Bicycling With A Boost

Bicycling it?s not just for kids anymore. Innovative electric bicycles make cycling fun for people of all ages. Automotive guru Lee Iacocca, shown riding his E-Bike, is convinced that electric vehicles are the wave of the future. Zappy, a stand-up scooter from Zapworld.com, uses dual, permanent-magnet, direct-current motors with a 400-W combined peak output. Its sealed lead-acid 12-V battery lasts for about 8 to 20 miles, depending on speed. Zappy folds easily for storing or carrying. Prototype pedelec designed and built by Craftsman Design in Berlin, Germany, shows what future speedbikes might look like. Th!nk Mobility's Fun uses a 24-V, 400-W motor powered by a lead-acid battery pack stored under the seat. The Fun can go about 30 miles before recharging at a top speed of 16 mph. Giant's LaFree is built for safety with a durable aluminum frame, dual V-style brakes, sport fenders, adjustable handlebar and saddle, and a built-in diagnostic system. The classic model, seven-speed E-Cruiser from Currie Technologies. With Currie's propulsion system, the motor drives a sprocket which turns the wheel. Not shown is a planetary-gear arrangement in the housing and a oneway clutch mounted on the motor shaft. Electric bikes are finding a home in law enforcement. In fact, Zapworld.com recently signed a two-year agreement with firearm maker, Smith & Wesson, to provide its patented electric motor system on Smith & Wesson law enforcement bicycles. Using electric bikes, officers can respond quickly to emergency calls without getting winded from the ride. Yamaha's power-assist system (PAS) works by sensing pedaling force and speed, calculating how much assist power is needed, then sending a signal to the motor to generate it. Iacocca's chic E-Bike, designed in part by Harald Belker, creator of Hollywood's Batmobile, is sure to turn heads. A standard model sells for just under $1,000. Summer is finally here and for many, breaking out the summer clothes is motivation enough to start exercising. One traditionally popular method, bicycling, promises even more than a good work out, it's fun and can get you where you're going in a hurry. A growing number of American consumers are getting a "charge" out of electric bicycles — they look and feel like traditional bikes, but with a battery-powered assist. Ironically, what's thought to be the first electric bicycle debuted more than a