$2,000 Giant Twist Freedom DX electric bicycle gets pedaled on video
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Filed under: Transportation
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
mvp @ Jul 23rd 2008 6:06PM
I watched the video and all I got was a guys fingers turning it on...
Knives_Out @ Jul 23rd 2008 6:14PM
for 2 large? no thanks.
I'll buy a motorcycle, moped, sctooter, etc.
- @ Jul 23rd 2008 6:45PM
The advantage of a motorized bicycle over motorcycle, moped, etc. is you can take it onto some subways, ferries, buses and inside office buildings (gas vehicles generally not allowed), you don't need a license, or insurance, you can take it to the park, etc. It's more about assisted leisure than getting there fast.
Krush @ Jul 23rd 2008 6:46PM
Tata Nano anyone?
phanbouy @ Jul 23rd 2008 7:44PM
a shitty motorcycle maybe. mine cost $5k out the door for an '08 ninja 250. yes you can get them used, but so can you bicycles
Dylan @ Jul 23rd 2008 10:06PM
" - " Thats a really small advantage considering the amount of ridicule you will endure. This look like something mary poppins would ride. Its an electric bloody bicycle, what are you to fat to rid the damn bike? Bike users will think you're a yuppie, motorcycle users will think you're a tool. On the plus side you will not get anyone pregnant cuz nobody will sleep with you after seeing this so its effective birth control.
Lowest Ranked @ Jul 23rd 2008 6:14PM
I'm not exactly an expert on this so don't quote me, but I am pretty positive that the original bicycle design was greener than this.
flunky Carter @ Jul 23rd 2008 6:22PM
These guys know how to commute by bicycle... on the freeway... in los angeles... faster than cars...
www.crimanimalz.com
Also, this electric bicycle is wayyyyy more stylish :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-YmgVcd_aAE
fuelfilter @ Jul 23rd 2008 8:44PM
pimpin chopper bike.
ZeroCorpse @ Jul 24th 2008 1:38PM
Actually, you're wrong. The original bike (meaning: totally human-powered) uses MORE energy than an electric.
You have to consider the fuel it takes for you to be able to pedal a bike long distances. It costs more to fuel you up than it does to recharge a bike's battery. It takes more of a toll of the environment to keep you fed than it does to run your local electrical plant.
I don't have the research or numbers at hand, but if you look around, you'll find that bicycle riding burns a lot of human fuel, and that in the end you're not saving much going from a car to a manual bike if you intend to use it all the time. You'll take in more food and beverage, use more water (drink AND showers: You'll be sweating a lot) and require more rest and downtime.
Human-powered vehicles are actually on the bottom rung of fuel efficiency when you factor in what it takes to keep your body functioning well enough to propel something on a regular basis.
Oh, and that's assuming you're healthy and physically fit. For some people with bad knees, backs, hips, lungs, hearts, etc., an electric vehicle isn't just more energy efficient, it's less damaging/strain on their body.
I started riding an e-bike because I suffered a near-crippling knee injury, and couldn't always pedal a bike without my knee locking up. Since then, I found that the e-bike was perfect transportation to get to work, go to the store, or just generally get around town without having to deal with traffic, parking, insurance rates, and gas prices.
But greener? Yes. An e-bike is greener than a purely human-powered bike, when all factors are considered.
bo sneb @ Jul 23rd 2008 6:32PM
i know people who have spent 2 grand on non motorized bikes. but i don't think they'll ever consider one of these.
Zach @ Jul 23rd 2008 6:52PM
I know people who spend two large on their wheels!
Adam Hegedus @ Jul 23rd 2008 9:10PM
Yup... i have a $2k mountain bike... no motor. I'll take my Trek Fuel over this thing any day.
ZeroCorpse @ Jul 24th 2008 1:45PM
...And I'll blast past your expensive Trek on my much less-expensive e-bike, pedaling lightly, wearing jeans, using less energy, and I shall arrive to work without smelling like a bucket of sweat-soaked spandex.
Of course, I don't fancy myself a "real" cyclist; I'm a bike commuter.
