Spotted in Havant: Powabyke City 6.

[Vikki]

Dawling through Havant yesterday on my way home and I spotted a blue Powabyke City 6 speed. It was parked up outside of Mc Donalds locked to the cycle bay. Got to say it looked really nice (whispers: Not as nice as my Wisper City though ). The colour was really good, a sort of mid-blue. I wouldn't be ashamed of riding a bike that colour and it made it look darn nice.

Vikki.

 

[flecc]

Makes a change from the near universal black or silver, or the more adventurous black and silver.

There was a time when eZee offered some models in a range of very nice colours, but there's one crucial difference in e-bikes that made them give it up.

It's the battery, each coloured bike needing a matching battery. That wasn't a problem when new, but made stocking replacement batteries a nightmare, since Li-ion batteries don't store well and having them in five colours could mean some sitting around a long time deteriorating through age.

So it was back to any colour as long as it was silver to make battery stocking viable.
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[gwing]

Makes a change from the near universal black or silver, or the more adventurous black and silver.

There was a time when eZee offered some models in a range of very nice colours, but there's one crucial difference in e-bikes that made them give it up.

It's the battery, each coloured bike needing a matching battery. That wasn't a problem when new, but made stocking replacement batteries a nightmare, since Li-ion batteries don't store well and having them in five colours could mean some sitting around a long time deteriorating through age.

So it was back to any colour as long as it was silver to make battery stocking viable.
.

I think it just might be possible to offer bikes in a range of colours but sharing the same colour battery

Personally it is the lack of a range of frame sizes rather than a lack of colours that bugs me and there simply isn't an excuse for that.

 

[Mussels]

Personally it is the lack of a range of frame sizes rather than a lack of colours that bugs me and there simply isn't an excuse for that.

Is it not possible that frame design and technology have improved sufficiently that different sizes are unnecessary unless weight is all important?

 

[flecc]

I think it just might be possible to offer bikes in a range of colours but sharing the same colour battery

Personally it is the lack of a range of frame sizes rather than a lack of colours that bugs me and there simply isn't an excuse for that.

Same colour batteries are possible of course, but it's surprising how wrong the different colour eZee bikes looked when equipped with a black or silver battery. The visual problem was that the frame tubes are insignificant against the block mass of the battery, and what looked smart all in one colour could look bitza when mismatched.

Owners of coloured models were quite upset about this.

An example of the visual importance of all one colour was illustrated by the eZee Forte when it was released as an all black bike. Some immediately commented that the silver front hub motor looked wrong, saying it should have been black as well, and it was a good point.
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[flecc]

Is it not possible that frame design and technology have improved sufficiently that different sizes are unnecessary unless weight is all important?

Afraid not. Bike frame size is critical for cycling efficiency and there cannot be a one size really suitable for all. Things like reach, leg extension when pedalling and touching down, and several body and limb angles can only be met by sizing the frame to the rider. The design factors have been well understood for many decades now and can only change if humans change their shape appreciably.

Of course the importance of this can be different for e-bikes. A bike like the Cytronex is probably better sized since the rider element is critical, but a high powered throttle bike where the rider doesn't put much effort in could be less suitably sized.
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