E-bike Round-Up; Sept 4, 2018…
Self-Driving eBikes? Why not? The German city of Magdeburg is the testing grounds for a developing program from the University named after the city. In the next couple of weeks, test rides will start with a person being able to use an app on their phone to have a self-driving eTrike come to them, and then take them to their destination. The experiment is being conducted under the direction of Professor Stephan Schmidt who is very quick to point out the difficulties for the eTrikes to navigate through all the hazards presented in a busy city. This is not meant to be just an exercise in engineering however, the plan is to have them operational by the year 2020.
Thinking they are better than self-driving cars, Professor Schmidt feels they are ‘a charming alternative to car traffic – an environmentally-friendly alternative for urban transport.’
Full Sus eRoad Bikes – Is There No End to eBike Innovation? Known for their innovative approach to cycling, French bike company Lamere is at it again, teasing the e-bike world with a full suspension electric road bike. Featuring a Shimano E8000 mid-drive system and a Lauf suspension fork, their latest awesome bike comes in at 38 lbs.
New Display from Bosch. None of the big players are standing still when it comes to the booming market of eBikes, they are all upping their ‘game’ and Bosch is very much in the lead group. Their new Knox colour display unit exemplifies their commitment to the e-bike market. Sporting new features, the display/ computer tells riders if they are riding above or below their average speed, and through a Bluetooth-connected heart rate monitor, it allows riders to monitor their heart rate throughout a ride. Updates can also easily be done through the low-energy Bluetooth interface, and more features are promised to come.
“Kiox is our best and brightest display” says Claudia Wasko, V P & GM of Bosch eBike Systems Americas, and “… our first step in North America connecting eBikes to the eBiker’s digital world.”
BH Launching X-Tep eMtn Bikes for 2019. As a follow-up to the innovative Atom X, Spanish manufacturer BH Bikes debuted the latest demonstration of their deepening commitment to electric mountain bikes, the XTep product line. Although based on the frame of the frame of the Atom X, it doesn’t use the Brose motor, but instead was designed to use either the Shimano E8000 or E7000.
One of the models in the line-up is the X-Tep Lynx sports the E8000 motor and shows off with a 720Wh battery uses 21,700 new energy-dense cells that claims to provide 150km range. BH Bikes are really well-known in Europe and are starting to build a solid reputation in North America on the US race circuit. The European market will no doubt get these beauties first since they are considerably ahead of the US and Canada. As Toronto’s exclusive BH dealer, we will be receiving news on this exciting new series soon – stay tuned.
eBikes and Kids Trailers. It seems intuitive that one of the things you would use an eBike for would be pulling children in a trailer. New products are entering the market to supply this demand as it grows and here are a few that are designed for off-road riding. The gift of thrill-inducing trail-riding is offered to parents and their young ones with the one-wheel Tout Terrain Single Trailer. Minimal resistance, only 45cm wide, a solid steel roll cage and an incredible 200cm of travel provide the confidence to take your child along on more challenging trails offering them a totally unique perspective. The summer bug screen and rain-proof cover make for all-weather adventures. The Thule Chariot Lite is a bare-bones version of their classic child bike trailer. Like all Thule products, it has a quality feel about it. Handling is very good with a wide range of movement on the flexible connector allowing the Chariot to turn and manoeuvre easily even when churning it out of the saddle. Not meant for anything more than wide family-friendly paths. It rolls easily but additional resistance of two wheels is noticed.
The Burley D’Lite uses chunky aluminum tubes and supports, coil sprung suspension and with a 45 kg load limit, gives parents with multiple children and those who need to pack extra gear a great solution. A very large cargo space, if loaded up, requires serious leg power and a noticeable effort to get rolling. With its variable tilt, suspended seat, tinted windows, adjustable sunshade and coil suspension, the D’Lite provides a very cushy ride for its occupants as long as rides are taken on relatively calm, wide trails.
781km Canadian Adventure. Demonstrating the spirit of eBikes, a 12 day loop from Montreal around Kingston and Ottawa then back to Montreal gave a middle-aged couple a camping trip to note. Riding two NeoMouv eBikes equipped with Brose mid-drive motors, Patrick Goulet, former racing pro, and his wife Claire toted their camping equipment an average of 70 km per day (their longest was 87km), and never running out of power proves the claim that the eBikes can easily deliver 100+ km per charge.
Haibike Reigns in the Mountains. Underscoring their position in the electric mountain bike category, Haibike has launched their new FLYON series featuring, at the top end, the XDURO NDURO 10.0 and including two other models (XDURO NDURO 8.0 & XDURO NDURO 5.0). The carbon framed models also feature a fly chip that allows riders to adjust the head angle and bottom bracket to their preferences. Getting into this league costs a healthy $9.600 and going full send will set you back a serious $13,700. We’re not sure this serious series will be seen in Canada any time soon; he can only hope.
More coming from this week – later on…
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