Two Powerful Electric Bikes By OHM
by Justin Thomas, Virginia 
on 10.11.07
Straight out of British Columbia comes a couple of new electric bikes by OHM Cycles. The highlights of these bikes include 38V lithium-ion batteries, regenerative braking and powerful BionX motors. The company offers two styles of electric bike: one built for the urban rider, and one suited to rugged terrain. The OHM Urban has an comfortable, upright riding position. It also features fenders, dual suspension, disc brakes, a chain guard, a rack, and 12V halogen headlights and tailights.
The OHM Sport (below) is built for rugged terrain, and features a larger battery than the Urban.
Both bikes incorporate Moli Energy lithium-ion batteries (38V 9Ah) and the reliable BionX motor system.
They offer both throttle controlled power and pedal assist electrical power. The throttle control is part of the console and easily regulates the power to the rear wheel. The pedal assist control uses a torque sensor to continuously measure the assistance your pedaling provides. Using the 1-4 settings on the console you can adjust how much torque you wish the motor to provide in relation to your own power.
The motor can also provide power to recharge the batteries. Whenever the brakes are applied, the motor slows down the bike and uses the power from braking to recharge the batteries, this is called regenerative braking. On hilly sections or if you want a better workout, you can use the 1-4 settings on the console to adjust the level of recharge power being sent back to the batteries.
The Urban version of the bike is available from NYCEWheels for $2,875. A list of dealers can be found here.
Follow @TreeHugger on Twitter & get our headlines with @TH_rss!
Thirsty for more? Check out these related articles:
- Sustainable Bamboo Exercise Gear is Here!
- 7 Ways the Troubled Automotive Industry Could Change Your Car and Your Commute
- For Green Travel Visit Madagascar, Home to 5 Percent of the Planet's Species
- 8 Fun Green Ways to Manage Stress (Kissing is One of Them)
- You Can Totally Live Without a Car!
- Sharing Garden Chores with a Friend: Hits and Misses
This is a sweet idea, especially for big schools where biking around is encouraged because parking a car is such a chore. Here in Gainesville (GO GATORS!) parking is virtually impossible, so everyone has a bike. If only I had the money though for one of these!
That being said, the fact is is that we all can do something now to develop alternative means of transportation. When you need a big truck, sure, use a big truck, but when you need a small car, use an alternative fueled one, like a hybrid or an electric. And when your needs are even smaller, than a battery powered bike like this OHM seems perfectly viable to me. For almost every need, there is a product to meet that need cleaner and smarter.
OHM should give away some of them for free to promote the technology like www.nogasrequired.com is with electric cars. We have GEMs and go carts and our public safety officers use bikes, and I figure the more battery technologies, the better!
The fact is, there are so many companies out there trying to build more environmentally responsible products out there, cradle-to-grave, and I think it is our consumer duty to give them each a chance. What do we have to lose?
I don't really understand the electric bike. Is it really the most efficient and elegant solution for those who can't pedal?
jf,
see:
http://nycewheels.com/faq1.html
justin
To be quite honest, i am very excited!!!
Just placed my order for my OHM 750 sport :)
2006 I rode across the U.S 4,700 miles, East to West on my cannondale r 700, fantastic journey!!!
The next journey will be on my OHM 750, should be a totally different experience, a cross country ride puts any person or bicycle to a good field test :)
So OHM i will test your cool new bicycle out!!!! :)
Plus i am sick n tired of buying gasoline and polluting our planet!!!!!!
Ken Locke