The Yike Bike has been chosen as one of Time Magazine’s 50 Best Inventions of 2009. Indeed, it’s ranked #15, behind:
NASA’s ARES rockets
The Tank-Bred Tuna
The $10 Million Lightbulb
The Smart Thermostat
Controller-Free Gaming
Teleportation
The Telescope for Invisible Stars
The AIDS Vaccine
Tweeting by Thinking
The Electric Eye
The Mercury Probe
The Personal Carbon Footprint
The Solar Shingle
The Handheld Ultrasound

The Yike Bike design is “derived from the old-fashioned penny farthing.

Read all about it at The Yike Bike at Time.

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Dublin, Ireland — CircuitCycles are very proud to promote and market the Kalkhoff electric bike range in Ireland.

Derby Cycles in Germany are the manufacturers, who have over 90 year’s expertise in the field. The Kalkhoff electric bike uses the highly acclaimed Panasonic battery and motor technology.

The average journey made on a bicycle rarely exceeds 15 kms, so a round trip commute of 30 kms is well within the range of an electric bike. On an electric bike the cyclist is still required to pedal but the power from the motor assists the pedaling effort.

Some of the reasons to choose an electric bike are:

• Enjoy the great freedom of riding a bicycle – without any effort on starts, hills or headwinds.

• No road tax, insurance or license required.

• Substantial money savings compared to other forms of transport

• Protecting the environment.

• Add exercise into your day.

• Readily accessible point-to-point transportation with convenient parking spots and shortcuts.

CircuitCycles
43 Woodview Grove
Blanchardstown
Dublin 15
Website: www.circuitcycles.ie

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Amsterdam, the Netherlands — Bike Europe reported recently on the success that ebike manufacturers are finding.

Germany is still the largest bicycle-producer in Europe, but it is currently being outnumbered in terms of value by the Netherlands. The vast difference in price between a regular bicycle and an e-Bike is the reason behind this ranking change.

The Dutch statistics agency (CBS) reported that the bikes produced in Europe last year were valued € 1.9 billion, of which 30% came from the Netherlands. The second in ranking is Germany with € 340 billion (18% of the total market) and third is France with € 170 billion (8% of the total market).

In 2008 the total Dutch bike production output was valued at € 577 million, a rise of 20% related to 2007. The Netherlands owes this leading position to a high average value per unit, boosted in the past years by the rising popularity of e-Bikes. Due to the advanced technology the average value of an e-Bike is far above that of a standard bike.

Last year the Dutch bought approximately 125,000 e-Bikes, approximately 10% of the market in volume. It is expected that this will rise to 25-30% in five years time.

See the original article at: E-Bikes Turns Bike Bizz into Big Billion Business.

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Shanghai, China — China is considered to be the world’s bicycle kingdom , because one of every three inhabitants rides a bicycle.

And more and more of them are riding e-bikes, from workers tired of jam-packed public transport, to those tired of pedaling long distances to work. Even some who can afford cars are takig to ebikes to avoid traffic jams and expensive gasoline.

Thirty years ago, practically no one in China owned a car and bicycling was the only way to get around. Today, it still has 430 million bicycles by government count, outnumbering electric bikes and scooters 7-1.

But production of the electric two-wheelers has increased from fewer than 200,000 eight years ago to 22 million last year, mostly for the domestic market. The industry estimates about 65 million are on Chinese roads.

Read the complete article at:
Commuters switch on to electric power as bicycles get an update

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Calgary, Alberta, Canada – Last month, the regulations changed in Alberta — riders of electric bicycles no longer require a driver’s licence, insurance or registration.

Ryan Kloster, the owner of Green City Motors (greencitymotors.com), was delighted with the news.

Kloster and his business partner opened their shop (located at 333 36th Ave. S.E.) in June of this year. They offer motor-assisted bicycles and electric scooters priced from $799 to about $2,000.

