💍 Is Your Dream eBike from Tesla or Tiffany’s?
Plus, what will happen to VanMoof owners, Velotric’s latest cargo bikes, and Tour de France for escooters.
🎉 Bay Area: Come Celebrate the Future of Small Vehicles With Us
On Friday, October 20th, for the first time ever, Micromobility America in the SF Bay Area will open its doors to the general public to come experience and demo their favorite small electric vehicles as part of the Ride Expo.
The Ride Expo will bring a festival-like atmosphere, gathering riders of all ages and experience levels alongside an absolutely massive collection of micromobility devices from the world’s most innovative brands. At our most advanced test track yet, visitors will have the chance to ride, and even buy, all the latest electric scooters, skateboards, bikes, boards, buggies, accessories, and more.
Admission to the Ride Expo will cost $5 during the Early Bird period. This fee includes your vehicle pass, waiver form, and a ticket to join the Ride of the Lifetime, a one-of-a-kind dance party on wheels. There will also be food trucks, music, and other fun activities.
Glowing reviews from our last Rave Ride in Amsterdam in June are still rolling in. We particularly loved what Electrek’s Micah Toll had to say:
“It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience that I’m so glad I had the chance to be a part of. What a way to end an incredible event!” - Micah Toll
We hope you will join us in taking this ride. Reserve your ticket now.
What You Need to Know Today
England’s Prince William reportedly uses an electric scooter to get around from his family’s estate at Windsor Castle. He hasn’t revealed his make and model of choice, but if you’re looking for escooter recommendations, our virtual assistant at Ride Review has you covered.
A survey conducted by eBikes.org found that Tesla was the most desired (theoretical) ebike brand among men, whereas women would prefer to see an ebike from Tiffany and Co. For Tesla, this is not an entirely new notion, as Elon Musk has hinted at working on ebikes before; on the other hand, this may be a difficult pivot for a jewelry company…
Tesla’s interest in ebikes is all speculative for now, but their Cyber Truck-inspired kids’ four wheeler is very real and arguably much cooler. The tiny quad is now going on sale in China after selling out in the U.S.
Now that VanMoof has filed for bankruptcy, a sale of assets and restructuring of the company is on the table. In the meantime, the company has assured riders that their ebikes will remain operable, but servicing for the vehicles will halt. Unfortunately, due to the unique design and components of VanMoof bikes, this means that broken models will likely remain broken.
The new E-RT3 electric moped from SoCal-based CSC is a hard deal to beat - it tops out at 75 mph and sells for a low MSRP of $7,295.
Full specs for the Harley Davidson S2 Del Mar electric motorbike are now available; claiming a top speed of 103 mph, 194 pound-feet of torque, and 113-mile range, the new S2 certainly lives up to the presale hype.
The new Siggi model from Copenhagen’s Coh&Co is a compact foldable bike made from a recyclable blend of carbon and basalt. It also offers a range of configurations, including a choice of single-speed or four-speed for the electric setup, as well as an 11-speed non-electric version. For more details about the Siggi, check out Coh&Co’s recent presentation at Micromobility Europe.
LA-based X-OTO has introduced what they claim to be the “first self-stabilizing electric moto,” which has a three-wheeled design that allows riders to lean into turns without toppling over.
French tech company Cixi recently showed off their new chainless drive system through a collaboration with LOOK bikes. Cixi says the drive system can propel a vehicle up to 74.5 mph, so it’s no surprise that Cixi plans to use the system for higher-speed vehicles such as motorcycles too.
UK-based premium mountain bike brand Privateer recently introduced their first electric model, called the E-161. Featuring a Shimano EP801 motor and full suspension from Fox Float, the E-161 retails at $8,385.
Borealis also just released their first electric mountain bike, the Keystone, which comes with a full suspension frame as well as 5” fat tires that are capable of handling just about any bump is divot with ease.
Velotric has revealed their Go 1 compact utility bike (pictured), as well as the Packer 1, a longtail cargo bike. Both bikes tout a max payload of 440 lbs. The main differences between the two are power and frame size, with the Packer offering more torque while also being slightly larger.
Digital drive systems have the potential to open up a whole new world of ebike designs and features, but they’re not without pitfalls. A seamless pedaling experience is great, but the possibility of losing all drive power due to an electrical malfunction is a risk consumers should understand before buying.
Scorpion recently announced that they are wrapping up development of their X1 electric motorbike, with pre-production prototyping already underway. The bike will feature a 10kW motor that tops out at 65 mph, as well as a maximum range of 124 miles.
Skateboard company Traqpod just released their first electric model, which is designed to offer the a similar carving experience to a snowboard, minus the snow of course.
An Austalian man has been crowned with the world record for the highest climb on an electric motorcycle by completing a 1,168-mile journey from Lake Eyre to the top of Mt. Kosciuszko.
Italy-based bike brand Basso recently launched the Volta, a highly versatile electric gravel bike which includes a carbon frame as well as optional mounting space for mudguards, luggage racks, a battery extender, and more.
The French Motorcycle Federation has added electric scooter races to its suite of events. Currently, the organization hosts regional escooter competitions, but soon it hopes to launch national-level races.
Isinwheel’s GT2 off road electric scooter, a best-seller in Europe, is now available for preorder in the U.S.
Xtracycle is a brand name you maybe haven’t heard of, but their new Stoker cargo ebike is worth becoming familiar with. Hauling up to 400 lbs of cargo and two additional (child) passengers, the Stoker is built to be a workhorse both on and off road.
German startup Inflabi is working on a $163 inflatable bike helmet that you can store in your pocket - but is it safe? The company says so, claiming their product has up to four times the shock-absorption of a typical bike helmet.
Micromobility is making its way into militaries across the world, with the UK now considering using ebikes as a means to transport rocket launches and other artillery. Meanwhile, Ukraine has already adopted ebikes from Delfast in military operations, and the U.S. is apparently considering sourcing tiny transports for its armed forces from Huck Cycles.
For any product designers who are worried about AI taking their jobs, rest assured the technology isn’t quite up to snuff at picturing electric scooters (yet).
This week on Ride On!, Julia and James break down the news around Vanmoof, and they also welcome Marcus Li of Eli Electric. Additionally, the Vela 2 giveaway is still live - comment, subscribe, and enter your email here for a chance to win!
Heard of Xtracycle?! They CREATED the long-tail cargo bike in the US market!
Where the US is as far as cargo bikes goes (long-tail heavy vs. front load Bakfiets style) is heavily influenced by the early days of Xtracycle being the first 'mass produced' cargo bikes for the US market.
Give them some more props and love.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xtracycle