I LOVE this concept. I have a semi-recumbent Evox 140 and have seen similar adaptations made to this same model to achieve similar results. A fellow from Calgary, AB, Canada used and electric assist kit, plexi-glass shield and neoprene wind sock to reduce drag and increase comfort for a trip from Banff to Calgary. It seemed like an expensive upgrade, but well worth the effort! ;-)

I can\'t beleive it! Finally a price that makes sense. I have seen some of these pedal assists coming in priced in the thousands US. Who pays that? This seems like a great little bike. I would like to see it with larger wheels as the article states though, additionaly it would be nice to see the range of this thing. I wonder how you park it?

Yes, this is good to see a pricepoint that is sensible. I want a bit more bike though. remember this has the mass of a standard diamond cycle, motors on each included?
The steering system is prone to flex, inherently. The wheels may be wide enough for potholes, but not high enough for curbs. Smaller is stronger, especially in spoke construction, ah!
Still out in the weather too much, still traveling single, not tandem and still setting where your head is lower than those in the cars on the road. I prefer to design for equal head hight (to car) and a semi-recumbent where the heels never come up to the hips, more like the nicer gymnasium-bound exercise bikes put you. Side impact tube, a heater via propane add on in winter...etc.
Nice to see a pricepoint for mass item, the velos are too rare to compare and project against.
Walt, low kinetic human hybrid llc

The Prius has 16 inch wheels and I don\'t believe people talk about it stumbling in a pot holes although bigger would be better for both.

I t looks quite promising. Add a couple of zipper attached transparent waterproof sidecurtains for better weather resistance and aerodynamics, some beefier tires and a 500w motor and I think it would be a winner.

Interest.
However, a big safety oversight in my view is Sir Sinclair neglected to put safety lights or good sized reflectors on the upper back of the X-1 pedal-electric hybrid for night travel. Certainly the latter could easily be put on by the buyer, post purchase, but still, the cost to put on at least reflectors as factory standard is negligible, and it\'s lack inexcusable imho.

\"you could well argue that it simply suffered from being a vehicle ahead of its time.\"
Not even close. It was underpowered, uncomfortable and had poor cycling ergonomics. The C1 looks better, but may still suffer from the third unless that seat position can be adjusted forward and back.
Rohn,
The Prius has 15\" rims, not wheels. Add another 8\" or so of tire diameter. Plus its tires are about 7x wider than the X-1 tires. It does look like they did put a leading link front suspension on this X-1, which would help a little bit with potholes.

I wonder why they didn\'t fit the motor directly onto the rear wheel? There is still the problem of not being seen easily by other vehicles. People don\'t complain about weather protection for cyclists. There is no mention of regenerative braking. Lastly, this vehicle is not covered by safety legislation, presumably. Let\'s hope Sir Clive has better luck with this model than the C5. I think the time is now right, and the price seems to be pretty good. I wonder how long the re-charging time is?

I agree with the notion of something to protect again elements from the side.
I would like numbers of how much work is required for various velocities.
And a question with sitting in an enclosed area, with a two wheeled vehicle, how does it stay upright when at a stop?
It would be nice if a standard feature included reflectors on the side and front and rear lights nothing on the order of a car light but I cannot see how to attach a bicycle light Does it have mounting positions?
waitinseatle, the 16 inch wheels comparison is apples and oranges. The wheel size reporte for an automobile is just for the rim, not rim and tire. A check of several online tire stores gave a typical diameter for the tires for a 16 inche rim of 25-28 inches with the smallest being 22.91 inches and the largest being 29.94 inches. This vehicle has a total wheel diameter of 16 inches, that is why a pot hole is a bigger problem for it than an automobile.
I do find the price most attractive.

To yrag and others.. As stated in the article and on the Sinclair website, the X-1 has \"built in front and rear lights\"