Powabyke X-6 reminds us just how boring we really are

We've got the Jack Johnson playlist locked and loaded, our polarized Oakleys are firmly ensconced, and those khakis are tucked snugly into our tube socks. It's time to ride, fool. The Powabyke X-6 is the electric bike for the bore in all of us, masquerading perfectly as a traditional road bike, complete with the old "battery disguised as a water bottle" trick. The six-speed electric bike weighs in at 48.5 pounds, with an battery-powered top speed of 15mph -- the max allowed by law -- and a 15 mile range. The battery can be detached and charged indoors, but replacements run a few hundred dollars, so don't lose sight of that sucker. The X-6 should be out in the UK this September for £750, about $1,395 US.

[webterractive @ Aug 19th 2008 11:20AM]

Yeahhh.... (Like the guy watching the WNBA in the Family Guy episode when they go to Texas cause Stewie is possesed).

[lu1de @ Aug 19th 2008 12:55PM]

OT:
btw if you remove the carrier thing, it actually looks fine.

[d00b @ Aug 19th 2008 1:28PM]

They misspelled pokiebike.

For any consumer product, styling is important, even before function. This bomber screams cheap, from the epoxy-welded alu frame to the rat-trap pedals. While that may be OK if it were targetted to the meat-n-potato Wal-Mart crowd (read: under USD$500), no one wants to pay $1400 to look like a schmuck on the streets, not unless kneepads and hoop skirts are the latest craze in good ol' England nowadays.

Even for function, this thing falls short. Here in the states, legal speed limit for an e-bike is 20 MPH, which is the cruising speed for mid-level riders. E-bikes sold here have as their minimum the 20/20 rule (20MPH, 20 miles range). Sadly, most commit the same cardinal sin as pokie here in making their products as ugly and boxy as possible, yet expecting to get top dollar for them.

America is getting grayer (and yes, fatter). Correspondingly, people here are getting more health-conscious and "greening," and will pay appropriately for a stylish and sound alternative to the car. Carbon fibre as a bike frame technology has been around for long time, and the main reason for its high-end status is a marketing one. Why can't we have a CF e-bike with, say, integral LI battery and 20/40 capability, with good looking profile like a high-end road bike? Tag it at $3000, I bet there'll be a sizeable market who'll opt for that over a $25000 hybrid car.

[phanbouy @ Aug 19th 2008 3:04PM]

@doob

huh? this looks like every other city commuter out there (making it less attractive to thieves for one thing). not everyone has $3k to spend on a bike, and adding that much weight to a high end frame is pretty silly.

[Eli @ Aug 19th 2008 11:24AM]

So... Where does your water bottle go?

[konshuss @ Aug 19th 2008 12:08PM]

get yourself some bottled water shaped like a battery pack and strap it under the seat.

[paul34 @ Aug 19th 2008 11:34AM]

15 mile range? So what happens after 15 miles? You don't mean I have to actually pedal on a bicycle, do you? Because that would be just absolutely ridiculous.

[Rogue_Genius @ Aug 19th 2008 3:02PM]

I guess they're trying to tell us the battery will last for exactly one hour. Anything more and you will be required to exert energy. LOL

[Dillon @ Aug 19th 2008 11:35AM]

Wow ... That's pathetic. I barely exert myself to keep my bike moving @ 15 mph on a flat stretch of road. The bike weighs around 4 times as much as mine too ... though the price is only a bit higher than my bike.

If you're gonna blow $1400 on a bike get a decent road bike. If you're so lazy you can't manage to pedal 15mph then buy a frickin scooter.

[Tim Spence @ Aug 19th 2008 11:57AM]

Your bike weighs around 12lbs? You must be a midget riding a tiny titanium bike then, because round 'ere you'll be lucky to get a frame alone that weighs that.

Anyway, if you consider a *normal* $1000 sort of bike weighs in excess of 25lbs, add on 7lbs or so for what is going to be a heavy battery, and the same again for a very solid motor, and you're not a million miles away from what it actually weighs.

