http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/27/sanyos-new-eneloop-bike-gets-carbon-fiber-frame-traction-contr/ Engadget Comments for http://www.engadget.com/media/feedlogo.gif http://www.engadget.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/27/sanyos-new-eneloop-bike-gets-carbon-fiber-frame-traction-contr/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/27/sanyos-new-eneloop-bike-gets-carbon-fiber-frame-traction-contr/Jul 27th 2009 9:55AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/27/sanyos-new-eneloop-bike-gets-carbon-fiber-frame-traction-contr/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/27/sanyos-new-eneloop-bike-gets-carbon-fiber-frame-traction-contr/
www.youtube.com/watch?v=xLSY7ouxebI

The battery, gears, chain and the engine probably account for most of the weight on this bike. ]]>Jul 27th 2009 10:50AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/27/sanyos-new-eneloop-bike-gets-carbon-fiber-frame-traction-contr/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/27/sanyos-new-eneloop-bike-gets-carbon-fiber-frame-traction-contr/
What? O_o

]]>Jul 27th 2009 9:59AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/27/sanyos-new-eneloop-bike-gets-carbon-fiber-frame-traction-contr/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/27/sanyos-new-eneloop-bike-gets-carbon-fiber-frame-traction-contr/]]>Jul 27th 2009 10:00AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/27/sanyos-new-eneloop-bike-gets-carbon-fiber-frame-traction-contr/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/27/sanyos-new-eneloop-bike-gets-carbon-fiber-frame-traction-contr/Jul 27th 2009 11:02AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/27/sanyos-new-eneloop-bike-gets-carbon-fiber-frame-traction-contr/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/27/sanyos-new-eneloop-bike-gets-carbon-fiber-frame-traction-contr/I don't know what world you live in, but a non-crappy bike starts around $1,000. Not everyone needs a titanium/carbon frame, low spoke composite tires (which usually pop spokes way too easy), carbon seat, carbon fork, aircraft aluminum handlebars, etc.
Some of us actually do quite nicely with an alunimum frame and carbon fork, basic wheel set, etc.

Get your head out of the clouds.]]>Jul 27th 2009 12:46PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/27/sanyos-new-eneloop-bike-gets-carbon-fiber-frame-traction-contr/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/27/sanyos-new-eneloop-bike-gets-carbon-fiber-frame-traction-contr/
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Mind you, for about $2000, you can still get an excellent road bike with mid-level components and as long as you're not ass-out-of-shape, you'll be able to comfortably pass any electric-assist bike on the road.]]>Jul 27th 2009 10:06AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/27/sanyos-new-eneloop-bike-gets-carbon-fiber-frame-traction-contr/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/27/sanyos-new-eneloop-bike-gets-carbon-fiber-frame-traction-contr/Jul 27th 2009 11:54AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/27/sanyos-new-eneloop-bike-gets-carbon-fiber-frame-traction-contr/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/27/sanyos-new-eneloop-bike-gets-carbon-fiber-frame-traction-contr/Jul 27th 2009 5:34PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/27/sanyos-new-eneloop-bike-gets-carbon-fiber-frame-traction-contr/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/27/sanyos-new-eneloop-bike-gets-carbon-fiber-frame-traction-contr/
1) Geometry: your $300 bike is built to be comfy for short rides around the suburban block. Real bikes are designed to be comfortable for long distances while putting your body in a position that maximizes efficiency and power transfer.
2) Weight: your $300 bike weighs at least twice as much as my $2000 bike. Again, think efficiency.
3) Strength/stability: not only is the $2000 bike lighter, but it's stronger. If I rode your $300 bike the way I ride my mountain bike, I'd ruin it in a couple of hours. I can't emphasize how much of a durability difference there is between department store crap and real bicycles. Also, these qualities can be used to reduce flex where you want more stiffness on the bike, while increasing flex where you do want it (i.e. for small-bump damping). If you ever look at a store full of road bikes and see that they nearly all have carbon fiber forks, it's because the carbon fiber takes the edge of vibrations before they reach your wrists.
4) engineered suspension: the "springs" on a $300 mountain bike are there for show. They weigh a tonne and bounce around, eating all of your pedaling energy. The carefully engineered, custom-tuneable suspension on a $2000+ mountain bike is designed to add minimal weight, while making your ride so much more efficient that it more than makes up for the weight.

Now I'll speak as a former bike mechanic (wrenched my way through university).
1) fixing and maintaining department store bikes is about as pleasant an experience as an orgy with Rosanne Barr, Rosie O'Donnell, and Ron Jeremy. The bolts are made of metal so soft, they strip almost instantly, and none of them use the same head as the others. They also rust up if you look at them the wrong way. A $2000 bike is build from high-end, light-weight, strong materials and you can do 90% of the work you ever need to do with about three different tools.
2) That $300 bike wears out faster, breaks down more often, and generally requires a lot more maintenance to keep running in any form. Combine that with the first point, and you might as well just ride it for a couple of weeks and throw it away. Maybe you can milk a long life out of a $300 bike, but that just means you aren't riding it as often or as hard as I ride my real bikes.
]]>Jul 28th 2009 11:53AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/27/sanyos-new-eneloop-bike-gets-carbon-fiber-frame-traction-contr/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/27/sanyos-new-eneloop-bike-gets-carbon-fiber-frame-traction-contr/]]>Jul 28th 2009 3:16PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/27/sanyos-new-eneloop-bike-gets-carbon-fiber-frame-traction-contr/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/27/sanyos-new-eneloop-bike-gets-carbon-fiber-frame-traction-contr/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6GNB7xT3rNE
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Mind you, under certain circumstances (long distances, many passengers, lots of cargo etc) motor vehicles make sense... but for single person work commute? not so much]]>Jul 27th 2009 11:07AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/27/sanyos-new-eneloop-bike-gets-carbon-fiber-frame-traction-contr/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/27/sanyos-new-eneloop-bike-gets-carbon-fiber-frame-traction-contr/Jul 27th 2009 3:21PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/27/sanyos-new-eneloop-bike-gets-carbon-fiber-frame-traction-contr/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/27/sanyos-new-eneloop-bike-gets-carbon-fiber-frame-traction-contr/Jul 28th 2009 2:52AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/27/sanyos-new-eneloop-bike-gets-carbon-fiber-frame-traction-contr/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/27/sanyos-new-eneloop-bike-gets-carbon-fiber-frame-traction-contr/
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Could have something to do with a carburetor, gearing, and acceleration. You can get a 250cc bike that will get 70+ MPG, but you wouldn't want to take it out much on the highway or try to out run anything other than a diesel jetta.

