Ultra Motor intros A2B electric bike for urbanites

A clever name, a clever design and a solid premise -- now, if only we didn't see a set of front and rear pegs along with Dave Mirra grinding down a stairwell each time we looked at it, we could actually take this thing seriously. Unfortunately for our childish hopes, Ultra Motors' A2B electric bike actually won't be used in the next X-Games, but it may just get you to and from your downtown apartment. This comparatively small electric bike features a full suspension setup, an oversized seat and a battery arrangement that provides 20 miles of travel without a touch of the pedal. Also of note, riders can reach speeds of up to 20mph (or 50mph if traveling downhill, so we hear), and an optional secondary battery can double the aforesaid distance capability. Look for this one to hit authorized dealers next month for a presumably lofty amount of scratch.

[Via OhGizmo]

Update: And we've got a price of $2,599. $2,675 with pegs, a splash guard and a few random stickers.

[scott @ Aug 13th 2008 6:42PM]

huh, it's not embarrassing... must be freaking spendy...

[Lowest Ranked @ Aug 13th 2008 6:49PM]

I'm guessing the battery sits on the bitch-bar behind the seat?

[skyshard @ Aug 13th 2008 7:06PM]

RTFA.

[...] The lithium-ion batteries stored inside the frame [...]

[JR @ Aug 13th 2008 7:16PM]

Thanks, but where did you learn the batteries are in the frame? I don't see it on manufacturers site or in the gizmodo page. It does say the batteries are easily swappable. That would seem difficult if they are in the frame.

[skyshard @ Aug 13th 2008 7:24PM]

it's in the middle of the article in the read link....
http://eon.businesswire.com/releases/motor/ultra/prweb1204754.htm

in the section titled: Unique Combination: Performance, Utility, Design

[hiko36 @ Aug 14th 2008 2:43AM]

Just spoke to Brent Meyer from the company. This baby will set you back a cool $2,599. If I'm not mistaken that's about on par with most electric bikes...

[hiko36 @ Aug 14th 2008 2:44AM]

Not sure why that attached itself to your comment but whatever...

[JR @ Aug 13th 2008 6:56PM]

I wonder if the batteries are
A: Hidden in the tubes?
B: Not included? :-)

[CraigJ @ Aug 13th 2008 7:14PM]

From TFA: "The lithium-ion batteries stored inside the frame provide more energy per pound than any other power source, and recharge just like a laptop computer"

[Dualboot @ Aug 13th 2008 7:08PM]

I already bike to work, so this would make it even easier. How many hours of overtime is it going to cost me?

[Geir E @ Aug 14th 2008 8:48AM]

Add to the hours of overtime what you now will need on the gym to get the exercise you previosly got by actually pedaling. ;)

[Homeboy @ Aug 13th 2008 7:31PM]

Wow. What an awesome bike 20 miles is 32km which is well enough to commute to and from for those not looking too far from work. I would love to have one here in London where I could probably cycle to work in 40. With that nifty invention I would blaze through traffic in 20-25min. Impressively it looks very comfortable too but seem light enough to be carried indoors for safe storage. I want one.

[white_ultras @ Aug 14th 2008 12:04AM]

Same here, bring this marvel to Europe, bitches.

[Bobn01 @ Aug 13th 2008 7:38PM]

There used to be a company based out of California named EV Global Motors Company. They sold a bunch of models of ebikes in 1999 up until about 3 years ago. They looked like normal mountain bikes had a range of 20 miles on their 24v version with a max speed of 18mph. They were rechargeable by pedaling as well as a wall outlet.

Doesn't seem like much has improved in the the almost 10 years since then. 2mph faster and a stupid looking design?

[ug @ Aug 14th 2008 3:04AM]

It's not a motorcycle. You want to take an ebike on the freeway?

[Bobn01 @ Aug 14th 2008 8:53AM]

Not really that much faster but at least maybe some more distance off a single charge. I feel like something should have changed to improve on what another company, that went under, has done before (you know other than an ugly design.) I'm willing to bet its just as expensive also. If I were interested in buying 10 year old technology I'm pretty sure i could get a sweet deal on some some old stuff.

[Wiigee @ Aug 13th 2008 7:41PM]

ill stick with my own power thanks. When the battery dies, its just going to turn itself along with tho motor into lean weights. Your better off just getting on your normal bike and getting in shape.

[johnzilla @ Aug 13th 2008 8:56PM]

Typical elitist attitude, automatically assuming that everyone interested in an electric bike is fat.

