They don't fit my aesthetic, but could these bikes (and bikes like them) fit the bill for moms wary of abandoning their SUV's to run errands and pick up kids? A comment on the Sanyo Eneloop got me thinking:
This is what the Japanese call the "Mama-chari". Its a purely commuter bicycle, designed for housewives and grannies that go to the grocery and run errands.At $1800, this electric bike is a lot more economical than the Velorbis Elechic and all that plastic belies it's fancy-schmanciness and innovative technology. Maybe e-bikes like these could nudge moms into the bike lanes (or streets more than likely) because they'd know that the pedal assist was there for back-up if they were a little tired at the end of the day or if they had a heavy load or a massive hill or any combination of those things. I know that there are moms (and dads) who conquer hills and carry kids without a motor, but they're aren't a lot of them and that poses a big problem for utilitarian cycling.
The Japanese still run errands using bicycles instead of SUVs, its a generally closer urban environment, so the bicycles aren't completely a recreational purchase like in the US where less people use the bicycle as their primary mode of transportation. So a large basket up front, ease of riding for more elder consumers are important, and a mountain bike won't do.
Also, the 'hybrid' electric system is designed so that going up-and-down inclines are effortless for that 'housewife', its not designed for 'sport' but rather for functionality.
With my new perspective on e-bikes, I must say that I hope to see more like this--just prettier. I'd hate to lose any potential cyclists to the Vespa (not that I have anything against Vespas, but they don't exactly further the cause of better bike infrastructure).
2 comments :
I retired to the far north US Rockies and found that I wasn't cycling much because the hills bothered my knees. I added electric power assist to my 21-speed mountain bike last year (the $279.00 Currie conversion kit to be precise) and I aboslutely love it. The Currie kit is a non-hub motor that has excellent torque, which I need for the hills here. I've now put more miles on my bike than my truck. I would recommend an e-bike to anyone and you don't necessarily have to spend a fortune for a ready-made bike. If you already own a good bike consider a conversion kit. However, read up on safety. Torque arms are a necessity with hub motors and it's a huge no-no to install a hub motor on an aluminum fork--their drop outs are cast and subject to failure without notice, which could result in significant injury.
Wow, thanks for all of that information, A! I was only judging the Sanyo and Velorbis bikes on price and looks ;)
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