Announced by the company today, Uber has bought the ebike sharing company Jump for reportedly around $100M to $200M. This could be a boon for ebike sharing and it has everything to do with Uber’s *uber* popular app and the integration of “ebiking” as a cheaper, more fun, and often quicker option than calling a car. Oh, and without fossil fuels…
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I know a high-end ebike when I see one and this Ancheer 250W is absolutely not high-end. In fact, it would probably be a bit of a stretch to call this a mid-tier electric bike. Ancheer, a Chinese company that also sells USB peripherals, Fitness equipment and other knick knacks, took a bunch of base level components and put them on a Huffy-level all aluminum bike frame and out of this concoction got a good sub-$600 ebike. So how good/bad is it? Let me tell you…
Today, we are reviewing a different kind of bike, the Pedego Ridge Rider, a hardtail mountain bike with RockShox Recon adjustable front suspension. Pedego likes to view itself as the Tesla of e-bikes, according to the CEO, Don DiCostanzo. Apparently, Elon Musk has a few in his garage. Unlike some other e-bike manufacturers, Pedego only makes electric bicycles. For them it is not some afterthought, it is their only thought. We had the Ridge Rider for a couple of weeks towards the end of the summer and after a few long rides, we can say that we thoroughly enjoyed it.
A few weeks ago, I was able to get my hands on the 2017 Raleigh Redux IE Diamond Frame and it has become one of my favorite commuter-style e-bikes ever. The Redux IE is fast, very maneuverable, light (for an e-bike anyway), quiet, it strikes the right balance when it comes to value for money (regularly $3199, on sale now for $2699) and maybe most importantly, this bike is so fun I can’t wait to ride.
Bosch eBike Systems acquired COBI, a connected biking startup that enables cyclists to use their smartphones as an eBike control and display unit. The exact amount and terms have not yet been disclosed publicly.
COBI already offers many more services than the Bosch’s current eBike system which focuses mostly on drivetrain functionality. With COBI you can use services such as GPS navigation, music, phone, and fitness but also services such as Strava, Spotify, Apple Health and third-party Bluetooth fitness sensors, whereas with Bosch your display is really only a control panel for your bike. Cobi integrates both worlds and connects the rider….
I’m in Wisconsin visiting with in-laws this week but when I heard that Trek announced its new CrossRip+ ebike, I knew it would be a great opportunity to visit the headquarters/factory in nearby Waterloo. I was neither disappointed by the factory, bike celebrities wandering the halls during the World Cup event, nor the CrossRip+ electric cyclocross which Trek let me take on a 10 mile on and off road test ride…
“Goodbye car,” is what it says on the Trek website and that was our initial question: Can this bike replace a car for a meaningful percentage of commuters?
Clearly, Trek is positioning the Trek Super Commuter +8S bicycle as a viable alternative to a car for your daily commute. As far as the price of this bike goes that comparison is a fair one. For the $4,999.99 that you have to shell out for this bike, you could buy a used car! But let’s not talk money yet, could this bike replace a (preferably electric) car for your daily commute? Is the bike good enough and practical enough to replace the car for your drive to and from the office? I rode the Trek Super Commuter +8S from Croton-on-Hudson, NY to New York City to find out. Along the 40+ miles I rode on this bike, I encountered backroads, muddy single tracks, gravel roads, bike paths and the busy city streets of Manhattan. Granted, I don’t expect people to use this bike for a daily 40 miles commute each way, but the point was to put the Trek through its paces and see how it would stack up. How good of an electric bike is it really?
A startup working on a new low-cost solar and human-powered vehicle has received funds from the Energy and Environment Partnership in order to bring the vehicle to Africa and contribute to the continent’s economic development in remote areas.
The vehicle called Solar-E-Cycle functions as an e-bike, but it is assisted by both a battery pack and a solar panel.
