What does pushing the e-bike envelope mean? That’s a question this week’s news seems to be asking a lot. It might simply be a multifunctional e-bike that is far more affordable than most other models with the same package of features. Or it might be a five-wheel electric cargo solution, a lightweight urban machine with Pinion bottom bracket gearing or even a belt drive with two derailleur gears that Veer are looking to bring to market. Whether the more experimental technologies make it to market is another matter but it’s always fascinating to see which ones end up doing so.

In this week’s e-bike news:

• Great value Ride1Up Portola e-folder
• VPL and Bosch produce concept speed pedelec for three riders
• Civilized Cycles five wheel e-cargo bike
• Desikino/Stromer lightweight urban e-bike with Pinion drive
• Veer raising funds for a two speed belt drive system

[Read more…] about E-Bike News: Ride1Up Portola, VPL / Bosch Concept & More

Will new technology show the e-bike industry the way forward and out of the current difficult economic climate it finds itself in? One example might be how Bird has relaunched with modest technological upgrades. Or does more exciting new tech show the way forward as promised by the new electric cargo model from Gocycle or news of two new e-bikes powered by fast charging supercapacitors, not to mention industry collaboration on vehicle to car wireless technology?

Whilst you are waiting for the new technology to arrive, you can always console yourself with some real bargains on offer (a couple of the best are highlighted in this week’s news) – an upside for consumers of the current financial pressures on many e-bike firms.

In this week’s e-bike news:

• Bird reveals new e-bike design
• Gocycle go e-cargo
• Hard times for the e-bike industry – the pros and cons
• New York – update news on e-bike regulations
• What’s V2X tech and why might it feature on future e-bikes?
• Supercapacitor models from Anod and Pi-Pop

[Read more…] about E-Bike News: Bird Revamp, Gocycle E-cargo, V2X Tech & Lots More!

Whilst the focus this week is the usual mix of new e-bikes and new tech there are also a couple of stories that remind us of some of the main reasons that e-bikes are so popular.
We note that some negative news – the growth in NYC cycling accident stats – could reflect the wider positive news that cycling has undergone a recent boom in the US and that the convenience and speed offered by e-bikes, especially in big urban areas where most of the boom has occurred, is undoubtedly a contributing factor. Not only are e-bikes convenient, they are fun to ride – as shown by our story on the fact type 2 diabetes sufferers find it a great way to get exercise.

In this week’s e-bike news:

• Maven’s new e-cargobike for women and smaller riders
• Addmotor’s small e-cargobike with a huge battery capacity
• Yamaha reveals two wheel drive and assisted steering tech
• Battery regulation may happen in 2025
• NYC – a call for more protected bike lanes
• From the UK – health benefits of e-bikes

[Read more…] about E-Bike News: Integral & Addmotor E-cargo Models, New Yamaha Tech and Much More !

Whilst e-bike sales graphs may fluctuate from month to month and year to year and companies may come and go, the e-bike revolution itself shows no signs of slowing down. New models and new technology continues to come onto the market at a steady pace, whether it’s the solid but technologically unconventional Haro Skwad LT for running around town or the first of a new wave of e-bikes fitted with the groundbreaking (though entirely positively-reviewed) SRAM Eagle Powertrain autoshift drive system. What could be a quantum leap forward for the whole electric mobility industry are new silicon-based batteries from the likes of Ionblox – that is if their claims add and this doesn’t prove to be yet another false battery technology dawn…..

In this week’s e-bike news:

• Haro Skwad LT – a fun and practical urban runaround
• SRAM Eagle Powertrain gets mixed first reviews
• BH iAerolight is a 26lb e-road machine with 65Nm of torque
• France’s Angell Making e-bikes for Mini car company
• Are Ionblox on the verge of a battery revolution?

[Read more…] about E-Bike News: Haro Skwad LT Urban e-bike, 26lb BH E-road Model & Lots More!

How much more high-tech can e-bike tech get? That’s the main question this week’s news seems to pose; SRAM have unveiled a new system that is more about the gearing than the motor, though it needs a motor that is software tuned to the gear train to put into effect what sounds to be an exciting new auto-sifting system. SRAM being SRAM of course we expect great things of their new Eagle Powertrain. Light but pretty effective motors are always in vogue so LeMond’s latest Prolog All-Road will surely draw some interest. And as always, nothing pique’s the common interest of car and e-bike fans’ interest more than hearing a premium auto-maker is looking to open up an e-bike motor factory.

In this week’s e-bike news:

• SRAM and Brose cooperate to produce high-tech and powerful auto-shifting system
• Lemond’s All-Road Prolog weighs only 28 lbs.
• Cube’s Bosch-Powered Folder
• Porsche say they are opening an e-bike motor factory in Europe
• New Bookman lights with USB charging and replaceable 21700 batteries

[Read more…] about E-Bike News: SRAM Team with Brose for New Mid-drive, LeMond’s All-Road Prolog & Lots More!

You might assume that UL safety certification (and most critically UL 2271 for lithium batteries) was something that was limited to the highest quality e-bikes being that (as our recent article explains), it is a voluntary standard. However, Rad Power Bikes – probably the biggest e-bike company in the US aiming at the ‘value’ end of the market – has now said it will roll out not just the UL2271 standard for all its batteries but also UL2849 that certifies the electrical safety of the whole electric drive system. This has to be good news for e-bike safety, as where Rad Power goes many others follow. New York City’s move to ban the sale of non-UL rated e-bikes may well have played a part and it will be interesting to see if any other jurisdictions follow their lead. With Rad Power on board, buying an affordable UL-certified e-bike just became a whole lot easier.