[Brian @ Aug 19th 2008 12:57PM]

@ Tim,

Sorry dude, but couldn't be more wrong. A 12 lbs frame would be a tank. A good road frame will be under 2 kg (4 lbs). For example, and Orbea Opal weighs in at 1067 grams, or a bit over 2 lbs. That is HUGE difference in bike weight from 12 lbs.

A decent road bike will be well under 25 lbs fully assembled. The aforementioned Opal (which granted is a bit more spendy that this bike, but it was the first I could easily find exact specs on) will weigh 16-17 lbs. Even the cheaper Onix in it's heaviest build is under 18.5 lbs and the cheaper yet Aqua is still under 20 (and close to this bike in price). (weights gathered from www.orbea-usa.com in case you want to check)

I'm with Dillon - 15 mph isn't anything to get excited about. Now if it were 20+, that would be a different story...

[Pacolicious @ Aug 19th 2008 11:36AM]

48.5 lbs!!!! That just reminded me...

Law of Bicycles:

Every bike weighs 50 lbs.
i.e. A 10 lb. bike has a 40 lb. lock, 30 lb. bike has a 20 lb. lock. 50 lbs? Yup. No lock. Just take the battery.

[Brian @ Aug 19th 2008 12:42PM]

I was thinking the same thing, a piece of nylon rope ought to do the trick (after all, we do have a pound and a half to make up here)

[LiqwidZero @ Aug 19th 2008 11:40AM]

You, sir, are the ass in this situation.

[Joe @ Aug 19th 2008 11:40AM]

The challenge here is not to drink the battery!

[j.d.ripper @ Aug 19th 2008 11:40AM]

I think this it brilliant !

Or it will be .. once they price drops, and they find a way to make it lighter.

The thing is, when the battery is dead, imagine pedalling to push 50lbs .....

[Tim Spence @ Aug 19th 2008 11:43AM]

A front-wheel-drive push bike? How different would that feel, seriously?

Nice idea, but I hope it has regenerative braking, a la most hybrid cars.

[OSnix*-geek @ Aug 19th 2008 12:11PM]

I have seen bikes laced in the front or the rear, even with gears in the rear too. I think the problem becomes a balancing act, especially in metro areas. I have contemplated an e-bike as they call it, but the mere lift factor is enough for me to discount it. Re-generative braking at such a low speed is not going to generate all that much electricity, I would think.

[Duder @ Aug 19th 2008 11:44AM]

I like that front wheel spoke design; no doubt to support torque from the hub. Nifty.

[OSnix*-geek @ Aug 19th 2008 12:11PM]

One problem with it... they should have done it to the rear as well. It looks goofy with 2 different spoke lacing patterns.

I can't speak for the pattern being stronger, but I think it mostly has to do with the size of the hub being bigger.

I know a guy who has a much bigger motor on a much smaller wheel and his spokes are about 3 inches long. It's like 80% motor.. it looks stupid IMHO.

All e-bikes look goofy, fortunately this bike is taking the slim approach, but I am afraid they are failing at the longevity, and top-speed factor miserably.

[Allan @ Aug 19th 2008 11:49AM]

"Powabyke" ... really?

Did a 12 year old name it?

[Jason @ Aug 19th 2008 12:14PM]

...easily the only cool thing about this bike. Too bad the 12yo wasn't in on the rest of the design.

[Lowest Ranked @ Aug 19th 2008 12:22PM]

This byke's straight outta Compton, foo.

[phanbouy @ Aug 19th 2008 12:38PM]

"city of Compton!"

i just quoted 12 songs there

[Jason @ Aug 19th 2008 2:56PM]

and probably Arsenio Hall, who I think I saw riding this the other day.

[popeyecahn @ Aug 19th 2008 11:52AM]

I can easily maintain 15+ mph and have at minimum a 50 mi range on my Kona singlespeed...

