Hey Guys,
FlyKly company rep checking in here. We just wanted to throw our two cents into the pile!
We appreciate all the feedback and interest in FlyKly, especially from seasoned E-bikers such as yourselves!
Didn't see a way to reply directly to posts, so I'll just reply to each point/question here (hope this doesn't violate any rules of forum etiquette!)
@Alins: Riders don't need to pedal BUT the pedals are functional--they move the bike, they help charge the battery and judicious use will help vastly extend the range of the FlyKly
@Tyler: You actually can pedal around Central Park (this is one of our customers favorite spots to cruise!). The Law we posted is correct and is not meant to mislead, just educate customers on the Federal classification we fall under. We do advise all of our customers to consult their local state law and DMV to determine the laws where they live.
"When people find out they can't ride in the bike lane, the shop will be gone in... a New York second. "
We actually _are_ classified as electric bicycles and our customers can ride in the bike lane. In any event we are still around and doing pretty well! If you'd ever like to take a test drive we'd love to have you over to our offices.
@Dogman: We always try to work with all of our customers re: state/local law, and never try to mislead anybody. An unhappy customer who returns their bike and/or angry law enforcement is bad news for everyone (especially FlyKly!). More than all of this, we really do care about all of our customers and want to make sure they can use and enjoy their FlyKly. It's just the right way to do it.
NYS Laws are admittedly a little murky when it comes to ebikes, but we try to work with NYPD and local law enforcement to educate them about our vehicles. So far we haven't had any problems.
@Lock: The frame does look similar, but all the internals (lithium ion battery, braking and locking systems, etc.) were all designed and put together by FlyKly.
@Tux/TonyReynolds: We just stress tested our bike on the legendary hills of San Francisco (we're NY based but the team was out there promoting for a month)--they did well on all but the steepest hills (n SF this basically equals vertical).
Check out a user testimonial from SF: http://vimeo.com/28961042
The FlyKly isn't designed to replace normal bicycles or even e-bikes that are closer to the classic bicycle mold. With the storage and two rider capacity its a little bit of a different animal.
@Sk8Norcal: The article was definitely harsh, but it looks like the writer doesn't think much of e-bikes in general. We've encountered some resistance from the traditional cycling crowd (then again, some of our most loyal customers are also cyclists, so go figure). Can't really explain this myself--we just want to be friends.