eBike News: Serial 1 Revealed, OHM Celebrates, Knaap into UK & Lots More! [VIDEOS] | Electric Bike Report | Electric Bike, Ebikes, Electric Bicycles, E Bike, Reviews

In this week’s news:

• Serial 1 eBikes ‘Powered by Harley Davidson’ Revealed
• OHM Powers Ahead with Shimano EP8 Models
• Knaap’s Motorbike Style eBikes Arrive in UK
• Shimano E5000 Firmware Update
• Reevo Hubless eBike Crowdfunds
• Pirelli’s New Winter Tyre
• New Cash Released for UK Infrastructure
• Over 80s eBikers Safety Concern

New eBikes & eBike Systems

Serial 1 eBikes ‘Powered by Harley Davidson’ Revealed

After several months of teasing and hints of what these new Serial 1 eBikes will look like here they are. There is a single Serial 1 MOSH/CTY model and three variants of the Serial 1 RUSH/CTY design, making four new e-bikes in all. They are all powered by the 90 Nm torque / 410% pedal assist Brose S Mag drive more often found on top performing e-mtbs. Battery packs are frame integrated and very low down with a choice between 529 Wh and 706 Wh capacities.

Serial 1 MOSCH/CTY

The MOSH/CTY is a pared back design, a single-speed with no fenders or rack. The frame integrated rear lights with brake lights feature are a nice touch. RSP $3,399/€3,499.

The MOSH/CTY step thru

The RUSH/CTY comes as a diamond frame or step thru option (both 20mph assist limits like the MOSH/CTY) and there is also a 28mph speed version. All RUSH/CTY models feature nicely integrated front and rear pannier racks, fenders and lights and  /all use the ‘stepless’ gear change system from Enviolo. Prices for the three options respectively are $4,499/€4,699 / $4,399/€4,599 / $4,999/€5,199

OHM‌ ‌Reveals‌ ‌New‌ ‌E-Bike‌ ‌Series‌ ‌to‌ ‌Celebrate‌ ‌15‌ ‌Years‌ ‌in‌ ‌Business‌

OHM’s new Quest Sport series features Shimano’s most powerful mid-drive, the EP8

October 2020 marks the 15 year anniversary of OHM Electric Bikes, Vancouver’s first small batch electric bike manufacturer. To celebrate this milestone, OHM say they are ‘releasing an advanced e-bike series featuring the all-new Shimano STEPS EP8 system’. The EP8 is a lightweight mid-drive at a claimed 2.6kg and boasts a powerful 85Nm of torque. All models in the range feature Shimano’s largest 630Wh battery.

OHM add:

All new models are equipped with the just-released Shimano EP8 drive system providing 85nm of torque and all are built with OHM’s signature hydroformed aluminum frame in three sizes (16.5”, 18.5”, and 21”) and with an ergonomic top tube.

The Quest Sport features 120mm of front travel whilst the Quest Sport Di2 adds Shimano’s electronic shifting to the mix and the Quest MTN comes with extra wide 2.6 inch Johnny Watts knobby all-terrain tires.

The Quest Sport series will be available for pre-order on ohmyclces.com on November 15th, 2020. The shipment will arrive at the OHM factory store in North Vancouver on March 15th, 2021. US$ retail prices are Quest Mountain 3,999, Quest Sport 4,299 and Quest Sport Di2 4,699.

New Step-thru Models from the UK’s Ribble

The new step-thru e-bikes from the UK’s Ribble feature the discrete MAHLE Ebikemotion X35 rear hub motor with inframe 250Wh batteries

Ribble have added to their e-bike range with the new Hybrid AL e Step Through and the CGR AL e Step Through models.

The bikes are available as 2 suggested builds with The CGR AL e Step Through Sport starting at £2,399 and the Enthusiast build from £2,799 – both weighing impressively under 14kg and the Hybrid AL e Step Through as Standard at £2,299 and Fully Loaded starting from £2,399. Both can be fine tuned using Ribble’s BikeBuilder and further personalised using the CustomColour option.

Knaap Success Sees it Arrive in the UK

The Knaap e-bike seen in Amsterdam where it originated

boy is a Dutch brand making distinctive two-seater e-bikes with a claimed 140km / 87 mile range. Despite only beginning life in Dutch capital Amsterdam at the very beginning of the global lockdown and selling locally at first, they have now expanded to the UK, with a reported network of seventy five dealers achieved in the last seven weeks alone.

Urban mini-motorbikes style e-bikes seem to be a growing trend at the minute, at least in the UK where Rad Power’s Radrunner has recently arrived from the US and been met with good reviews, not least for its keen price. Now the Knaap ebike is looking to build on that success and features a 250W rear hub motor, very sizeable 756Wh under seat battery, 4 inch wide tyres, seven derailleur gears and inbuilt lights and mudguards.