Some of us work in offices that don't provide showers. Maybe your coworkers don't mind you showing up every day stinky and sweaty (even people in shape sweat), but my coworkers sure do.

[Craig @ Aug 13th 2008 9:50PM]

What johnzilla said.

I bike 12-15 miles every morning, but the people around me at work would prefer I didn't smell like the inside of a sock when I'm meeting with them.

[Rick @ Aug 13th 2008 10:47PM]

> I bike 12-15 miles every morning, but the people around me at
> work would prefer I didn't smell like the inside of a sock when
> I'm meeting with them.

Ok, I'll bite.

Does your office keep moving, or do you wake up in a different place every day? :)

[uberdose @ Aug 14th 2008 1:58AM]

> Maybe your coworkers don't mind you showing up every day stinky and sweaty (even people in shape sweat), but my coworkers sure do.

Chicks dig it :) At least those in your "genetic range". That should be worth it.

[Craig @ Aug 18th 2008 10:16PM]

@Rick, I ride a stationary bike before going to work.

[jollyllama @ Aug 13th 2008 8:10PM]

I'm of two minds about this. I ride to work everyday, but I know a lot of people don't think they "can" for some stupid excuse or another. Anything that breaks down an excuse is positive on some level.

On the otherhand, I do wish (as do my health insurance premiums) that most people were in good enough shape to go for a bike ride before and after work.

[Nick @ Aug 13th 2008 8:14PM]

If it doesn't fold up why does it need to look like that. It looks like one of those folding bicycles people take on the bus.

[Michigander @ Aug 13th 2008 8:33PM]

For "urbanites"? The tires on that thing make it look like it was for "ruralites". Why doesn't someone make it out of a regular street bike, then someone would have something there.

[cw @ Aug 14th 2008 1:21AM]

those are street tires. notice the smooth center tread. the stuff on the side is water siping.

[Michigander @ Aug 14th 2008 10:35AM]

I guess you could call them street tires, but Im talking about the bikes that have very thin tires, check link:

http://www.trekbikes.com/images/sections/bikes/bike_path_home_1.png

[cwj @ Oct 14th 2008 12:45AM]

width doesn't really determine street/offroad. More width makes for a more reliable ride. It makes it a little less likely to go flat going off curbs and such. What are pictured at the link are 700c which give higher top speed, are lighter.

Maxxis makes a wide slick specifically for "urban bombing".

(Tips hat, climbs back on late bus, rides off into the wide, two-months-ago yonder)

[Mr. S. @ Aug 13th 2008 8:32PM]

I say get ride of those peddles, chain and sprockets. Put on some rear sets and you've got yourself a killer pit bike! I'm in.

[csnoke @ Aug 13th 2008 8:33PM]

Why not call it an "Eped"... since it's clearly lacking the "Mo"?

[YpoCaramel @ Aug 13th 2008 8:42PM]

Electric bikes are pretty rare in the States since bike commuting is supposed to be fit/clean alternative. They're much more common in Beijing, where bikes are, for a lot of people, the main means of commute.

[hiko36 @ Aug 13th 2008 8:53PM]

If you are close enough to work to commute on a bicycle, shouldn't you just get a conventional one?

[johnzilla @ Aug 13th 2008 8:59PM]

Where does everyone work that they have showers available to all of these bicyclists? I've never worked in an office building that provided showers.

Do you people just sit in your sweat all day? Ewwwww.....

[jorvay @ Aug 13th 2008 10:06PM]

johnzilla

more and more office are adding showers. My company has them in most of their newer offices, and there are plans to retrofit them into some of the existing ones (like mine...hopefully).
Right now I just take a shower before i leave in the morning, bring a change of clothes, a small towel to wipe off the sweat, and keep a bit of anti-stink stick in my drawer. That's really all it takes. If I get in at 8:30, there's no evidence that I rode 40 minutes to get there.
there's a guy in my office who rides 29 kilometres each way every day in season (winter here makes it impossible to ride). You'd never know it to look at him. Always clean and well dressed. The key is really having that towel and clean clothes. Sweat doesn't stink unless you let it linger.

[youngcalihottie @ Aug 14th 2008 5:44AM]

i like the idea and would consider one if it folded up. but there actually are workplaces with showers. come to think of it, most of the places ive worked had showers.