My bike is a 750 Honda Shadow, wet weight is just over 500lbs plus rider.]]>Jul 29th 2009 2:33AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/27/sanyos-new-eneloop-bike-gets-carbon-fiber-frame-traction-contr/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/27/sanyos-new-eneloop-bike-gets-carbon-fiber-frame-traction-contr/Jul 27th 2009 10:11AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/27/sanyos-new-eneloop-bike-gets-carbon-fiber-frame-traction-contr/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/27/sanyos-new-eneloop-bike-gets-carbon-fiber-frame-traction-contr/Jul 27th 2009 10:19AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/27/sanyos-new-eneloop-bike-gets-carbon-fiber-frame-traction-contr/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/27/sanyos-new-eneloop-bike-gets-carbon-fiber-frame-traction-contr/
Or if you lived in London/Paris and worked downtown. But you are taking your life into your own hands riding a bike there.

I would think it should have disk brakes as well for that price. Maybe even the electric shifters.]]>Jul 27th 2009 10:25AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/27/sanyos-new-eneloop-bike-gets-carbon-fiber-frame-traction-contr/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/27/sanyos-new-eneloop-bike-gets-carbon-fiber-frame-traction-contr/
And I commute in London on a bike and it's nowhere near as bad as it used to be, you just have to ride assertively and know when cars / trucks can't see you. The biggest problem now are hipster twats on fixies that blow red lights constantly... wankers. I wouldn't mind so much but they keep running into the back of me when I stop for pedestrian crossings.


]]>Jul 27th 2009 1:15PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/27/sanyos-new-eneloop-bike-gets-carbon-fiber-frame-traction-contr/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/27/sanyos-new-eneloop-bike-gets-carbon-fiber-frame-traction-contr/Jul 27th 2009 10:31AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/27/sanyos-new-eneloop-bike-gets-carbon-fiber-frame-traction-contr/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/27/sanyos-new-eneloop-bike-gets-carbon-fiber-frame-traction-contr/Jul 27th 2009 10:33AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/27/sanyos-new-eneloop-bike-gets-carbon-fiber-frame-traction-contr/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/27/sanyos-new-eneloop-bike-gets-carbon-fiber-frame-traction-contr/Jul 27th 2009 7:17PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/27/sanyos-new-eneloop-bike-gets-carbon-fiber-frame-traction-contr/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/27/sanyos-new-eneloop-bike-gets-carbon-fiber-frame-traction-contr/
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Not much into motorized bicycles myself (ride the human-powered versions), and it seems to me that for the price tag those serious enough to consider the cost would probably spend the cash on a beautiful pedal-powered road bike.]]>Jul 27th 2009 10:47AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/27/sanyos-new-eneloop-bike-gets-carbon-fiber-frame-traction-contr/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/27/sanyos-new-eneloop-bike-gets-carbon-fiber-frame-traction-contr/Jul 27th 2009 11:04AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/27/sanyos-new-eneloop-bike-gets-carbon-fiber-frame-traction-contr/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/27/sanyos-new-eneloop-bike-gets-carbon-fiber-frame-traction-contr/
Hope you're not commuting anywhere near Newark...]]>Jul 27th 2009 11:31AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/27/sanyos-new-eneloop-bike-gets-carbon-fiber-frame-traction-contr/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/27/sanyos-new-eneloop-bike-gets-carbon-fiber-frame-traction-contr/The solution is to leave a lock on the rack at your workplace, if possible.]]>Jul 27th 2009 3:32PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/27/sanyos-new-eneloop-bike-gets-carbon-fiber-frame-traction-contr/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/27/sanyos-new-eneloop-bike-gets-carbon-fiber-frame-traction-contr/Maybe sanyo put in some fancy encrypted keycard though to operate it, I mean it IS 6.6 grand, seems to be something you can expect since the moderately expensive models cars have such security too.
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Unless you've got a solid bike locker at work I can't imagine riding around town and locking up such a pricey bike to the cheap aluminum bike rack out front. The best motorcycle chain & lock you can buy is still 15 minutes from stolen for a thief with the right tools, and you don't want to be lugging it around wrapped to your seatpost. You park it in the same place all the time and there's gonna be a bike thief who see it and brings the right tool one day.]]>Jul 27th 2009 1:16PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/27/sanyos-new-eneloop-bike-gets-carbon-fiber-frame-traction-contr/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/27/sanyos-new-eneloop-bike-gets-carbon-fiber-frame-traction-contr/]]>Jul 27th 2009 4:00PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/27/sanyos-new-eneloop-bike-gets-carbon-fiber-frame-traction-contr/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/27/sanyos-new-eneloop-bike-gets-carbon-fiber-frame-traction-contr/
I find that my human built in traction control works fine when cycling.]]>Jul 28th 2009 5:20AM