New Sportive Mode for Shimano’s E5000 Mid Drive

Shimano’s E5000 is the lightest and quietest of the Steps mid-drives and is aimed at urban e-bikers who don’t need the extra power of the E6000 / E61000. It is also the best Shimano option for those who want a good quality mid-drive e-bike but are on a budget and just need to get around without conquering extremely steep terrain.

In a bid to up the performance of the E5000 and make it yet more attractive, Shimano have just added a new Sportive riding characteristic created with punchier assistance in ECO and NORMAL modes. Shimano say ‘In terms of numbers, this means that the Sportive Normal mode multiplies a rider’s power by 125% and Eco mode by 60% (Comfort mode is 100% and 40% respectively).’

Like the Comfort setting, the new Sportive setting is also compatible with e-bikes equipped with Shimano rear derailleurs and internal hub gears. To install the new firmware riders can use the Bluetooth functionality of the E-TUBE app on their phone or tablet or via PC using the linkage tool SM-PCE01/SM-PCE02.

If you already have an E5000 model and want to update your firmware there is more detailed info here.

If you want to know more about mid-drives in general check out EBR’s complete guide to mid-drives

Futuristic Reevo eBike Attracts More than One Million Euros Crowdfunding

This incredible looking e-bike from Beno Inc. from Delaware is currently taking the world of crowdfunding by storm. But is it really a realistic design with the wheel seemingly floating unsupported within the frame and not featuring any hubs or spokes? It really does push the bounds of possibility as nicely explained in this New Atlas piece on the bike.

Cycle Accessories

Pirelli’s New Winter Tyre

Pirelli now offer a specific tyre for the winter season which they say is ideal for urban bikes and e-bikes. According to the company ‘ Pirelli CYCLe Winter features a one-of-a-kind specific compound developed by Pirelli engineers to face up to the low temperatures and difficult roadbeds that city bikes, even the top performing electric bikes, can encounter during the winter months.’

Pirelli CYCL-e WT is ‘designed to be used on difficult city asphalts, very cold surfaces (even below 0°C) or surfaces dusted with snow. The tread pattern created by the Pirelli R&D laboratories features widespread lamellar notches that guarantee grip at the maximum levels, even on early snowflakes, although retaining outstanding control on dry roadbeds.’

They add further detail ‘The tread of the CYCL-e tyre is formed by two layers of compound: one “cap” compound in contact with the asphalt and a “base that works to prevent punctures. The formulation of the first ensures excellent riding safety, even on the most modern and powerful electric bikes (pedelec speed), and on different road surfaces (paved, pedestrian crossings, rails, etc.). The “base”, with thicknesses varying between 3 and 3.5 mm depending on the sizes, is instead designed to prevent debris and foreign bodies from puncturing the tyre.

Cycl-e WT is available in the sizes 37-622, 42-622 and 50-622, with weights varying between 780 g and 1110 g. There are examples already on sale in the UK at around £40.

Infrastructure

UK Government Releases £175 Million for Cycling & Walking Infrastructure

The UK’s Bikebiz tells us that the UK government has ‘given councils across England £175 million to create safe space for cycling and walking, as surveys and independent polls show strong public support for high-quality schemes. The money, part of the £2 billion announced for cycling and walking in May, will fund measures including School Streets, where streets around schools are closed to motorists at school times, Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTNs), where residential side streets are closed to through traffic to stop rat-running, segregated cycle lanes and pedestrian improvements.’

eBike Safety

Over 80s Concern

News from the Netherlands where this article tells us that ‘More elderly people are suffering cycling accidents, partly because of the growing popularity of e-bikes, new research has shown.’

The article was quite specific in saying the real problem was the increasing age of cyclists – encouraged to carry on cycling because e-bikes are easier to pedal – rather than any dangers posed by e-bikes themselves, with many accidents due to loss of balance or control of the bike, often leading to a collision with a stationary object. The article gives more detail:

‘A study by traffic safety institute SWOV found that the proportion of over-80s who died in cycling incidents increased from 12% to 27% between 2000 and 2019. Over-60s now account for three-quarters of fatal crashes in the Netherlands, while in 2000 half of all deaths were in younger age groups. Altogether 203 people were killed while cycling in 2019. SWOV concluded that the availability of e-bikes had led to more elderly people cycling and making them more vulnerable in traffic situations. The speed of e-bikes was less of a factor than the fact that elderly cyclists were more likely to lose their balance or collide with fixed objects such as lamp-posts and bollards, SWOV said.’

This fun look at the far future of e-bikes and bike lanes in Bike Europe actually addresses the problem with ‘senior e-bikes with stabilisation system…’

Stay tuned for more e-bike news and reviews and thanks for reading!

-Rich

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