The same technological innovation that has enabled the ginormous global adoption rate for mobile phones -- the advent of small, powerful, fast-charging batteries -- has come to the world of two-wheeled personal transit. Bicycle store owner Brian Poncin has dropped us a line to rave about the new Schwinn electric bicycle:
We were the first shop in the country to stock the bike and we sold out in a couple weeks. There is a huge demand for this bike all over the country because it is the best electric bicycle ever put into production. It is almost too good! We are finally getting a new shipment of just a few bikes in a couple of days...We currently have a waiting list for the bike.
According to a June article in the Chicago Sun-Times, the revolutionary aspect of this bicycle, compared to previous electric bikes, is that the battery weight has been reduced a whopping 75 percent -- from 40 down to around 20 10 pounds. And you get around 60 miles to the charge at speeds up to 18 miles per hour. Poncin told the paper that it's about the size of a laptop battery.
"The bike is so good most people just hand me their credit card without discussing price!" writes Brian.
This Schwinn joins a slowly growing list of options for people who want a comfortable, easy to use bicycle (read: easy coasting, braking, minimal and protected gearing) that's also fairly easy on the wallet -- like the Trek Lime, featured in ID Magazine's "New and Notable '07" issue. And these bikes look great, too.