Limited to 32 km/h, e-bikes aren’t currently allowed on bike paths (e-bike retailers are lobbying city council to change this policy), but can be ridden on roads like any other bicycle.

Read the complete article at E-bikes gain momentum.

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Chattanooga, TN — Chattanooga Hybrids, on Frazier Avenue, scheduled its grand opening for Labor Day.

Ebikes can be pedaled just like any bicycle, or the rider can receive up to 50% of pedal power from a motor, or he, or she, can let the bike run completely off  the battery – as for example for those really, really, really steep hills.

Right now the bikes are for sale only, but owner Garnet Caldwell hopes to expand the business eventually to offer bike rentals as well.

To read more on the store click here

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Gocycle Full Review

London, England — Formula One designer Richard Thorpe has designed the Go-Cycle, an “electric-assist” bicycle, or e-bike for short. (It’s an inconvenient name, in this editor’s opinion. An e-cycle is a motorcycle, an e-bike is a bike, and never the twain should meet! Ed.)

Three reviews of the Go-Cycle have appeared to date:

TreeHugger
Times Online
The Guardian).

If you live in a town full of hills, or have a medical condition which has weakened either your legs or your respiratory system, an electric-assisted bike could be just the thing to get you back outdoors.

Although e-bikes are manufactured from light-weight materials, the battery and motor make it heavy.

The £1198 sticker price for the Go-Cycle is a bit daunting. Indeed, to date most electric vehicles are more expensive than their petrol counterparts.

E-bikes are more difficult to fix, should they break down.

However, as technology improves, all those problem factors will dissipate.

Source:
TreeHugger

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Australia — More and more motorists are parking their cars and taking up motorised bicycles , thanks to the rising cost of petrol, not to mention the cost to park in the city.

Described by the Department for Planning and Infrastructure as one of the faster growing forms of transport, the power-assisted bicycles do not need to be registered and can be ridden without a licence.

Tony Alexander , owner of Ace Cycling, said demand for the battery or petrol-powered cycles, which could reach speeds up to 26kmh and cost between $1500 and $2300, had been steadily growing from motorists who seek environmentally friendly or low-cost alternatives to driving. (Some riders are those who have lost their licence – however, even though e-bikes don’t require licenses, check to make sure that in your local area, you can still ride an e-bike on a suspended license.)

A DPI spokesman said that to be classified as a bicycle, the motor must not exceed 200 watts.

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London, England — Ultra Motors has introduced two e-bikes: the A2B Metro and A2B Hybrid. They don’t go faster than 15mph, people don’t need a licence or have to pay road tax or insurance, and in London, they don’t have to pay the congestion charge.

Batteries run for up to 20 miles and are charged using a mains plug.

Ultra Motor spokesman Julie Farrington said: “It is a product people are really excited by because of its quality. In the past, electric bikes have been prototypes because the technology has not really been there. But now the technology has progressed enough to mean it is a more viable option.”

“The A2B Metro is a power-on-demand electric bike, a system that gives you the choice – pedal power or power on demand acceleration,” states the Ultra Motor website. “Ideal for short trips or commuting, guarantees you arrive fresh on destination.”

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eZeebike USA announced Wednesday that it is expanding its eZee brand of electric bicycles into the American market. The bikes are already popular in Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa.

The eZeebike bicycles are available in six states–California, Oregon, New Hampshire, Maryland, Massachusetts and Minnesota. Their plans are to open more eZee flagship stores across the country in due course.

The cheapest model of the eZee bicycle costs around $2,000.

Each eZee bicycle has a rechargeable battery. The range of their batteries is about 20 miles, and they can hit speeds of 20 mph. It take five hours to recharge the battery.

The eZee line includes beach cruisers; serious performance bikes for off-road cycling; electric tricycles; and a compact foldable model designed to fit in the trunk of a car. They all come standaerd with high-quality lithium polymer batteries and premium components.

Official website: www.ezeebike.us

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