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Specialized Bicycles, one of the largest names in the global bicycle industry, announced this morning the creation of a new affordable e-bike brand called Globe.

Few hard details are available about Globe and, more importantly, the bikes that’ll be debuted under the Globe banner. All that’s being announced today is that Globe, the brand, is now a thing and that its launch marks a new chapter in Specialized’s mission to replace more car trips with bike trips.

“We’re trying to break out of the traditional thing we have in the bike business of this is a road bike or that’s a mountain bike or that’s a commuter. [Globe] is an everyday bike for everything you might do,” said Saul Leiken, global category leader for Globe Bikes.

While Globe remains mum on the price or spec of their bikes, they are positioning themselves as a brand committed to “lifetime value and affordability,” according to a press release announcing the brand, hinting that the bikes might be on the more affordable end of the spectrum while not sacrificing longevity.

More details on the brand and the bikes themselves are expected in the coming months. Preorders in the U.S. are expected to start late this year with the first batch of bikes being delivered in 2023.

[Read more…] about Specialized launches new e-bike brand called ‘Globe,’ promising affordability and versatility

Motor power and e-scooter legality and safety are the hot topics this week. Certainly Fazua’s new most-powerful-yet Ride 60 mid-drive system looks to have hit a sweet spot between its original less powerful design and more powerful – and significantly heavier – from the likes of Bosch and Shimano. The fact that premium brand Canyon have now picked up the Ride 60, in addition to Riese and Muller, means when the first e-bikes get on the shopfloors over the summer they will be very eagerly anticipated.

The safety of e-scooters has also been much in the news of late and we focus on the official and media reaction to a spare of recent battery fires (often bearing the misnomer e-bike fires) as well as exploring just when and how the UK might legalise and regulate the use of private e-scooters on public roads.

In this week’s e-bike news:

• Canyon plumps for powerful yet lightweight Fazua Ride 60 system
• Metz G8 Cargotec promises huge torque
• When is an ‘e-bike fire’ not an e-bike fire
• Massachusetts plans for e-bike incentives
• UK government proposes legislation on e-scooters

[Read more…] about E-bike News: Canyon Goes with New Fazua Drive, New Metz Cargo System Much More!

As we noted in last week’s news, it’s that time of year when new e-bike launches appear to be raining from the skies and thus it continues. So this week sees a very eye-catching mid-drive first from budget specialist Lectric, a very well-priced urban e-bike from Luna, two new lightweight motor systems used by two new premium brands and four new ‘all-in-one’ rear hub models from the UK’s Cooper Bikes.

There’s also the usual mixture of interesting tidbits looking at Denver’s best in class e-bike rebate, a Dutch car servicing business moving into e-bike servicing and how people in Belgium are using speed pedelecs.

In this week’s e-bike news:

• Lectric XPremium – great value mid-drive with double battery
• Luna $1395 full-sus urban e-bike
• Mahle X20 used on new Scott Addict eRide 2022 range
• Fazua Ride 60 used on new Riese & Muller range
• UK’s Cooper Bikes new all-in-one hub range
• Denver’s model e-bike rebate explained
• Kwikfit Netherlands moves into e-bike servicing
• Belgian speed pedelec riders don’t use full speed when cruising

[Read more…] about Ebike News: Lectric’s New Mid-Drive, Plus Scott and R&M Launches and Much More!

Is it just us, or does it seem like every electric bike brand got together this year and decided April was going to be when all the new and updated models would be released?

This week’s news brings word of two new e-bikes — an electric fat bike from Blix and a new electric superbike from Wilier (that boasts a new ultralight motor system). We’ve also got some details on an e-bike battery fire that claimed a south Florida bike shop this week, a lawsuit against Rad Power Bikes stemming from a loose stem and a new e-bike battery recycling program from Trek.

In this week’s e-bike news:

• Blix introduces the new Ultra, an all-terrain electric fat bike
• E-bike battery fire claims south Florida bike shop
• Ride1UP’s Prodigy starts shipping
• New Wilier Filante Hybrid claims its got the “lightest pedal assist system in the world”
• Trek starts e-bike battery recycling program

[Read more…] about E-bike News: Blix launches an e-fat bike, e-bike battery fire claims Florida bike shop, battery recycling programs and much more!

An 80-year-old Canadian adventure cyclist this June will attempt to set the world record for the longest electric bicycle ride, an approximately 13,500 km (8.388.5 mi) route stretching from Alaska to Panama.

The rider, Robert Fletcher, a retired educator and lifelong bicycle tourer, is attempting the feat to celebrate his 80th birthday. If he makes it, Fletcher would best the previous world record of 8.209.20 km (5,100.96 mi) by a significant margin.

The existing record is held by renowned long-distance e-biker and alternative transportation advocate Ravindra Kempaiah, who set the record in summer 2016 while riding a Stromer ST2-S across a portion of the U.S.

For his attempt this June, Fletcher will use an Evelo Atlas hybrid-style e-bike, which sports a Bafang mid-drive motor, a dual battery design and a MTB-style riding position.

[Read more…] about 80-Year-Old to Attempt Record-Breaking E-Bike Ride From Alaska to Panama

E-bike designs tend to conform to certain conventions as certain firms like Bosch and Bafang have become highly skilled at what they do and produce excellent products that have become very widely used throughout the industry. Add to this the fact that most e-bike frames are built in Taiwan and you begin to see why the e-bike industry could be accused of not being daring enough in terms of new tech and new business models. After all, many of today’s e-bikes are superb products, and as the saying goes ‘if it ain’t broke don’t fix it.’

So it’s refreshing to see the likes of OKAI and Mokumono aiming to break the mould of what’s expected from an e-bike in the wider sense. OKAI are experts at producing very simple, rugged e-bikes for large micro-mobility clients but now have their own model. Details released so far suggest it will be as similarly rugged as its fleet e-bikes, if a little more elegant looking and will have a level of connectivity not found on may e-bikes at its $1599 price point. Even more radical is Dutch Mokumono, relying to a very large degree on domestic suppliers and offering unsurpassed back up over time in terms of spares availability – e-bikes have pretty good green credentials but Mokumono is clearly aiming for an impeccable reputation on sustainability.

In this week’s e-bike news:

• OKAI Stride – a 28mph connected e-bike for $1599
• Decathlon launches keenly-priced e-cargo longtail
• Mokumono Polder – a totally different approach to manufacture and aftercare
• Lightweight e-bikes come to the fore
• Fiido X recall
• UK court prosecutes seller of 70mph capable e-bikes
• Bosch’s first update for its Smart system
• Rad Power Bikes looking to shift from mobile service to bricks and mortar

[Read more…] about Ebike News: Innovative E-bikes from OKAI and Mokumono and Much More!

The Sea Otter Classic is the largest cycling event in the world and aside from all the athletes who hope to stand on the podium, or just to finish, roughly 350 bike companies from around the world display their products in the expo area for riders to check out. Everyone present wants to convince attendees that their product will change the rider’s life for the better. Very few products can live up to such a claim, but this past weekend Electric Bike Report saw something that exceeds its hype.

[Read more…] about Spoke Safety: a Technology That Will Make Streets Safer—for Everyone