Electric bicycles can easily compete for the title of the most convenient form of urban transport. They have practically no drawbacks: convenient, fast, easy to use. With them, you can use buses and trains, even go down the metro (albeit, after folding it, as required by official rules). At the same time, unlike, for example, scooters, these bikes do not need gasoline - they run on a battery, and even if it runs out, you can continue to use the bike in the "classic" way - pedaling.
© press materials UrbaNext
True, e-bikes are quite expensive, and if you want to switch to an electric model, you have to buy a whole new bike. But if you want the charm of modern technology, while not parting with your favorite bike, you should pay attention to UrbaNext - an ambitious project with Indiegogo, which raised almost $ 700 thousand on a crowdfunding platform.
UrbaNext is a wheel equipped with an electric motor. You remove the regular wheel from the bike and put the UrbaNext in its place, transforming the bike from classic to electric. According to the creators of the device, this procedure takes less than a minute, and all types of mounts and brakes are supported, so that 99% of all existing serial bicycles are compatible with UrbaNext. There are six wheel sizes to choose from.
A smart wheel will add seven kilograms to the bike - not too much considering the weight of some e-bikes. UrbaNext has enough power to accelerate to 32 km / h, and the battery charge is enough to drive it 48 km. For an additional amount, you can buy another battery by doubling the last figure. The power of the engine itself is 240 watts - so that city climbs are not particularly scary for him. But if that's not enough, you can order a version with a 350-watt motor - just to be sure.
A bike with UrbaNext has three modes of operation: full electric, where you sit in the saddle and ride, enjoying the engine; “Mixed”, which involves the situational use of pedals to set the desired speed; and the classic one is completely “mechanical”.
The wheel is called smart for a reason - in a special application for a smartphone, you can view data about the bike (battery level, current speed), as well as configure some parameters of the device.
UrbaNext starts at $ 319 with delivery scheduled for August this year.>