In this week’s e-bike news:

• Cube Longtail – a high quality, highly capable e-cargo bike
• Greenworks move from powertools to e-bikes
• Rad Power Bikes to introduce UL certification across entire range
• Freeway offering Stromer subscription in the Bay Area
• Ride1Up Roadster V2 gets a throttle
• UK-compliant CYC Photon conversion kit now on sale

[Read more…] about E-Bike News: Cube’s New Longtail, Rad Power UL Certification & Lots More!

There are a number of tried, tested and proven designs on show this week, with e-bikes from Juiced, Gazelle and Trek featured, demonstrating that very keenly priced fat tires, good value e-mtb hard tails and superb quality ‘do anything’ e-bikes respectively are still very much at the forefront of bike manufacturers’ thoughts. As is often the case, it’s the last, briefer news feature on a prototype that may point the way to the future. Pashley’s chainless e-trike has made an appearance at a trade show and most exciting of all the UK manufacturer say it’s slated for release next year. What makes it even more exciting is that Pashley are a traditional UK company not at all prone to hype and what’s more they are trike specialists, so it’s clear they at least think there is a future for this exciting sounding chainless tech which has – thus far at least – failed to make a big impact in the e-bike world. Could Pashley be the one to break the mold?

In this week’s e-bike news:

• Juiced Scorpion X2 – it’s back and it’s more powerful than ever
• Gazelle’s Eclipse – an e-bike marrying high quality with versatile performance
• Trek’s classic mountain bike, the Marlin, gets a Bosch drive system
• Lectric brake fault recall details
• Can Paisley succeed with their chainless e-trike?

[Read more…] about E-Bike News: New E-bikes from Trek, Gazelle and Juiced & Lots More!

This week’s news has a great batch of new e-bike announcements, clearly demonstrating various current trends in the e-bike world. Denago was founded in 2022 by a group of e-bike industry veterans. The brand places a major focus on providing quality products at an affordable price point, backed up by excellent customer service – and they are looking to further that mission with the launch of a couple of hardtail e-mtbs that use Bafang mid-drives, adding to their range of established keenly-priced and well-specced hub motor models.

Norco and Santa Cruz are well known for making premium e-bikes and have both moved into the lightweight space by taking advantage of a new breed of lightweight mid-drive motor. Premium bike company Specialized have made a further move into the e-cargo bike market with a long tail model to go with their previously announced shortail Globe Haul model. And if e-cargo models appeal but are just too expensive for you then Wombi is bringing the chance to subscribe to Tern e-bikes to the US.

In this week’s e-bike news:

• Denago’s eXC mid-drive e-mtbs now in stock
• Norco spec Bosch’s Performance Line SX mid-drive on new lightweight full-sus e-mtbs
• More detail of Specialized’s Globe Haul LT revealed
• Santa Cruz Skitch uses Fazua Ride 60 mid-drive for lightweight gravel / commuter style e-bike
• Wombi offering Tern e-bike subscription in LA

[Read more…] about E-Bike News: Denago eMTBs, Norco Go Bosch SX & More!

If it were still needed, this week’s news shows proof of the huge difference in approach to e-bike design by many manufacturers in the US and European markets. The QuietKat Lynx (from a Colorado-based company) looks ultra powerful and ultra capable, with its huge 2 speed hub motor and software switching to allow it to be used in different conditions where different legal rules as to power and speed may apply. Weight considerations are clearly secondary to all this as this definitely won’t be a light e-bike.

By contrast, Italian company 3T has a lightweight racing bike background, so it’s no surprise they have come up with a 26.5lb electric gravel bike. Assist is limited to the max Euro-allowance of 15.5mph and there is no throttle and no means of varying the top speed for different legal regimes. It’s clearly aimed at those with at least some inclination towards sporty bike riding – very possibly ‘converts’ from the world of non-assisted cycling. The bikes are about as far apart as assisted two wheelers can get and offer vastly different pros and cons, but both call themselves e-bikes; that breadth of design is one of the beauties of the e-bike world.

In this week’s e-bike news:

• QuietKat Lynx – a super capable full-sus e-bike with dual speed motor
• Propella’s latest lightweight w/ torque sensor
• 3T’s new e-gravel bike weighs 26.5lbs
• E-quad delivery vehicles to be legalised in NYC bike lanes
• Driven’s Clever Orbit Drive Seeks Equity Crowdfunding
• Yet more on the Van Moof bankruptcy saga

[Read more…] about E-Bike News: QuietKat Lynx, 26.5lb 3T Ultra Boost & Lots More!

High profile and very well-established US brand Trek made something of a stir this week with the announcement of a moped-style e-bike. OK it was via its leisure and lifestyle arm Electra, but this is still a company that has always been very much attached to ‘bike-like’ bikes and e-bikes in more classic and established styles. That’s why it’s perhaps a little surprising to see it launch a model clearly following the trail blazed by the likes of Super 73 and their moped-style e-bikes.

We’ve already done a full review on another major US brand associated with the sportier end of the e-bike spectrum shifting focus in a similar way, in the form of Specialized’s Globe Haul ST and were impressed with the high quality twist that they put on their first ‘utility’ e-bike. It makes you wonder if more utility models are to come from Specialized and Trek / Electra and how they will bring their formidable R&D resources to bear on what is a relatively new area for both of them

In this week’s e-bike news:

• Electra Ponto Go! – a moped style e-bike with throttle-control
• Addmotor’s new e-trike
• Mihogo Mini – a tiny e-bike that looks to do a whole lot
• Are mandated battery standards on the way?
• Yet more on the Van Moof bankruptcy saga
• Riese and Muller’s innovative new e-bike boxes

[Read more…] about E-Bike News: Trek’s Electra Gos Moped Style, Addmotor E-trike & Lots More!