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The Commuter Bike Redesigned and Electrified

pogue.blogs.nytimes.com

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Re: The Commuter Bike Redesigned and Electrified

#21

Post by othello »

Derbasti wrote: post #14

Frankly, I don't see the point of electric bicycles. I have not seen any electric bicycle that offered any real advantage to a normal muscle-operated one. As a matter of fact, bicycles are one of the oldest and most refined technologies available to us. They are marvelously efficient, they are light and versatile. Adding an electric motor and battery makes them heavy, limits your range and decreases the amount of con…

As a matter of fact, bicycles are one of the oldest and most refined technologies available to us.

Bicycles can hardly be considered an old technology. While Da Vinci had already sketched some designs in the late 15th century [1], the first prototypes could not be built before the early 19th century.

The first recognizable version of the current chain-driven models was only produced in 1885. [2]

The chain-driven bicycle is not as simple as it looks.

[1] http://www.ltolman.org/davinci.htm [2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bicycles

Re: The Commuter Bike Redesigned and Electrified

#22

Post by jwr »

Derbasti wrote: post #14

Frankly, I don't see the point of electric bicycles. I have not seen any electric bicycle that offered any real advantage to a normal muscle-operated one. As a matter of fact, bicycles are one of the oldest and most refined technologies available to us. They are marvelously efficient, they are light and versatile. Adding an electric motor and battery makes them heavy, limits your range and decreases the amount of con…

Agreed. I would much rather have a normal, folding bike. However, I have to admit that these guys got the folding part right. I think folding bike design hasn't really progressed much over the years. People rave about Brompton bikes, but I am not impressed by how they fold, what they fold into, or their weight.

And while I would not pay the exorbitant price for this thing, I would gladly pay a significant amount of money for a modern folding bike. Say, with a carbon fiber frame instead of a steel one.

Re: The Commuter Bike Redesigned and Electrified

#23

Post by pmccool »

The more I think about it, the more the 6-mile range sounds like a crippling flaw. Hills and headwinds will presumably knock this around, but that aside, there's just so little room for error. Forget to charge, make a short detour to buy groceries and there you are walking home with a bag full of perishables and an immobile chunk of carbon fibre.

Nice to see some attention paid to lighting though. It's an important issue for commuter bikes, and one that doesn't seem to get as much attention as it should.

Re: The Commuter Bike Redesigned and Electrified

#24

Post by Derbasti »

tzs wrote: post #18
Derbasti wrote: post #14

Frankly, I don't see the point of electric bicycles. I have not seen any electric bicycle that offered any real advantage to a normal muscle-operated one. As a matter of fact, bicycles are one of the oldest and most refined technologies available to us. They are marvelously efficient, they are light and versatile. Adding an electric motor and battery makes them heavy, limits your range and decreases the amount of con…

> I have not seen any electric bicycle that offered any real advantage to a normal muscle-operated one. Some people don't have showering facilities at work, or do not want to carry a change of clothes with them. An electric bike is less likely to produce a stinky cyclist.

Most electric bicycles only enhance your own pedaling. This makes you faster, but it won't make you sweat less as you can still exert the same force (only to greater effect). In other words, if sweating is the problem, ride slower.

Personally, I ride slowly to work, and fast back.

Re: The Commuter Bike Redesigned and Electrified

#25

Post by gjm11 »

anateus wrote: post #10

Clearly someone hasn't read PG's The Trouble With The Segway: http://paulgraham.com/segway.html

PG says: "Someone riding a motorcycle isn't working any harder. But because he's sitting astride it, he seems to be making an effort. When you're riding a Segway you're just standing there." and: "So there may be a way to capture more of the market Segway hoped to reach: make a version that doesn't look so easy for the rider. It would also be helpful if the styling was in the tradition of skateboards or bicycles rather than medical devices."

This thing does in fact look rather like a bicycle, and the rider does sit astride it. Perhaps the YikeBike people have read PG's note about the Segway.

On the other hand, I think it still makes it look as if the rider is "too lazy to walk". If that (rather than, say, the $3600 price tag) makes the YikeBike fail, then it'll indicate that PG's basic analysis was right even though his proposed ways of solving the problem were wrong.

Re: The Commuter Bike Redesigned and Electrified

#26

Post by Derbasti »

othello wrote: post #21
Derbasti wrote: post #14

Frankly, I don't see the point of electric bicycles. I have not seen any electric bicycle that offered any real advantage to a normal muscle-operated one. As a matter of fact, bicycles are one of the oldest and most refined technologies available to us. They are marvelously efficient, they are light and versatile. Adding an electric motor and battery makes them heavy, limits your range and decreases the amount of con…

As a matter of fact, bicycles are one of the oldest and most refined technologies available to us. Bicycles can hardly be considered an old technology. While Da Vinci had already sketched some designs in the late 15th century [1], the first prototypes could not be built before the early 19th century. The first recognizable version of the current chain-driven models was only produced in 1885. [2] The chain-driven bicy…

Show me another widespread technology that exists since the late 1800s and that has not been completely replaced by another technology. Most technologies get replaced by newer 'disruptive' technologies in rather short times (think gasoline vs. steam vs. electricity for trains or turbine vs. gasoline for planes).

The 'driving force' for bicycles has stayed virtually the same (human muscles), but the transmissions and layouts have been improved steadily. Only the advent of hybrid electric-and-muscle driven e-bikes can be seen as an actual revolution in cycling technology.

Re: The Commuter Bike Redesigned and Electrified

#27

Post by arethuza »

diziet wrote: post #20

It seems horribly unsafe in case of an accident. Sure, 15mph is turtle speed when it comes to bicycles (disclosure: I've been racing road bicycles for five years) but you can still get hurt pretty horribly if you fly out of that thing. There's no frame/hand compression to stop you. Also, it doesn't look like a bicycle, at least compared to something in the similar price range: http://www.londoncyclesport.com/Assets/L…

Not to mention he isn't wearing a helmet!

[NB I've had one accident where a helmet definitely saved my life and a couple of close calls - two my own fault cycling off road and another where kids threw a brick at me].

Re: The Commuter Bike Redesigned and Electrified

#28

Post by arethuza »

anateus wrote: post #10

Clearly someone hasn't read PG's The Trouble With The Segway: http://paulgraham.com/segway.html

"When he rides the Eunicycle, people smile at him"

There is a chap who commutes through central Edinburgh on a unicycle and it does indeed cheer me up every time I see him.

Re: The Commuter Bike Redesigned and Electrified

#29

Post by lacerus »

I tried an electric GoCycle the other day. It is the best looking folding bike I've ever seen, reaches 30 km/h (faster than all other cyclists around you) and you don't smell when you arrive at work.

http://store.gocycle.com/

Also you can fold it up and take the subway if it starts to rain unexpectedly.

Re: The Commuter Bike Redesigned and Electrified

#30

Post by tzs »

Derbasti wrote: post #24
tzs wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I have not seen any electric bicycle that offered any real advantage to a normal muscle-operated one. Some people don't have showering facilities at work, or do not want to carry a change of clothes with them. An electric bike is less likely to produce a stinky cyclist.

Most electric bicycles only enhance your own pedaling. This makes you faster, but it won't make you sweat less as you can still exert the same force (only to greater effect). In other words, if sweating is the problem, ride slower. Personally, I ride slowly to work, and fast back .

You do not peddle the bike that the article was discussing.
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