This article was taken from the May 2012 issue of Wired magazine. Be the first to read Wired's articles in print before they're posted online, and get your hands on loads of additional content by subscribing online.
We take electric bikes for a ride.
How we tested
We took a selection of electric bikes to the Herne Hill Velodrome in south London, site of the 1948 Summer Olympics cycling events.
We assessed handling, acceleration and cruising on its 450m track with 30° banked curves.
BH Emotion Neo Cross
Apart from the thick down tube (which houses the battery) there's little difference between the Neo Cross and a standard road bike. At any power setting above 50 per cent the bike pulled away sharply and could cruise at 27kph. The Tektro disc brakes provide plenty of stopping power. However, we found the low-slung safety pedals a problem; at one point they ground out on a shallow banking, pitching our test rider on to the concrete.
Wired: Brisk ride
Tired: Damaged knees
£1,899
Ultra Motor Hybrid 24
More of a moped than a bike, the Hybrid 24 is big in every way, from the battery pack to the in-hub motor. The bike does have relatively small 60cm wheels, which made it more manoeuvrable at low speeds. Its onboard computer has a charge indicator and trip counter, and you can choose between low, medium and high levels of assist. Setting the power level is fiddly and should only be done when stationary, but we found the medium setting to be more than enough to keep us at a steady 27kph with little effort.
Wired: Powerful
Tired: Heavy
£1,800
Kranium Red Label
Kranium's bike looks great, and its battery integrates neatly into the frame. You power it up with a key, and control the functions via the computer. The bike has five pedal-assist speeds; the first two don't do much, but level three will have you cruising happily at 20kph, and four and five increase your speed to 24 and 27kph with a bit of pedal-power. The bike's also light enough to carry.
Wired: Very stylish
Tired: Battery-indicator cut-out
£1,695
bikerepublicstore.co.uk
Ultra Motor Fast4ward Peak
The Peak has the most flexible drivetrain in the group. A switch on the left handlebar lets you choose between high or low pedal-assist modes, or you can turn off automatic mode and use the twist throttle on the right handlebar. You can even ride around without using the pedals at all. However, there's some play in the transmission which leads to a jerk every pedal revolution at top speed.
Wired: Flexible drivetrain
Tired: Jerky cadence
£1,200
YikeBike carbon
It's half the weight of the other bikes on test, folds up and has no pedals. To ride, you perch over the large front wheel with your arms at your sides on the handlebars, then squeeze the hand throttle to engage the power. The bike takes off briskly and can cruise at up to 23kph -- it's terrifying at first, but you (sort of) get used to it. The short 10km range is a problem; this is a bike for riding to the station rather than the whole commute.
Wired: Portable
Tired: Takes practice
£2,546
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
