
If you would like to have your very own
electric bicycle and
are somewhat cinematographically-inclined have access to a video camera, you might be interested in this contest being held by Ultra Motor. It's pretty simple really. Just make a video explaining why you want, (or indeed, need) an A2B Metro for your very own,
upload it to their gallery and get your friends, family or even people you randomly meet on the bus to go and vote for you. Keep it under 3 minutes, beg, plead,
perhaps use your imagination, (
or not) and you could end up with $2,699 worth of electro-bike ready to carry you 20 miles on a charge at speeds of up to 20 mph. Being the nice folks they are, they're also giving away Timbuk2 messenger bags (worth $150!) to 3 runners-up. Contest is open to folks in all 50 states and ends May 31st.
If you don't win, you can always get one the old-fashioned way. The A2B Metro should be
available at Best Buy pretty soon. If you happen to be in San Francisco today, you can
take one for a test drive at the University of California Berkley campus beginning at 11:00 am. Good luck!
[Source:
Ultra Motor]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Jason 1:49PM (5/21/2009)
I don't get why these sorts of things have a place on sites like this. This bike is far worse for the environment than simply hopping on a nice bicycle and pedaling it yourself. For $2700 you can have an AMAZING bicycle that is much faster than this, much more energy efficient, doesn't need recharging, and you'll still find about $1800 in your pocket.
Nice road bike+clipless shoes and pedals+breathable clothing+nice saddle= quiet, emission free, toxin free, life-long investment capable of 40 MPH
this can scrape by at 20 and burns a hole in your wallet, not to mention the environmental implications of the batteries
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MT 2:15PM (5/21/2009)
You answered your own question: "Nice road bike+clipless shoes and pedals+breathable clothing+nice saddle".
Not everyone wants to ride hunched over, sitting on a 2x4, on a skinny-tired road bike, feet lashed to the pedals, in wannabe Lance Armstrong attire. Many people would prefer to ride in street clothes and not end up sweaty at their destination. Electric assist bikes can offer this where standard bikes can't.
Jason 2:31PM (5/21/2009)
but that's where I think people aren't understanding. With a good setup, those strange looking saddles are very comfortable, you DON'T ride hunched over (it's all about the fit) and you don't have to dress in racing tights. There's a lot of cycling clothing that looks just like normal, it just breathes better.
I will grant you clipless takes getting used to (no, not those awful toe-clips with straps, those ought to be banned for safety) but once you figure it out you find you're going much faster than before, and not working any harder for it.
I honestly think cyclists may be their own worst enemies. Courier riders are AWFUL in that they break laws right and left, and racers are, admittedly, a little (read: a lot) nuts. There's room somewhere in between those two extremes for most people who commute less than 20 miles to work.
Russ Finley 11:03AM (5/22/2009)
I saw one of these the other day. As a rider of a hybrid electric bike I know that you will on occasion need to ride home without assist. The A2B looks like it would be hard to ride without power. I built my own. It makes this bike look tame and cost half as much.
http://biodiversivist.blogspot.com/2009/05/hybrid-electric-bike-with-afterburners.html
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