[Rory @ Aug 14th 2008 1:27AM]

@ johnzilla

The better question is why are all of these bicyclists showing up at work sweaty? A few months ago I switched to biking to work from walking and I don't sweat any more (maybe even less right now in the heat since I have a breeze over me on the bike). I have also for years now built and rode my own XC bikes as recreation/ a hobby, so I know what it is like to really sweat on a bike. I think the root of the sweat problem lies in the average commuter, most of whom have switched to biking as gas prices have gone up. Overall, it seems most of them have just randomly picked up bikes without educating themselves first. When I look at the bike racks at work, the majority of them are unnecessarily heavy (mountain bikes, bikes with too many gears, bikes with useless add-ons like gel seat covers and suspensions - over half of which are either broken or so cheap that they never did anything to begin with), have under-inflated tires, and are poorly maintained (worn gears and chains, no grease, hubs that drag and/or skip, wheels out of true sometimes so much you can tell just by looking at them). In addition, most people I talk to are riding the wrong size frame and many don't even realize that frames come in sizes like clothing. All this adds up to a lot of extra effort to go the same distance at the same speed. Riding a modern carbon or aluminum road, cross, or hybrid commuter bike that is stripped of extra junk (I even ditched my fenders in favor of a a set of lightweight Gore-Tex raingear a size big that fit over my clothes that I bring when the weather gets ugly and also got rid of the rear brake), has the tires inflated to at least 45-60psi (some bike commuters I know don't even own tire gauges), and is well lubricated and maintained will go a long way towards making cycling require less physical exertion. I understand this takes more money than many people seem to be willing to put in, but it's sure less than a car and the gas and oil changes. The next step is getting used to a good cadence for commuting - some people get on a bike and want to pedal fast, which would be like running to work! With the gear ratio, I can go about 13-17mph on flat ground at a cadence that is similar to walking at 3-4mph. This is the kind of thing that takes a few rides - practicing the commute on weekends for a month before ditching the car would be a good place to start. I know this is just based on my experience, but it seems to me that if bicycle commuters just put a little more time, thought, and money into it that they wouldn't be sweating any more. And if they can't do that because the commute takes longer by bike - maybe they should just drive. If gas costs too much, consider this: my wife traded her 2002 SUV for a Honda Fit a few months ago and what she saves in gas at $3.70/gal equals her car payment... and I swear that car somehow holds the same amount of stuff.

[SG @ Aug 14th 2008 7:46AM]

It must be nice to live in a climate that doesn't make you sweat when you exert any kind of energy to get from point to point on a map. I live in South Florida where it is 85 degrees on average at 7:30 a.m. with a relative humidity of 90% year round. It's even muggier if we had a late afternoon t-storm the day before or if there is the impending doom of a tropical disturbance.

I just do what other people above me do, bring extra clothes and hope for the best. Other people are none-the-wiser in my workplace as I usually arrive before anyone else.

[ZeroCorpse @ Aug 14th 2008 11:19AM]

When you go with the Lithium or other small, lightweight batteries that can fit inside one of the tubes, the price skyrockets.

My e-bike is currently using sealed lead-acid batteries. While they're heavy, they're also 1/4 the price of the high-end batteries. If I so desire, I could switch to lightweight batteries, but I haven't seen a need yet. Sure, my bike is a bit on the heavy side, but it gets me where I'm going. I might try other batteries later, though.

My point is that you don't have to spend this kind of money up front. You can add the better batteries later on, and save some cash.

Oh, and if you're worried about being hit by a car ("squashed by an 18 wheeler") you should check your state/country's bike laws. In my state, a bicycle is legally allowed to ride on the sidewalk, bike lane, or bike paths, as well as driveways and parking lots. According to Congress, an electric bike is to be considered a bicycle for all intents and purposes of the law, therefore I'm able to ride to work and all around my town on the sidewalks with the other bikes-- I'm hardly ever in the road, so getting hit by a car is a lot less likely. (knocks on wood)

Of course, when you're on the road, make sure to obey traffic laws and be careful. On a bike you have to drive defensively. There are always idiots on their mobile phones who don't see you, even if you are doing everything right.

[ZeroCorpse @ Aug 14th 2008 11:31AM]

Yeah, because what I want after a full day of dealing with my patients and clients is to do MORE work in order to get home. Yeah. That's the ticket.

Let me make this clear for the "e-bike riders are fatties" types: An electric bike is not meant primarily as an exercise or sporting device. It's alternative transportation. It gets me to work without expending some of the energy I'll need during my day (or getting sweaty), and it gets me home after I've had a long day and don't have much energy left. It's like my car, but takes no gas, leaves no emissions, and only seats one.

