Very cool packaging challenge, especially if it can be done without too great of a weight, performance, durability and price hit.

So to recharge at work/home you need to take off the dirty chain and carry the whole wheel assembly up with you ?? Not very practical....

I am amazed how the realisation that oil is finite, has caused a literal explosion of new technology,,,,,,,,it is a pity we could not have realised this 50 years ago but of course the oil barons ruled the roost then

sutski123, if there isn\'t a power point near your bike park make sure you take the front wheel option mentioned. Its a much easier and cleaner replace and refit process than the greasy chain option you mentioned. Now how much will it cost ?

Out of interest how long does a full charge last if you pedal as well. 50K 100K 200k?

Copenhagen Wheel?

I love the concept - can\'t wait to see solutions thermal management.

It looks neat, but its a load of crap to me because the article won\'t tell how much it is, or where to get it. I\'m interested in electric bikes, but most of them are either 200lb pigs, or $5000. BS! Buy a gas bike. And there is plenty of oil if we quit letting useless eaters burn it!

Cool comments here guys.... Gette Bikes in Australia solve a lot of these challenges though. Check it out www.gettebikes.com

While some may think packaging is important, neatness, all in one and all that....I have a question. What hsappens when some pidling part fails? Do ya get to repurchase the whole farm? I think the less sleek but owner friendly setarate components is a better strategy and have sworn to only build that way. That allows mass lead battery packs today and light high tech when its afordable to more consumers. Its also more amenable to 3rd world consumers who may have to make do in more ways than our well codled \"take it to the shop\" elites are. Well, anyway, there are also issues imbeded in that like the durability of having the motor \"shafts\" and the road hazards \"axle\" be the same pieces. Want to regularly take apart and degrit yours???

I must thank you, ChelC, for the links to Gette Bikes from Down under. This is the superior approach from an engineering perspective. The motor is at the same rpm as the crank you pedal. The cadence is what we love to keep constant, and the speed is determined by the gears, not how fast we can spin the cranks. The motor finds this most efficient also and both motors are happiest with this marriage of their efforts. Batteries have endorsed it my lasting longer without those extremes of amperage found with hubmotors. I just wish Gette had more than about 1/4 hp. Not that it does not double my aging output, but work bikes could use much more and stay reasonably slow...lane...alternatives....For the home tinker, a neat game might be adapting the gearmotors feom wheelchairs. I wonce saw the whole chair- batteries, charges, 2 motors and the rest- for $100 at the local donated goods store. Unfortunately I had no idea of how to use the motors and passed.
Personally my mission is to increase pedal vehicles my getting people out of cars who would not consider returning to diamond framed 2 wheelers, by getting them out of cars and INTO ...2 and 3 seaters even!
low kinetic human hybrid.com