 

Texas-based Zooz has made a wildly fun and stunning electric bike in a unique space uncovered by bike companies. If you’ve ever wondered what would happen if you made an electric bike ride like a BMX and a Buick, then you’re not alone. Zooz has done that and much more with the gorgeous Zooz 750 reviewed here. While it’s loads of fun and can be useful sometimes, it doesn’t fit into traditional e-bike categories, except for one, sort of.

Electric bicycle companies are a dime a dozen these days, so when we were contacted by the somewhat-unimaginatively-named “Electric Bike Company,” I didn’t expect much.  I hadn’t heard of them before, but found out they were headquartered nearby, in sunny Newport Beach, California, so figured why not take a trip to the beach and have a look at what they have to offer?

What I found is a small company that makes a real gem of a bike, with good quality components, well-thought-out design, and at a very reasonable price point (starting at $1,299) compared to the competition.

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Most of the clientele Andrew Davidge’s Santa Clara-based electric bicycle company attracts are people for whom biking has become a thing of the past, the bike itself an afterthought – maybe a once-in-a-while thing, if that.

Which is why one of the key draws the company he founded – Vintage Electric Bikes, which started shipping its first bikes in 2013 and which is launching a new fifth model in June – is the design of its rides. The idea is pretty straightforward, marrying simple, California-built bikes with the chrome-laden charm of old, classic cars…
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I had the pleasure of joining the Trek team in New York City this morning for a small briefing and a ride over the Williamsburg Bridge to Brooklyn on the new Trek Super Commuter 8S which due for consumers in the US later this Spring. What got us interested in this event wasn’t so much the Bosch 350W motor/500Wh battery technology but the marketing Trek was using in its campaign to sell this $5000 bike…

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Bombardier Recreational Products, better known as BRP, is having a lot of success with its Can-Am Spyder. It delivered the 100,000th unit last year. During the summer, you can’t travel far without driving by one on the road. The single rear drive wheel with two front wheels for steering is an interesting platform for an electric drivetrain and BRP knows it.

The company has been financing a project to create an all-electric version of the vehicle with the CTA and the Université de Sherbrooke for the past 5 years. They finally unveiled the all-electric concept at EVS29 last month.
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Harley-Davidson unveiled its Livewire project two years ago almost to the day. While the all-electric concept with only ~60 miles of range was lacking compared to other models already available today, it showed that one of the most iconic motorcycle company, which is also obviously entrenched in internal combustion engines, is at least looking at other powertrain technologies.

At the time, Harley-Davidson made it clear that Livewire was only a concept (and good-looking one – see pictures below), but now the company confirms that it plans to bring its first electric bike to market “within the next five years”.
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From 9to5Toys.com:

We’re not just talking about electric bikes as a “one day” or “down-the-road” solution any more. With smaller batteries and greater range, what once was a dream is now a feasible reality. The latest alternative fuel creation comes way of Lithium Cycles, a group out of South California that has eyes on bringing a retro-style battery-powered bike to the masses. So far, interest is heavy. The Super 73 Electric Bicycle has already raised over $165,000 in just a few days on Kickstarter…

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Airbus has a wholly-owned subsidiary called APWorks, which is set up to develop additive manufacturing techniques – especially metallic 3D printing – for the supply chains of Airbus’ main businesses. From time to time, the company releases independent products developed through their manufacturing work for Airbus.

The latest of such product is particularly interesting to us at Electrek: a 3D printed all-electric motorcycle.
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