After 15 mi on this beast I suspect one will bonk more easily if trying to maintain their speed after the battery dies

No need for water...You're not exerting much energy and only have a 15 mi radius, unless you're out in the desert and the sun is baking out all your moisture lolz

[phanbouy @ Aug 19th 2008 12:37PM]

whats a moisture lolz?

[Lowest Ranked @ Aug 19th 2008 12:52PM]

If you look closely, lolz looks like a snoring vagina. Maybe thats what he meant.

[phanbouy @ Aug 19th 2008 12:58PM]

i don't get it, so he's saying his girlfriend is _really_ bored then? so much projection and insecurity here this morning

[Jason @ Aug 19th 2008 2:58PM]

moisture = not bored, perhaps worn out?

[phanbouy @ Aug 19th 2008 3:18PM]

well i figured if it was snoring...ahh nevermind

[Adam @ Aug 19th 2008 11:58AM]

@ Tim Spence -- sadly there's no regenerative braking. The Powabyke guys tell me it's because the amount of electricity it generates on a bicycle is tiny compared to what you get from, say, a Prius

[Adam @ Aug 19th 2008 12:02PM]

Eli -- water bottle, good question. There's not really room on the down-tube, so you'd probably need to mount a bottle holder on the top of the top-tube. Not exactly elegant, but a fix of sorts.

[Fernando @ Aug 19th 2008 12:16PM]

Am I the only one lazy enough to want one?

[Jason @ Aug 19th 2008 2:59PM]

Yes, and it's too bad, too, because you almost got off your ass and bought one.

[Benson @ Aug 19th 2008 6:10PM]

Nope, you're the only one dumb enough to want one. Electric skateboards are where it's at:
http://xkcd.com/139/

Note that electric boards typically weigh about 50 pounds (with lead-acid batteries), get around 15 mph, and around 15 mile range.
The metroboard, on the other hand, uses NiMH, and comes in at 22 pounds for 16 mph and 12 mile range. Oh, and it costs $600.

This bike fails.

[TareX @ Aug 19th 2008 12:34PM]

I like it. If only it was old enough to find a cheaper used one on ebay.

[Distortedloop @ Aug 19th 2008 12:43PM]

Speaking from experience, are ya...?

[Chris @ Aug 19th 2008 12:43PM]

This would be perfect for people like me with a girlfirend that likes to exercise, if only it was available in the US. :(

[Chris @ Aug 19th 2008 12:43PM]

This would be perfect for people like me with a girlfirend that likes to exercise, if only it was available in the US. :(

[Chris @ Aug 19th 2008 12:43PM]

This would be perfect for people like me with a girlfirend that likes to exercise, if only it was available in the US. :(

[Lowest Ranked @ Aug 19th 2008 12:49PM]

I don't know if you're stressing that you have a girlfriend or the availability in the US, but saying it three times won't make either wish come true.

[phanbouy @ Aug 19th 2008 12:51PM]

your comment(s) make no sense. are you saying it's perfect to keep up with her on her real bike, or did you miss the part about this being an electric bike and you're buying this for exercise?

[Chris @ Aug 19th 2008 12:44PM]

Dammit!

[Lowest Ranked @ Aug 19th 2008 12:50PM]

I know.

[SimonHL @ Aug 19th 2008 1:15PM]

This is great for me. I'm lazy and vain and I carry whatever I need to drink in a flask in my pocket.

[phanbouy @ Aug 19th 2008 1:21PM]

you're so vain. you probably think this post is about you.

[Lowest Ranked @ Aug 19th 2008 1:23PM]

He's so vain, he probably thinks our replies are about him too.

[schmitty338 @ Aug 19th 2008 2:22PM]

LowestRanked and PhanBouy - are you guys part of some competition to see who can be to most sarcastic and droll on the internet?

If so, you have a LOT of tough competition.

[phanbouy @ Aug 19th 2008 2:27PM]

schmitty90210, i know man. hey, do you run internetcomedyjudges.com?