Folding electric bicycles are becoming increasingly popular, although the presence of a chain (or an external belt drive) can complicate the folding procedure. Additionally, chains can transfer grime onto users' pants. That's why British start-up JAM Vehicles created the JIVR Bike. It has a chainless sealed drivetrain, along with some other interesting features.
Although JAM founder Marcin Piatkowski isn't of liberty to divulge how the drivetrain works, he did tell us that it's a purely mechanical direct-drive system that has been in development for the past three years.
"The drivetrain is entirely encapsulated inside the frame, which creates a perfect environment for mechanics – no sand, dust or water can get in," he said. "This makes the drivetrain extremely durable and maintenance free. It's also as efficient as a regular chain drive, however its efficiency doesn't decrease over time as in chain drive (chains usually get rusty, muddy, etc)."
Piatkowski is also quick to point out that it is not the same as the chainless drive system in e-bikes like the Mando Footloose, where an alternator connected to the crank is used to generate electricity that in turn powers the motor. "We explored [that] solution in the very beginning of our design process and realized it's not viable," he said. "It's the easy way of designing a chainless bike."
With the JIVR, users can choose between applying their own pedal power to the rear wheel, or using a throttle to goose the 350-watt hub motor in the front wheel. That motor can take riders to a maximum regulated speed of 32 km/h (20 mph). Power is supplied by a 36-volt 9-Ah lithium-ion battery pack, one 90-minute charge of which should be good for a distance of about 20 miles (32 km).
Because the bike is Bluetooth 4.0-equipped, it can communicate with the rider's smartphone, allowing the device to be used as a handlebar-mounted control console. The JIVR is also equipped with iBeacon technology, allowing it to interact with businesses or Apple smart devices that are within range.
The whole thing weighs 33 lb (15 kg), can be folded up in four steps, and carted along on its two 20-inch wheels once folded.
If the JIVR seems like your cup of tea, JAM is now raising production funds on Kickstarter. A pledge of £1,199 (about US$1,768) will currently get you one, when and if they're ready to go. The planned retail price is £1,999 (about $2,948). It can also be had for lower pledge amounts, if you live in one of a number of select cities and are willing to promote the bike in your community.
The JIVR can be seen in use, in the following video.
Sources: Kickstarter, JIVR Bike
It is pretty comical that in the KickStarter ad they show a picture of a guy sweating as something that you will never have to worry about again with this "effortless ride", then right underneath they promote users to track their calories burned during that same ride. Counterintuitive much?
The best thing about the invention of the bicycle is the fact that it is 100% human propelled. Therefore, if you take away the mechanics of it being propelled solely by the user, and replace that with an electric motor it should be classified as an automobile. In an era where we are working toward adopting more sustainable living practices throughout all aspects of the human lifestyle, this is a step backwards.
Yes, but don't forget to add the cost of running a car: Petrol, insurance, maintenance and repairs, parking, congestion charges, and road fine. TCO is much higher.
We should also add the time lost in traffic and finding a place to park, which often makes a bike faster than a car in urban areas door-to-door.
As for e-bikes (pedelecs or pedaling-free like this one), this is a must for the people who otherwise wouldn't be able to ride a bike (too old/weak and/or living in hilly areas.)
With just 47 backers (38 that ordered bikes) that's going to require a lot of support infrastructure to service their bikes eg. there is no way in hell that is going to happen. That prediction seems far too optimistic.
That's a lot of money for a product that will likely require you reverse engineering it and getting at the components yourself in a couple years to fix and you can't easily use off the shelf replacement parts either so it's a good thing it stores compactly because in a year or 2 it might be a brick.