Besides their environmental benefits, e-bikes also have a leg up because they allow riders to get around without as much effort — a factor also driving interest in electric scooters. Electrek reports that the steel-framed Torpedo sports a 180W 24V rear hub motor with a 125Wh battery. Needless to say, it’s pedal assist, so it’s definitely a bike and not a mini e-motorbike thing. A new partnership with SPIN, an electronic bike and scooter service, will provide 100 electric bikes and 100 electric scooters within the city of Kent. The e-bikes and e-scooters will be available to the entire Kent community.
I wish the bike came standard with thru-axles or quick-release skewers for the wheels. If I ever got a flat on the road, it’s going to be that much more difficult to change the tire. The Kent Electric Cruiser is a very pretty bike, with the removable Samsung lithium-ion battery integrated into the frame. Given the fire-engine red color scheme, 26-inch whitewall tires, and swooping handlebars, I felt like a fatter, hairier Pee Wee Herman pedaling around my city. Panasonic has already made significant entries into the mobility space and has successfully distributed e-bike drive systems throughout Asia and Europe.
According to a press release, Panasonic controls more than 40% of the e-bike drive system market share in Japan. The partnership with Kent will bring that success to the U.S., where demand for electric-assist bikes is growing. One of the challenges of producing a viable e-bike for children is that while the size of the bike may be smaller, the equipment kent road bike needed to provide motor power doesn’t necessarily scale in the same way. It’s safe to say that not everyone’s entirely on board with the idea of children’s e-bikes. However, here in the UK (where legally you need to be over 14 to ride one) a number of firms have been selling them for a while now – including major names like Scott, Cube and Moustache.
SPIN shared eScooters and eBikes must park within one of the designated SPIN GeoZones to end any ride. When riders end a trip, they must park in the GeoZone that appears on the app or SPIN may issue fines for non-compliance. If a ride ends outside of a GeoZone, SPIN will email the user with a warning. If non-compliance continues to be a problem, SPIN may issue a fine. SPIN will relocate bikes and eScooters throughout the day and ensure that they are parked in GeoZones.
With me pedaling and the power assist at maximum, my speed frequently dropped down into the single digits on steep hills. Shimano Tourney TX800 8-speed derailleur and shifters are paired with a no-name crank and mechanical disc brakes. Front and rear fenders and a rear rack come standard on the Electric Cruiser, which was a bit of a surprise, given its relatively low price.
A 180W motor is relatively small and so is a 125Wh battery, but the Torpedo still weighs in at nearly 18kg. That’s quite a bit for a child to shift when there’s no power left. Vehicles, bicyclists and pedestrians should be aware of the increasing eBike and eScooter traffic on campus. EBike and eScooter operators must review and adhere to the following rules and safety tips. Kent State University partners with SPIN to provide shared eBikes and eScooters that are available on campus and within the City of Kent for use by students, faculty, staff, and the community.
The new bikes and scooters will be an advantage for students with long treks across campus said sophomore architecture major Shane Harris. He said the Univega models have the potential to sell up to 10,000 units, and the Van Dessel models up to 3,000 units in the U.S. and 20,000 worldwide. Kent eventually plans to sell a complete line of “deluxe kent road bike e-bikes” under the Van Dessel brand in the U.S. and Europe. The Japanese electronics giant, which posted sales of more than $73 billion in 2018, said the system is not just another electric bike motor. For our third eMTB trip, I chose a 16-mile gravel forest service road. The first half was mainly uphill and the bikes performed magnificently.