I might as well ask you" "Why you drive your car when you could walk to work?"

It's faster.
It's more efficient.
It takes less energy.

Also, yes-- Some of us are OLDER than you, with bad knees, aching joints, old injuries and less energy than a snot-nose like yourself might have. After a day of work the LAST thing I want is a brisk workout. The electric bike smooths out the hills, and makes the whole commute feel like a nice flat-ground ride. If my old knee injury makes that all-too-familiar cracking sound, then I can stop pedaling for a moment and let the bike do the work, and get home/to work without damaging myself further.

If you're a strapping young jock, then more power to you-- Enjoy your walk to and from work. Stop driving your car, because by your logic, if you drive instead of walking you must be a lazy fatty.

I'm really sick of the elitists who think that bikes should either be noisy motorcycles or aluminum manual `cycles. There's a whole range of uses for a small, lightweight, single-rider, two-wheeled vehicle. Kindly stop assuming your demographic is the only one out there.

[Matt @ Aug 13th 2008 11:30PM]

Ever take that thing off any sweet jumps?

[cwj @ Aug 14th 2008 1:21AM]

"Lazy" is not the only reason to add this to a bike.

As previously stated, there's reducing effort, thereby reducing perspiration - 'cuz sometimes you don't wanna lettem see u sweat (um, sorry).

There also is the matter of long/steep inclines. While going down is fun, you will at some point have to go up. This isn't as big of an issue if you live where the buses have racks - but there are usually only two of those available *if* they are available. For all the people in NYC that bike, the buses have no racks. Go fig. I would like to see them implement bike shuttles here - gutted limited shedule busses with wide doors that are ONLY for bikes.

Speed. Routes are often broken up by stretches where the cars move faster and there's no lane and maybe no sidewalk. At that point 20mph is better than 15 (although there are other bikes/kits that go faster).

Some people just want an electric alternative to a moped. If this fits your commute and you've got the scratch (batt-in-frame models that I've seen all hover around $3K), go for it. Having this instead of a petrol driven bike is going to allow you to bring it inside more places as well (ease-of-parking/locking)

I like the in-frame designs, but kit based bikes are ultimately cheaper and more flexible - even if they look "stupid". I was under the assumption that one was countermanding style by even attempting to in earnest to commute via bike.

But, whatever.

[Al @ Aug 14th 2008 12:58AM]

with the right mod this think could easily do 40mph on flat land while still getting the same range.

[B.C. @ Aug 14th 2008 2:27AM]

Electric bikes will get more people onto bicycles.
Less pollution & more exercize.
Win Win.

Plus this is the first (only) good looking e-bike I've seen yet.
Another Win.

[kyle allen @ Aug 14th 2008 3:45AM]

less polution anyway, i think the point of the motor is to avoid exercise

[B.C @ Aug 14th 2008 4:47AM]

(first reply failed)

The advantage of an e-bike is that you have to option to choose how much you want to assist by pedalling.
This would help get more people commuting on bikes to work if they didn't have to show up all sweaty; yet still had the option to pedal for exercise the way home.

Neither cars or bicycles have this option.

[Owen @ Aug 14th 2008 3:27AM]

Does it stop you getting hit by a lorry?

[hiko36 @ Aug 14th 2008 3:48AM]

I work for a trucking company... I was thinking about biking to work but after that comment, I'm have this horrible image of being squashed by an 18 wheeler... Thanks...

[AMc @ Aug 14th 2008 4:15AM]

@Owen Does it stop you getting hit by a lorry?
No, but getting hit by a lorry in my Mercedes or standing up on the bus is likely to cause inhury too. Of course you can also get hit by a lorry crossing the road from the car park to the office...

Road skills are what stop lorries hitting cyclists and cyclists getting hit. If you're a smart rider and follow the rules you're not that likely to get into a crash. I commuted for 5 years, 5 miles across central London. I had one accident - my fault - I rear ended a car that was more conservative about an orange light than I was.

[SG @ Aug 14th 2008 7:51AM]

I bike to work every day rain or shine. Here in South Florida I mainly have to pay attention to the folks who drive the big-ass SUV's. Most of the time they're on their phones and not even paying attention when they pull out so I am forced to give them the right-of-way even though it is a state law that bicycles and pedestrians have the right-of-way.

[ZeroCorpse @ Aug 14th 2008 11:33AM]

See my second post above. It was SUPPOSED to be a reply to this comment, and not a second reply to the comment up there.