Quite a prominent article in the Sunday Times today - albeit about a rarified specimen:
Oi, Hoy, out of the way — this electric bike does 60mph
A German company has made a £50,000 battery-powered bike capable of reaching faster speeds than Britain's triple gold medallist cyclist
The electric bicycle has come of age. A German company has created a battery-powered version that can do 60mph.
The Blacktrail electric bike, with its carbon-fibre frame and wheels and titanium components, is an attempt to move away from the previously nerdy image of such machines.
It is also so fast it can outstrip cyclists such as Sir Chris Hoy, the British rider who won three gold medals at the Beijing Olympics in 2008.
Electric bikes have a long history, with the first being built in the 1890s. They have also been a favourite of amateur inventors, whose tendency to stick clunky batteries on them gave the concept a reputation for eccentricity.
Attempts at creating the machines have included Sir Clive Sinclair’s Zike, which failed in the early 1990s.
The Blacktrail, built by PG Bikes, a specialist German bike maker, is intended to be more sleek, but its price tag of £50,000 means it is unlikely to crack the mass market. The motor is powered by a lithium-ion battery and it starts working once the cyclist begins to pedal.
The Blacktrail is just one of several electric cycles coming onto the market amid growing interest from the public.
A spokesman for the British Electric Bicycle Association said that last year sales had soared to 30,000 and the market was now worth more than £25m a year.
These, however, are far less powerful than the Blacktrail, which cannot be used legally on British roads because it can travel faster than 15mph.
A spokesman for the CTC cycling organisation, said: “The Blacktrail is undoubtedly impressive. Electric cycles are already mainstream in Germany and Holland.”
Hoy said: “These bikes could encourage a lot of people who would not consider cycling to take it up as you get to cover much greater distances. What’s more, they’re good for your health because you still have to pedal.”
Oi, Hoy, out of the way — this electric bike does 60mph
A German company has made a £50,000 battery-powered bike capable of reaching faster speeds than Britain's triple gold medallist cyclist
The electric bicycle has come of age. A German company has created a battery-powered version that can do 60mph.
The Blacktrail electric bike, with its carbon-fibre frame and wheels and titanium components, is an attempt to move away from the previously nerdy image of such machines.
It is also so fast it can outstrip cyclists such as Sir Chris Hoy, the British rider who won three gold medals at the Beijing Olympics in 2008.
Electric bikes have a long history, with the first being built in the 1890s. They have also been a favourite of amateur inventors, whose tendency to stick clunky batteries on them gave the concept a reputation for eccentricity.
Attempts at creating the machines have included Sir Clive Sinclair’s Zike, which failed in the early 1990s.
The Blacktrail, built by PG Bikes, a specialist German bike maker, is intended to be more sleek, but its price tag of £50,000 means it is unlikely to crack the mass market. The motor is powered by a lithium-ion battery and it starts working once the cyclist begins to pedal.
The Blacktrail is just one of several electric cycles coming onto the market amid growing interest from the public.
A spokesman for the British Electric Bicycle Association said that last year sales had soared to 30,000 and the market was now worth more than £25m a year.
These, however, are far less powerful than the Blacktrail, which cannot be used legally on British roads because it can travel faster than 15mph.
A spokesman for the CTC cycling organisation, said: “The Blacktrail is undoubtedly impressive. Electric cycles are already mainstream in Germany and Holland.”
Hoy said: “These bikes could encourage a lot of people who would not consider cycling to take it up as you get to cover much greater distances. What’s more, they’re good for your health because you still have to pedal.”
