Optibike pictured in NYTimes!!

Gnashing of teeth heard in Maui!

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/06/business/yourmoney/06bikes.html


JEFF BAUM has a breathtaking daily commute. He travels 10 miles each way from his home in Frisco, Colo., to his office in Breckenridge — up and down winding roads that eventually climb to 9,800 feet in the Rockies — to his job as the executive director of the Breckenridge Music Festival.

For most of his 10 years with the festival, he had driven a standard gasoline-powered sport utility vehicle. Last September, though, he started leaving it at home for something cheaper, quieter and cleaner: an electric bicycle.

It takes him a little longer to get to work, but the bike is more dependable, more nimble, more invigorating and just more fun than the S.U.V., he said.

I personally feel very good about it,” said Mr. Baum, 53, who spent $7,000 for an Optibike. “I get the fresh air and, in fact, by switching to the bike, here is one of the few ways in which I as an individual can have a good impact on our environment.

Clearly this is good for ebiking...
...but here come the optibike knockoffs.


So.

Will we get into the same rut as the non-E biking world: My ebike is a real ebike, because it cost 7k; and yers is a POS because it cost 700?

Let's hope so.



My fave: "I get the fresh air and, in fact, by switching to the bike, here is one of the few ways in which I as an individual can have a good impact on our environment. "

A true envrion-mental.

TylerDurden said:

My fave: "I get the fresh air and, in fact, by switching to the bike, here is one of the few ways in which I as an individual can have a good impact on our environment. "

A true envrion-mental.

Click to expand...

That jumped out at me too.
Seven thousand dollars worth of guilt-balm.
Or is it salve?

Hi

It is a lot of money I agree but the more I see it the more I like it, I think they are kind of right when they say its like the Ferrari of e-bikes in a way, I personally wouldn't spend that much on an e-bike, because I make all my machines myself.

I also build computers as well and most of my machines outperform the off the shelf ones however I still appreciate computers that cost a lot more but are off the shelf even though I make my own.

The optibike concept could be made more affordable but in doing so it would have to be made in the PRC or India etc, I dont know where the frames are made for the opti or much about the rest of the components, it does look like a good machine.

Im happy for them as they have good news media coverage, they have a product for sale and it keeps e-bikes in peoples thoughts, most readers would not buy one but they may be tempted to try a cheaper bike and buy one of those, less cars on the roads more cycling healthier fitter happy people, can only be a good thing.

I am more than happy for Opti to be the Ambassador, in this internet age people that are interested will look around and soon find there are bikes that fit their needs are around that fit their budgets, folks that can afford an Optibike will probably buy 2! one for them and their partners :lol:


Cheers

Knoxie

Well said Knoxie,

Its a pretty cool design. I'd love to see a multigeared ebike mass produced. There's the Giant twist but its very low power and more or less impossible to overvolt.

Best of luck to optibike, I think the high spec/high price might be quite a good stategy to start of with, a bit like Tesla.

I do have one message for optibike though, once you hvae recouped your r&d and advertising money and made a "good" profit, please ensure you drop the price of your bike a lot. You will get greater market share. At this price as others have said, making their own insanocycles is a cheeper option. It would mean you can penetrate the market better

plus it helps promote ebikes

I want to add that competition is good for this budding industry as well. It encourages one-up on each company, in which the consumer benefits from either reduced price or better technology in the e-bike design. The price may be high now, but perhaps in the near future, scale of economics will bring the price down so that what 7K buys now may in the future buy 3 or 4 of the same quality e-bike.

It is tough, we all think of e-bikes in the same manner as bicycles from out childhood. I'm glad though that the adult approach is coming back to the people. You soon realize that going from your home to the store at 30+ MPH is about the same time as going 55 MPH once you include traffic, stop n' go, etc. Not to mention the health benefits, fresh air outdoors, even a little sun tan never hurt anyone :wink:

there is a concept similar to the optibike already
(using the gears of the bike)

http://www.biketec.ch/

this are the Biketec Flyers bikes
the F-series, the T-Series, the S-series, ...

the bikes are very well known in swizzerland, Italy, Germany and Austria...
to be one of the most quality bikes around

all available with different configruations (fomr 3speed, 5speed-hub, 7speed-hub, up to 14speed rolof-hub)
and different frame sizes

its also very inovative..
(for example: unlike all other (cheap) pedelecs, it does not measure the revolutions of the biker and than kicks in: it measures the torque with a torque-sensor..
so when starting from a stand-still it helps from the very first cm you drive and not like most other bikes who need 1-3meters until they kick in (which is bad when you stand on a hill with a trailer, lot of weight and want to start driving))

prices range from 1500Euro up to 6000euro i think for the top models..
its also more quiet than the opti-bike because the motor is directly driving the pedals, no gears/planetary inside the motor --> nevertheless it uses all the gears of the bike itself (which can be up to 27)


another very good bike with a very unique (patented) and good drivetrain ist the http://www.swizzbee.ch/
Swizzbee

on this bike you have the invinite possibility to how much you want to assist or not..
its too complicated for me and my poor english to tell you how it works.. (also i don´t get it by 100% for myself)

but it has something to do witht he sun and planetary-gears...
you spin the planetary-gears, the motor the sun, and the sum of it powers the bike..
so you can deside how fast you pedal without regearing...
difficult to explane for me
very unique and nice to drive..

it seems that it is also available with fuel cell:
120km of distance with that
see this picture: http://www.swizzbee.de/images/press/focus_27092004.jpg

price is also high...
4000euro the bike...
+ the batteries (or 1000Euro the fuel cell)

nevertheless: the opti-bike has the nicest frame..
downside: you can´t change the batteries fast..
when i go to work i would want to take the battery with me into bureau to charge it..