My theory is that "cyclists" are just guys who enjoy being in skintight short-shorts, so they buy a $3,000 bike to justify their kink. ;)
JM Palacios @ Jul 25th 2008 11:37PM
ZeroCorpse,
I'll blast past your e-bike on my under-$200 road bicycle.
I've passed people poking along on electric bicycles before. They're slow, just like other heavy mountain bikes.
I'd rather minimize the time it takes me to get to work. I have to shower either way, so might as well make the best of it.
As for environmental impact, I'll concede that an electric bicycle might have less of an impact. See http://opim.wharton.upenn.edu/~ulrich/documents/ulrich-cycling-enviro-jul06.pdf for a reasonable argument that bicycles have a greater impact on the environment than cars--because cyclists live longer. (So the best way to save the environment is to kill yourself. ;-)
Really, though, you get a better workout on a non-electric bicycle. So it will improve your health more than a powered bicycle. I'd take a $2000 road bicycle over this any day. But for those who shy away from exercise, I hope they at least go for this!
Macro @ Jul 23rd 2008 6:40PM
How can that possibly cost that much? What if you run out that would suck having to pedal that thing back home. You'd think they could at least relay some specs on the thing.
iEye @ Jul 23rd 2008 6:41PM
Waaaaay tooo much.
In Canada $350 gets you a Schwinn I-Zip Electric Bike when on sale, $300 end of season...just about 5 tanks of gas worth... If this $2,000 bike gets stolen after 2 months of use... OUCH...
skyshard @ Jul 23rd 2008 7:44PM
350?
Where can I get one?
jorvay @ Jul 24th 2008 12:15PM
As a long-time cyclist and bicycle mechanic, I can assure you that you get what you pay for with bicycles. Comparing a "Schwinn" (real Schwinn went out of business in the late 90's and sold the name to some crappy department-store brand) to a Giant is like comparing candy-filled cellphone-shaped toy from the local 7/11 to a Blackberry. One is for people that pull their bikes out of the garage once a year, and the other is for people that actually USE bicycles and need to rely on them.
garryb @ Jul 23rd 2008 6:42PM
well when will these guys figure out that we are in the 21st centurey and no one or better said very very very few people use a bicycle and trust me people who had 2000$ wouldnt be buying a bicycle. LOLOLOLOLOL
Flunky Carter @ Jul 23rd 2008 7:37PM
No one uses bicycles? Ridiculous statement. China has the largest bicycling population in the world (bikechina.com/index.php). 32% of the 1.1 million inhabitants of Copenhagen commute by bicycle (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copenhagen#Population) Bicyles outnumber cars in Amsterdamn (transalt.org/press/magazine/003Summer/16auto-free.html) Bicycles even outnumber cars on this planet 2:1 (http://eco-living.net/writings/transport/effengine.html) What about Portland, New York City... San Francisco these cities have a LARGE bicycling community? What about the 1,500 people in Los Angeles that participate in bicycle rides at one gathering, that also commute? BWAHAHAHA... no one uses bicycles, More bicycles were sold in Australia than cars (http://bicycling.about.com/b/2008/01/13/more-bikes-than-cars-sold-in-australia-in-2007.htm) I could
Wiigee @ Jul 24th 2008 4:35AM
really? what do i ride every day then?
With the high gas prices, climate change, crumbling economy, bikes are becoming way more popular. I know people that have spent well over $2000 on their bike. dont be fooled into thinking that the cyclist you see are just out for fun, or cant afford a car. I can, but i will never own a car, i will commute by bike til i cant ride a bike anymore. get out there an you bike and youll see why people will spend that kinda money on a bike, go to your local Critical Mass!
tekdroid @ Jul 24th 2008 6:22AM
garryb @ Jul 23rd 2008 6:42PM
well when will these guys figure out that we are in the 21st centurey and no one or better said very very very few people use a bicycle and trust me people who had 2000$ wouldnt be buying a bicycle. LOLOLOLOL
--------------
2k is a lot. But consider this:
*No registration
*No insurance
*Tune-ups? Adjusting brakes, oiling chain, etc. Cost? Cents per month, at most.
Every trip you make on bike *saves you* money versus other forms of transport. Other forms of transport require HEAVY financial investment (or waste, depending on your perspective).
Now sure if you have to carry a lot of stuff it isn''t gonna mean much to you, but if you are Average Joe just getting to work or the shops every day, the savings can easily pay for themselves within one year.
NoAndThen @ Jul 24th 2008 10:34AM
you, sir, are a tool. I ride my bike everywhere here in Boston, and 9 times out of 10 I can get to where I'm going faster than a car due to congested streets. It's also almost always faster than the MBTA (public transit in Boston).
Just because you're an irresponsible douche-bag who drives his car to the corner store, doesn't mean I don't ride 10 miles to and from work everyday.
But nah, I really wouldn't want this thing unless it derived power exclusively from my pedaling/regenerative braking... maybe a solar panel to charge it whilst locked up?
ZeroCorpse @ Jul 24th 2008 1:54PM
My gasoline expenses since April 2008: $ 0.00
My wife's gasoline expenses since April 2008: $700.00 +/-
(And for the record, my bike repair/energy costs since April: approx. $65.00)
Guess which one of us commutes to work by car, and which by e-bike? And this includes the fact that my wife takes the bus a couple times a week, to cut down on gas costs!
Call us idiots if it makes you feel better, but when I'm the one pocketing hundreds of dollars instead of giving it to Exxon, I don't feel like I'm the idiot in this scenario.
Johan S @ Jul 23rd 2008 6:43PM
In India (and other countries in that region), there is an extremely popular thing known as an auto-rickshaw: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auto_rickshaw
It is primarily used as taxis, and they are all over India.
If someone can make an electric version of it that costs under $500 or $750 (including battery), you will be able to sell millions of them. Its ok to require them to charge overnight .. but they should be able to do about 75 miles per charge.
Or, make the batteries easily replaceable so that an industry can crop up where autorickshaw owners can go to a gas station and swap out the used battery for a fully charged one (you would need a system that displays the number of charges on the swapped in battery so there can be some confidence as to how many kWh is in there). Also the autorickshaw itself can display how many kwH it got out of the battery so the users can complain etc. if they didn't get enough kwH out of a particular vendors batteries.
Alternatively ..since there may be too much trust needed for the above to work .. I think that users can own two batteries .. one that is kept in a central location (like a gas station or the central market/home) and they can go there around mid-day to swap out the battery. My understanding is that most of the auto-rickshaw taxis don't venture far from their central location (only a few km).
Any Indians want to comment?
kccboy2004 @ Jul 23rd 2008 7:20PM
How much does a taxi license cost in India. In the UK, I think that it is probably aroud $200,000. How is an autorickshaw gonna do there ?
Any Brits wanna comment ?
required @ Jul 23rd 2008 6:53PM
The problem with something like this is that it would be great for going to the beach or store or what have you, but once you get there you have to trust that your bike lock is secure enough. In other words, when bicycles get in the two-thousand dollar price range they are seldom left out of sight. But maybe that's just me.
phanbouy @ Jul 23rd 2008 7:46PM
but this looks a lot less flashy than the uber carbon bikes that people will even steal components off of
Twitchy @ Jul 24th 2008 6:07AM
Bike thieves don't really care what bike they are nicking - the majority are opportunists. If you use a good lock, locking it to an immovable object, and ensure that the lock sits snugly (to eliminate leverage points), then the thieves will most likely go for the bike next to yours which isn't so well secured...even if it is only worth a fraction of yours.
go seki @ Jul 23rd 2008 7:12PM
Electric scooters with keys, optional pedals and multiple batteries are much better, less likely to be stolen and also usable without licence in most countries .. $2000 is stupid and as many have said you're better off buying a carbon fibre or titanium MB if cycling is your thing.
ZeroCorpse @ Jul 24th 2008 1:30PM
They also have to ride on the road, going 35 mph amongst cars who want you to do 50 mph, and they require a license, and a helmet and/or insurance in some states. You can't put a scooter on the bus' bike rack. You can't bring a scooter into your office to keep it out of the rain or away from thieves, either.
My electric bike has a key ignition, can legally ride on sidewalks or bike paths, requires no insurance in my state, and costs less than a dollar for over 30 miles of riding. I do pedal it along with the motor, but it makes the hills feel like flat ground. Sometimes, I rely on motor alone; Like when I'm headed to work and don't want to arrive all sweaty.
