Call me technologically obsessed, but here is my latest tech obsession.
The BionX torque sensing power assisting rear wheel. With a bike all done up with baskets, etc this could all but eliminate the car for those pesky little trips and for those days you cold commute, but youve got to run packages to the post office or run to the store or you haver a race that evening or the next day and dont want to tire yourself out on a 32mile rolling commute.... or heck, how mnay times have you driven to the bike shop because what youve got carry wont fit in a backpack or you just dont have the time. Me? Too many times and gallons of fuel to count. Wow, I am realizing what a wuss I am right now or how I let my amateur racing and training control my life...
If your wondering what this BionX is all about, here you go!!.
YOu can also buy them prebuilt into a bike like a Dahon folding bike for less than $2000.00 Very expensive when compared with the price of an Chinese made electric moped ($650 to $850 for the superbike looking ones like these.
But all of them run on electricity which is good right? The problem I see with the electric moped is without pedals they need to be licensed (and insured??) and what do you do if you run out of charge? The BionX not only is pedal AND power, it has regenerative braking and an exercise charge mode. Those are very trick. It also allows you to set the amount of power it provides autmatically and seamlessly. From 25, 50, 100 to 200% of your power output. In laymans terms, I bet you could pedal at a 12mph pace, yet maintain 18 to 20mph and hills should dissappear leaving your getting to work quicker and a lot less sweaty. Not that important for us racer types, but definitely a big plus for the average shmoe.
And with the VERY expensive Li-ion battery upgrade, the battery only adds 7 lbs to the bike as opposed to almost 18lb for a Ni-MH battery pack.
Its a start in the right direction!!! As a racer, I wonder if its possible to use it to help train with? Think about this, like the ability to pull riders along for miles on end at high speed while yourself getting a great workpoout in (think motorpacing). I think coaches will be buying them up soon....ok maybe not.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
2 comments:
To carry stuff you just need an Xtracycle with a StokeMonkey (or just an Xtracycle). (How's the BionX give you a bigger backpack?)
very interesting bike accesories those Xtracycles. It gives me some cool ideas.
I am not sure about the Strokemonkey for me, but to each his own.
Of course the idea is to take the BionX and improve on it if possible. An internal hub like a Rohloff or a hub that allows the use of more rims than OEM, etc.
Post a Comment