The nation’s top transit systems have experienced 70% to 90% declines in ridership during the pandemic. Analysts believe that some of these losses could be sustained for years. As lockdowns get lifted, workers will need new socially distanced strategies to get to work.
Riide is one of those Kickstarter electric bicycle success stories, getting their start on the crowdfunding platform in 2015 in order to launch a sustainable e-bike business that has so far lasted the test of time in an increasingly competitive market. After differentiating themselves with a unique lease-to-own option, Riide is now back with their second-generation e-bike, the Riide 2.
Specialized has just released the latest edition to its Turbo e-bike lineup, the Specialized Turbo Vado SL. With “SL” standing for Super Light, this is also one of the lightest e-bikes in Specialized’s lineup, weighing in at as little as 33 lb (14.9 kg).
And while some of Specialized’s lightweight e-bikes have carried heavy price tags, the new Specialized Turbo Vado SL is surprisingly light on the wallet, too.
New Zealand-based rugged electric utility bike company UBCO has expanded its push across Europe after finding success in the Australasia region as well as the US. And as part of the expansion, UBCO isn’t just preparing to increase its product line, it’s also increasing its leadership team as well.
After other leading electric bicycle component suppliers introduced larger batteries last year, Shimano is following their lead with its own set of higher-capacity e-bike batteries.
The Swytch Kit is an e-bike conversion kit that markets itself as ultra-lightweight and easy to use. Most people are likely to find use for the Swytch electric bicycle conversion kit in standard commuting scenarios. That’s how I originally intended to use it.
But I wanted to try putting it through a bit more of a grueling test by taking it off the beaten path, and so I found somewhere the road stopped and the adventure began.
Gazelle doesn’t just make Dutch-style e-bikes, they make actual Dutch e-bikes. As in, they’re built in Holland. And the company’s latest release today of the Gazelle Medeo T9 brings that Dutch heritage to North American riders with a comfort bike designed for both city commuting and recreational trail riding.
When we first covered the high-power Delfast TopCop electric bicycle, the company was still pitching its bikes to various police departments around the world. Now we’re hearing some of the first feedback from actual cops who have incorporated the e-bikes into their daily service.
Many electric bicycle and scooter companies have announced discounts for healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. But now Rad Power Bikes, the largest e-bike company in the US, is offering a big $200 discount to a wide range of people who serve their communities.
[October 2020 update: Unfortunately it was discovered that a large number of people who did not qualify for these discounts were abusing the system to take advantage of Rad Power Bikes’ generosity. For that reason, the company has been forced to close the discount offer. The remainder of this article is being left for documentation, but the original discounts for teachers, military, medical services and first responders are no longer available.]
Amazon is great for so many things. But can you get a decent electric bicycle for an ultra-budget price? That’s exactly what I set out to discover when I ordered the Nakto 26″ Cargo Electric Bike.
It’s not really a cargo bike, at least not in the stretched out utility way you’re probably used to. But hey, it includes a front basket and rear rack, plus lights and fenders, all for the cool price of $599. How bad could it be?
Boosted was a key leader in the premium electric skateboard market before the company’s untimely demise two months ago. As it tuns out, Boosted was apparently working on much larger projects, including a pair of electric bicycles known as the Boosted Bullet and P2.
As government-imposed lockdowns spread around the US in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, small businesses have been suffering. With people stuck at home and tightening their purse strings, many feared that the hardship would be acutely felt by the scores of electric bicycle companies that have popped up over the last few years.
But as it turns out, the opposite is true. In fact, sales of electric bicycles appear to have exploded recently.
The UNI MK Classic from UrbanDrivestyle is a frontrunner in the electric mini-bike market. Despite the hard classic motorcycle look and rugged features, the bike has a soft side that was the focus of my attention. Electric mini-bikes are pouring onto the public at a very fast rate. Without even getting into the actual electric motorcycles that sometimes blur the lines, just the bicycle flavor is already becoming a neighborhood favorite.
The San Diego-based e-bike company Ride1Up has just announced two new models of electric bicycles. The new Ride1Up Core-5 returns a sub-$1k e-bike to the company’s lineup, while the Ride1Up LMT’D offers the highest torque e-bike yet from Ride1Up.
Xiaomi’s Youpin crowdfunding platform has been used to launch a number of affordable electric bicycles over the last few years. And with each new model, the bikes seem to become increasingly attention-grabbing. Take for example the new Himo Z16 electric bicycle just unveiled for $352.
The Juiced Scorpion has been one of the most highly anticipated electric moped-style bikes of the season. And while the standard Juiced Scorpion has already begun making deliveries, the higher-powered HyperScorpion has eluded pre-order holders for now.
Today is Earth Day, which makes it a great day to reflect on how we can all reduce our individual impact on the environment. Transportation is a massive contributor to climate change, and a particularly effective and fun alternative to single-occupant car trips is a personal electric vehicle like an electric bicycle, e-scooter, or other small electric vehicle platforms.
Cars are often used as a default form of transportation, even when a multi-thousand-pound vehicle isn’t always necessary. Electric cars are certainly an eco-improvement over gas-powered cars, but they still use as much as 10-20x the energy of micromobility alternatives like a personal electric vehicle. By swapping many car trips for personal mobility alternatives, you can vastly reduce your daily energy usage in a meaningful way.
VanMoof’s electric bicycles have a well-deserved reputation for quality and aesthetics — so much so that the design and even the shipping boxes have been imitated by e-bike companies around the world. But to stay one step ahead of the imitators, VanMoof has now announced its next generation Vanmoof S3 and X3 e-bikes. And things have just gotten even better.
How good can one of the cheapest electric bicycles on Amazon be? That’s exactly the question I set out to answer when I bought a Spadger folding electric bike for the cool sum of $420 earlier this year. It may not have much in the way of extra features, but it sure does lower the barrier to entry for anyone looking to get their first e-bike on a budget.
Electra, a US nationwide brand with representation in local bike stores, specializes in cruiser bikes and the laid-back lifestyle. The Cafe Moto Go! model is their foray into a high-end cafe racer, and it expectedly hits the mark right on. While it’s not the fastest bike out there, it certainly delivers with comfort, quality, and style. With the added benefit of local support and reliable resale value, the bike has a secure place in the local markets, for those willing to spend the extra money for a high-end cruiser.
The first wave of stimulus checks for up to $1,200 are being distributed by the IRS right now. And believe it or not, $1,200 can actually buy some pretty useful electric bikes for yourself or someone in need.
Here are some of the best electric bikes we’ve tested that could be covered by all or part of the $1,200 stimulus check and still leave some cash in your pocket for other essentials.
VanMoof was planning to unveil their highly anticipated next-generation VanMoof S3 and X3 e-bikes later this month. But thanks to a new leak, we’re already getting an early look at the details.
And boy are those details promising, as they show a pair of new VanMoofs sporting a wide array of upgrades. Better, cheaper, faster… Well, not faster. But certainly the first two are true!
Even though electric bicycle prices in the West are dropping, with many decent e-bikes found in the sub-$1,000 range, China is still king of the inexpensive e-bikes. So I wanted to see how one of these ultra-affordable e-bikes stood up to the types of e-bikes in the US and Europe.
My goal: Find one of these e-bikes and bring it to the US for testing.
The Italian electric bicycle conversion kit company Bikee Bike has a new lightweight kit known as the Lightest. As the name implies, Bikee says this is the lightest weight e-bike kit on the market, with the mid-drive unit weighing just 1.65 kg (3.5 lb).