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The US is the home of the electric fat bike, right? Well, maybe, but that doesn’t mean to say there aren’t plenty more options out there, often very contrasting ones, such as Gazelle’s newly reintroduced Arroyo range of step-thru city e-bikes.
Just as notable as the fact that the Arroyos are very nice looking and very practical city e-bikes is the fact that they were introduced to the US back in 2018 but then disappeared from dealers in subsequent years. The introduction of the updated Arroyo suggests perhaps that the US is finally taking to Dutch style practical city e-biking – or at least taking to it in big enough numbers to finally make the Arroyo a true success over here.
In this week’s e-bike news:
- Gazelle’s Arroyo city e-bike range heads back to the US
- Transition Repeater – the company’s first e-mtb is a premium e-bike
- Super 73 gets an even younger image with kids’ e-balance bike
- Eskute new budget models for the UK
- Gas price hikes – why isn’t the obvious solution of e-cargo bikes promoted more?
- SF’s JFK Promenade heading for permanent traffic-free status
GAZELLE’S ARROYO DUTCH STYLE E-BIKES HEAD BACK TO THE US
Gazelle are a Dutch brand with a long history and are especially known for making classic Dutch city bikes – and these days classic Dutch e-bikes, many with step-thru frames and high quality mid-drive motors.
Gazelle are now reintroducing the company’s Arroyo electric bikes into the US and bringing the classic Dutch riding experience here – yes, that means those easy to use step-thru frames plus an upright super comfy seating position, full equipment for riding in any condition and taking your stuff with you at the same time.
The Arroyo C7 and C8 models have plenty in common; Bosch Active Line Plus mid-drives with 50Nm of torque (pedelec only with no throttle and 20mph max motor assist), frame-integrated 500 Wh removable batteries, hydraulic disk brakes plus racks, fenders, adjustable handlebar stems, rear wheel locks, and hardwired LED lights as standard.
The C7 retails at $3299 and the C8 at $3699, the difference being spec in front suspension and transmission; the C8 has a sleeker ‘unicrown’ suspension fork plus “fendervision” lighting plus 8 rather than 7 hub gears.
TRANSITION’S FIRST E-MTB
Are there any bike manufacturers out there that don’t have at least one e-bike in their ranges? It might seem like not and now one more of the last few non-electric diehards have now gone electric.
Based in Bellingham, Washington, mountain bike specialist Transition just launched their first e-mtb, the Transition Repeater.
This is a premium enduro style e-mtb with a premium price tag and has a full carbon frame, 160 mm front and rear suspension, Shimano EP8 mid-drive and a sizeable 630Wh Shimano BT-E8036 battery.
There are three different models, each with four frame sizes, ranging from $8,199 to $10,999, defending on spec. Weights start at 49lbs / 22.3 kg with the heaviest model being just under 2.2lbs / 1kg more.
SUPER 73 LAUNCH KID’S BALANCE BIKE AND UPDATE OTHER MODELS
Super 73 were founded in 2016 in southern California and describe themselves as ‘an American lifestyle adventure brand fusing motorcycle heritage and youth culture.’ So far, this has meant a range of mini-moto urban style e-bikes with fat tyres and extended bench seats.
Perhaps the biggest surprise in their 2022 range, given their self-proclaimed emphasis on youth culture, is the introduction of a $995 electric balance bike for children from 4-8, though, with its fat-tired motorbike look, it’s a far cry from most kid’s electric balance bikes…
ESKUTE’S FOUR NEW MODELS FOR 2022
EBR has already reviewed several models from UK budget e-bike firm Eskute and found them great value for money. Their first off-road mid-drive model was the Eskute Voyager Pro that we reviewed here.
Their 2022 range includes four new models on top of the hub-motored models that we have already reviewed, the Wayfarer and the Voyager. The new models are:
Polluno: a city e-bike with a large 522Wh battery and backlit handlebar stem display. RRP £1149
Polluno Pro: a city e-bike with a powerful looking mid-drive, the Bafang M410. RRP £1699
Neptune: similar motor drive and battery spec to the Polluno but in leisure e-mtb format. RRP £1149
Neptune Pro: similar motor drive and battery spec to the Polluno Pro but in leisure e-mtb format. RRP £1799
AS GAS PRICES SPIKE E-CARGO BIKES SHOULD BE PROMOTED MORE
This interesting article from Bloomberg looks at workarounds due to the recent gas price hikes.
The article tells us:
‘ With gasoline prices surging following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, U.S. elected officials are trying everything from gas tax “holidays” to dipping into the nation’s Strategic Petroleum Reserves to placate drivers worried about overstretched budgets.’
But why is the government not pushing one of the most obvious solutions more?:
‘one promising approach is all but absent from policy discussions: shifting car trips toward increasingly popular e-bikes and e-cargo bikes, which run on pedal power augmented by rechargeable batteries. It’s an omission that speaks volumes about how underappreciated battery-boosted bicycles remain in Washington, even among the most climate-friendly politicians.’
In particular, the article quotes Chris Cherry, e-bike adoption trend expert from the University of Tennessee:
“An e-bike is a car trip replacer,” Cherry said, “but an e-cargo bike is a car replacer. An e-cargo bike offers a chance to do just about anything that most Americans need a car to do, like school runs, grocery runs, and so on.”
SAN FRANCISCO’S JFK PROMENADE HEADING TOWARDS PERMANENT TRAFFIC-FREE STATUS
San Francisco’s JFK Promenade and Great Highway Park were created as car-free open spaces during the COVID-19 pandemic, and quickly became San Francisco’s most visited city park spaces. San Francisco is now deciding the future of these spaces post-pandemic.
A 16th March statement from the SF Mayor’s office stated:
Mayor London N. Breed today introduced legislation to authorize permanent changes to make 1.5 miles of JFK Drive in Golden Gate Park car-free. It would also authorize making certain street segments one-way, creating new bicycle facilities, and making additional policy changes to improve access. This closure was implemented nearly two years ago to provide socially distant recreation during the pandemic. Supervisors Rafael Mandelman, Matt Haney, and Dean Preston co-sponsored this legislation.
More detail on the proposals from Streetsblog here.
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