Posts tagged Detroit Bikes
Electrify Expo Bikes
September 9, 2023 6:08pm
by
rob
We have three super cool bikes in our booth at the Seattle Electrify Expo this weekend! Get 'em while they're hot!
Detroit Bikes DB-E ELECTRIFY Edition
Rayvolt Ambassador E-Bike
Rayvolt Cruzer Retro E-Bike
Detroit Bikes DB-E ELECTRIFY Edition
Rayvolt Ambassador E-Bike
Rayvolt Cruzer Retro E-Bike
BikeList at Seattle Electrify Expo!
September 5, 2023 10:16am
by
rob
BikeList will be at the Seattle Electrify Expo this weekend (September 9 &10) at Marymoor Park in
Redmond, Washington. We will be displaying the new Detroit Bikes Electric, which features a Zehus all-in-one motor for a super clean look.
I’m especially excited about this show because I get to hang out with my old buddy Neil Tjin, who is now the director of Electrify Showoff. Neil is one of the most talented designers and builders in the automotive industry, and I’m thrilled to see him turn his attention and skills to bikes. Just check out his latest efforts with Super 73 and JackRabbit.
If you are in the Seattle area please drop by and say hi and check out the new Detroit Bikes Electric! Should be a fun show!
I’m especially excited about this show because I get to hang out with my old buddy Neil Tjin, who is now the director of Electrify Showoff. Neil is one of the most talented designers and builders in the automotive industry, and I’m thrilled to see him turn his attention and skills to bikes. Just check out his latest efforts with Super 73 and JackRabbit.
If you are in the Seattle area please drop by and say hi and check out the new Detroit Bikes Electric! Should be a fun show!
Affordable Lightweight Hybrid E-Bikes
August 23, 2023 9:45am
by
rob
This week Santa Cruz unveiled their new Skitch–a lightweight flat bar e-bike. Now, back in the 90s, we called the acoustic version of these 700c bikes "hybrids." I commuted for years on a Surly Cross Check I built up with flat bars. To me it’s the best all-around configuration for urban bike commuting.
The Skitch is very cool, with a carbon fiber frame and fork, mid-drive Fazua Ride 60 motor and a claimed 30 pound weight. But the $5,999 price tag was a bit eye opening. It made me wonder: who is the customer for this bike? The marketing photos show a guy in jeans and a backpack hooning around with it like it's a BMX bike. Who is gonna do that with a $6k carbon bike? For the same money, you could have a Santa Cruz Stigmata AND a half-decent ebike–one that you wouldn’t be worried about locking up somewhere (like the REI Co-Op bike I just scored for $998).
Weight is a big issue for e-bikes. My wife has a Specialized Turbo Vado (another bike I’d call a hybrid). It’s an awesome bike, but at over 50 pounds, it’s kind of porky.
So what are your options for more affordable, lightweight hybrid e-bikes? Here are three that come to mind. Let me know if there are others I should include on this list!
Propella 7S
Propella is a cool little e-bike company based near us in Redmond, Washington. We first met them at the Seattle Bike Swap back in February. The Propella 7s features a 7-speed drivetrain, a 250 watt hub motor and 250 wh battery, with a range of 20 - 40 miles. This Class 1 e-bike has five level of pedal-assist and tops out at 19 mph. It weighs in at a reasonable 37 pounds and is generally priced around $999. Want a cleaner look and lower price? Propella also offers a singlespeed variant for $799.
State 6061 eBike Commuter
I consider State to be the king of affordable, quality direct-to-consumer bikes. So when they introduced their 6061 eBike Commuter I definitely took notice. The State has a cleaner look with an integrated 360 wh LG battery in the down tube. Like the Propella, it has a 250 watt rear hub motor. State claims a 24 miles range in PAS level 5 and over 100 miles in PAS level 1. It weighs 38 pounds and is currently priced at $1,299. Hot shot roadie/writer Phil Gaimon has one, and you can see him ride it on Instagram.
Detroit Bikes–Electric
Can you justify spending a little more for a boutique, Made-in-USA option? Then be sure to check out the Detroit Bikes-Electric. This stylish steel e-bike has the cleanest look yet, thanks to the Zehus All-In-One Motor--no need to put a battery on or in the frame! The 250 watt hub motor provides pedal-assistance up to 15.5 mph, and Zehus claims a range of 20 to 35 miles (though the Detroit guys have seen significantly farther than that). And the belt drive helps make it no fuss, no muss. The Detroit e-bike weighs in at a scant 32 pounds and is currently priced at $2,599. I’m super excited to see and test one of these in person--and we will have one in the BikeList booth at the Electrify Expo in Seattle in less than three weeks!
What are your thoughts? And what bikes did I miss? Let me know in the comments!
The Skitch is very cool, with a carbon fiber frame and fork, mid-drive Fazua Ride 60 motor and a claimed 30 pound weight. But the $5,999 price tag was a bit eye opening. It made me wonder: who is the customer for this bike? The marketing photos show a guy in jeans and a backpack hooning around with it like it's a BMX bike. Who is gonna do that with a $6k carbon bike? For the same money, you could have a Santa Cruz Stigmata AND a half-decent ebike–one that you wouldn’t be worried about locking up somewhere (like the REI Co-Op bike I just scored for $998).
Weight is a big issue for e-bikes. My wife has a Specialized Turbo Vado (another bike I’d call a hybrid). It’s an awesome bike, but at over 50 pounds, it’s kind of porky.
So what are your options for more affordable, lightweight hybrid e-bikes? Here are three that come to mind. Let me know if there are others I should include on this list!
Propella 7S
Propella is a cool little e-bike company based near us in Redmond, Washington. We first met them at the Seattle Bike Swap back in February. The Propella 7s features a 7-speed drivetrain, a 250 watt hub motor and 250 wh battery, with a range of 20 - 40 miles. This Class 1 e-bike has five level of pedal-assist and tops out at 19 mph. It weighs in at a reasonable 37 pounds and is generally priced around $999. Want a cleaner look and lower price? Propella also offers a singlespeed variant for $799.
State 6061 eBike Commuter
I consider State to be the king of affordable, quality direct-to-consumer bikes. So when they introduced their 6061 eBike Commuter I definitely took notice. The State has a cleaner look with an integrated 360 wh LG battery in the down tube. Like the Propella, it has a 250 watt rear hub motor. State claims a 24 miles range in PAS level 5 and over 100 miles in PAS level 1. It weighs 38 pounds and is currently priced at $1,299. Hot shot roadie/writer Phil Gaimon has one, and you can see him ride it on Instagram.
Detroit Bikes–Electric
Can you justify spending a little more for a boutique, Made-in-USA option? Then be sure to check out the Detroit Bikes-Electric. This stylish steel e-bike has the cleanest look yet, thanks to the Zehus All-In-One Motor--no need to put a battery on or in the frame! The 250 watt hub motor provides pedal-assistance up to 15.5 mph, and Zehus claims a range of 20 to 35 miles (though the Detroit guys have seen significantly farther than that). And the belt drive helps make it no fuss, no muss. The Detroit e-bike weighs in at a scant 32 pounds and is currently priced at $2,599. I’m super excited to see and test one of these in person--and we will have one in the BikeList booth at the Electrify Expo in Seattle in less than three weeks!
What are your thoughts? And what bikes did I miss? Let me know in the comments!