The number of American bicycle commuters is skyrocketing, with more and more Americans turning to bikes as cleaner, cheaper, and healthier alternatives to cars. Somewhat inspired by bikes like the Estonian Viks, Specialized Langster, and all the cool and trendy bicycle commuters surrounding me in Chicago, I recently picked up my own overly-hipsterish “fixie”. I (like many over-30s, I tell myself) soon discovered that this was a terrible mistake, because I am fat and lazy. What I really should have bought was an electric bicycle (or, better yet, a Honda Grom), but now I have this thing. If only there was a way to convert this slick fixie into an equally slick-looking electric bike!
Oh, wait – there is. It’s called the Rubbee, and it works by quickly attaching itself to your bike’s seat post with a spinning plastic wheel that “rubs” against your bicycle’s back tire, propelling you forward. It’s not quite as effective or efficient as a hub motor, but at just about $1000 (699 British Pounds) it’squite a bit cheaper than the Pope’s new Smart Pope-cycle. Add an easy-to-carry handle that makes carrying the Rubbee a breeze, and you might even make a case for using it as an add-on for rental bikes (or as a premium, vending-machine style add-on).
You can get a better sense of what a Rubbee “electric bicycle” looks like in the video, below – and let us know what you think about this seemingly well-made new product in the comments, below. Enjoy!
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment