Should Boris Bikes Go Electric?

Why did Mayor Boris have to copy the French? And the Spanish (well Catalanyans) in Barcelona too?

London: Centre of world trade, innovation and home of West Ham United - is playing second fiddle and missing a great opportunity. Boris bikes need to go electric.

Think about it. London is one of the world's most commutable cities. Hundreds of thousands - millions even - of workers live within a ten mile commute of their workplace. Plenty of us want a nice work out or some exercise to or from work. But not all the time.

E Bike News says extend the Boris Bikes out to the suburbs - have pavement charging points where bikes can only be released subject to having a full charge. It's not rocket science. There are plenty of electric bike options coming onto the market that would be perfect for adaptation to permanent street life.

Earls Court London Bike Show 2010 - Spot The E Bike!

I spent a pleasant enough afternoon at the London Bike show this year. Kudos to the organisers for managing such an efficient and secure bike park, albeit round the back from the main entrance. If only more exhibition organisers, employers and local authorities would recognise that bikes and electric bikes deserve the same consideration as train commuters and car drivers. But that's not for here, or now.

The usual bike companies put on a great show, although I did have a sense of deja-vu for much of what was on offer. People powered bikes (PPB) have evolved enormously over the last decade and I guess there's a limit to how many wheels and snazzy decals on frames I want to look at this year (or next), that I didn't see in 2009.

But where were the electric bicycles? Why no dedicated section? Newbies EBCO launched a v cool selection of electric bikes, cleverly hidden away towards the back of the exhibition hall- although in fairness they had a couple of electric bikes on the 'have a go yourself" track. I got to ride one of them - although it meant a 30 minute wait. Thanks fellas.

Let's hope the organisers will make a big effort at the 2011 London Bike Show - and inject some real life into proceedings - with a dedicated electric bike section and track.

Moon Buggy Meets E-Bike?

If you've got $5,500 US to splash on an electric bicycle and are the sort of person who likes to - well - let's just say "make an impression".......then this bike might be just the thing.

Does anyone know if this "all terrain" bike is available in the UK? If you spot one, please send me a pic!

It reminds me of the moon buggy back in the Apollo days. Apparently those buggies cost tens of millions (back in the days when that was still alot of money) - makes $5,500 seem a bargain. Almost!

Welcome to E Bike News

This is a blog about electric bikes. Simple really. But why am I starting this blog now?

Well, electric bikes are the next big thing, I reckon.

We all laughed at Sir Clive Sinclair's C5 way back in the 1980s. The technology wasn't there at the time. And he did look pretty weird in that suit (the beard didn't help much, either). But seriously, all credit to Sir Clive, he saw it coming - exactly as he did with his early ZX81 computer - a computer in every home. "That'll never catch on", we said.

The first PCs were limited by the speed and memory of silicone chips, so has been the case with electric bikes and traditional battery technology. But it's all changed, and faster than even the "beardies" dared to have predicted.

Today's Lithium-Ion Battery technology means every home will soon have an electric bike or electric car sitting in the garage. Lightweight construction materials and the incredible economies of scale achievable by mass production make electric bikes a practical and affordable mode of transport, for millions of people in the UK alone.