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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…
Pure Cycle’s latest creation, Volta, hopes to be the “smartest eBike ever.” Recently launching on Kickstarter, Volta delivers an eBike in a sleek and budget-friendly design. It only weighs 35 lbs, which helps it provide 40 miles per charge along with a variety of features.
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LeEco has introduced a pair of technology-infused bicycles at CES 2017 in Las Vegas. Covering both road and mountain varieties, these new smart two-wheelers are built around a four-inch touchscreen display that runs on a special version of Android software. Riders will be able to receive turn-by-turn GPS directions and manage device features like messaging or music playback. Additionally, the built-in sensors are designed to track a variety of fitness data.
Both models are made from Toray carbon fiber frames with the road bike weighing in at 18-pounds while the larger mountain version is listed at nearly 27. This is largely due to its SR Suntour XCR Air fork on the front and additional components made for rough terrain. LeEco has yet to release final pricing information on these two models. If you’re a fitness enthusiast and Android user, these new rides might be an attractive alternative to mounting your device on long rides.
You’ll find all of our coverage from CES 2017 here.
We’ve shared a number of electric bikes at 9to5Toys in the last year, particularly noting the variety of designs that are currently available to consumers. Another option has hit the market, or Kickstarter rather, with a foldable frame and small footprint. Tern’s new Vektron eBike uses a Bosch motor that provides up to 250W of extra electric power. The 49-pound two-wheeler comes in at just 16 x 33 x 25-inches when completely folded up.
A 400Wh battery provides between 40 to 80 miles on a single charge depending on your speed. There are four different power modes to choose from that can serve up to 250% of the power from a typical human. It tops at 20mph thanks to its lightweight and aerodynamic design that is made for riders as little as five feet tall. Tern is using Kickstarter to fund its latest creation but it already has an impressive network of 125 dealers in the United States. A pledge of $3,100 will deliver a Vektron eBike in April if all goes to plan.
From 9to5Toys.com:
As eBikes have gained traction over the last few years, a variety of styles have come to fruition through crowdfunding and startup companies. Initially we saw plenty of industrial designs but thankfully more traditional cruisers are hitting the scene.
Faraday has been cranking out electrical for just over five years. The San Francisco bike shop recently took to Kickstarter to fund its latest creation: the Cortland and Cortland S. With just a week to go, Faraday has flown past its crowdfunding goal. There’s still time to grab one before the campaign ends, but you’ll need to act fast as nearly every model has sold out…
Rimac Automobili is a Croatian car company better known for being the maker of the Concept_One electric supercar, but it is also the maker of the little known Greyp G12 high performance electric bike and the company recently introduced a successor to the G12: the Greyp G12s.
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From 9to5Toys.com:
It has been a big month for electric vehicles, with Tesla notably stealing the show with its event earlier this week and delivery numbers today. On the lower end of the cost spectrum, there is an ever increasing interest in affordable battery-driven transportation. We have already seen motorcycle and skateboard prototypes that each offer a unique alternative to traditional counterparts.
The eBike community is growing as well. One of the more intriguing electric bikes on the market comes way of Sondors. After previously raising over six million dollars on Indiegogo, Storm and his crew are back with a refreshed model and a lower price tag on Kickstarter that makes this affordable eBike more attractive than ever.
From 9to5Toys.com:
We don’t usually feature concept vehicles, generally opting to wait until they are ready for release to the general public. But a new e-bike from Expemotion has caught our eye and we had to share it with you. The E-Raw concept blends natural and man-made materials that results in a stunning two-wheeled creation. From the simple steel tube chassis to the wooden seat that wraps around the motorcycle acting as placeholder for a would-be gas tank, this bike is eye-popping.
It has a built-in spot on the dashboard for your smartphone and a red/white metal enclosure for the motor. Amongst all the prototypes that we have seen recently, the E-Raw is one of our favorites. No word on its release or future plans, but you can head over to Expemotion for more details.
Source: Asphalt and Rubber