The Giant Twist is known in the e-bike business as top-of-the-line in electric bikes, and so the price tag here is as much for the name now (they KNOW they're highly regarded) as it is for the quality of the bike. There are people out there selling used, six-year-old Giant Twists for almost as much as this goes for new, so it's a good investment if you want to spend this much.
Mine didn't cost near that much. My second one (building myself) will end up costing about 1/3 what the Twist costs, and it will be every bit as functional.
Oh, and to answer a question from lower down the thread: Most e-bikes use standard batteries. Mine uses basic sealed lead-acid 12-volt batteries (3 of them) wired together, but I could swap for other battery tech if I wanted. The "enlightened" e-bikes use lighter lithium or nickel-cadmium batteries. Usually in groups of 12-volts, wired together to get your desired voltage (24, 36, 48, etc.)
What's important (and sometimes proprietary) is the controller for the batteries and motor. Those can be a pain in the ass to replace if you have a proprietary e-bike.
And to the naysayers: I've not paid for gasoline since April. How much have you paid for your transportation? (I do have a car. I rarely use it when the weather's nice. There's no point unless I need to load some major cargo or go a long distance).
I'm married, so I don't need to impress women with my car, but I do find quite a few stopping me to ask where I got my bike. In fact, I can rarely ride the thing without people asking where they can get one, and wanting to learn all about it because they're getting pounded at the gas pump.
$2K is a lot, but when you consider it gets you around town without ever paying for a drop of gasoline, or oil changes, or tune-ups, the price sounds a lot sweeter. I'm sure I've saved around $2K by using the bike instead of the car for local trips.
And for the record: I also have a non-electric bike. It's good to have a lightweight, inexpensive backup, just in case.
Cal @ Jul 23rd 2008 7:25PM
haha at first when i read this i thought it could go 75 miles an hours.
ZeroCorpse @ Jul 24th 2008 1:56PM
I could build you one that would, but you would NOT enjoy that (very short) ride.
phanbouy @ Jul 23rd 2008 7:51PM
decent price for all the hardware and versatility you get. Giant is a great bike brand too.
personally, having 2 bicycles, a motorcycle, and a car gives me enough options (along with public transit mixed in) to get anywhere in the bay area at any time under any condition optimally (time, cost, parking, hassle, greenness, exercise, etc)
BUT, if i could only have 1 vehicle and spent lots of time intra-city commuting, this could very well be the best option
Todd Stiers @ Jul 23rd 2008 8:19PM
Ugly, no appeal, do this http://www.tronbikes.com
phanbouy @ Jul 23rd 2008 8:24PM
easy there, no need for an autobiography
Haikibutsu @ Jul 23rd 2008 10:35PM
Is that a nintendo logo? Ive always wanted to play that motercycle game in real life!
RUGRLN @ Jul 24th 2008 1:20AM
That definitely has to be it, right?
funkiscrazy @ Jul 23rd 2008 11:24PM
i wouldn't pay 2k for that frame geometry.
Richy @ Jul 24th 2008 4:37AM
My bike can go 75 miles on a combination of pedalling and battery. If I have a few doughnuts along the way, it can go even further than 75 miles.
Don't get much help from the battery though -- unless a blinking taillight LED can make you go further.
FWIW, my bike is a Canondale CAAD9 with Shimano Ultegra. And it cost waay more than £1000 (~$2000). And I don't look like a spaz riding it.
Twitchy @ Jul 24th 2008 6:21AM
Are the batteries in a proprietary format? Or can I, in ten years time, still get replacement batteries for when the factory ones go dead?
tekdroid @ Jul 24th 2008 6:28AM
yeah exactly.
And this is what will pretty much determine the running costs.
fashionista @ Jul 24th 2008 9:23AM
At first I thought this was a dumb bike, but it would be fantastic to have a bike that I didn't have to pedal to get around on the 90-100 degree summer days.
ottovds @ Jul 24th 2008 5:43PM
I think Koga and Batavus have better electric bicycles.
ballmerrocks @ Jul 25th 2008 12:39AM
I like it!