Pi-POP is battery-less e-bike which runs on rider’s pedaling power that recharges its supercapacitor

Posted on 05/12/2023 by Gaurav Sood

E-bikes are still a hot topic despite their battery safety being a looming concern since inception. The lithium batteries used in e-bikes are sensitive to high temperatures and we have seen cases where batteries have blown up leading to severe damage to the bike, in odd cases, even to the rider. Even though, there is no dearth of new e-bikes hitting the market. Latest in the ranks is the Pi-POP, which on the exterior is an average bike, but packs a lithium-free supercapacitor, that allows the bike to run only on the power the rider generates: no other source is needed.

Designed and developed by French manufacturer Pi-Pop, the Pi-POP e-bike is an electrically assisted bicycle, only first of its kind in the world. It makes riders negotiate all accessible trails without battery or recharging woes. Just ride on with the power you create!

Designer: Pi-Pop

Made in an aluminum frame with white and green colorway, the bike is readied for now only in a single size. Its integrated supercapacitor energy regeneration system recharges with the rider’s pedaling and braking. The Pi-POP e-bike regenerates power as the user pedals on a level road and kicks in the most power when the rider goes down a slope or while braking. This allows the rider to benefit from constantly renewed assistance, only that the most energy is consumed, rather than regenerated when riding uphill.

The bike remains within European standards and has been tailored to hit the maximum speed limit of 25mph. The Pi-POP achieves speeds up to 25mph only on renewed assistance pedaling. The e-bike is designed to restore most energy to the supercapacitor when the brakes are applied, so the regeneration of power is least when going uphill as opposed to coming downhill. The supercapacitor can store and release the energy to the bike almost ten times faster than normal lithium batteries making the idea of Pi-POP more effective and less cumbersome.

Of course, the Pi-POP is not made for off-road sites, it is an interesting everyday commuter, especially if you are looking for an e-bike with a difference. This one is different but it is only available in France (at the Pi-Pop factory in Loire River, Olivet) for now. In spite of the exclusivity, it is priced competitively against its compatriots in the traditional e-bike market. It comes for 2,450 euros (approximately $2,600).

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Cork bike saddle amplifies the eco-friendly quotient of your ride

Posted on 02/12/2023 by Ida Torres

There was a huge increase in bicycles and all biking accessories during the pandemic as people tried to find alternative means of transportation. Now that we’re almost back to whatever normal is, bikers are still a huge segment of the transportation market for a lot of reasons. One of these is that it’s more eco-friendly that cars since it does not use any fuel. But there has also been an interest in making the bicycles themselves even more eco-friendly.

Designer: Frame Cycles

One new product that can make your bike more sustainable is the FR-1 Bike Saddle since it is made from reconstituted cork and grade 5 titanium. It was able to do away with the usual three plastic layers of the bike saddle and replace it with the single piece of cork. What’s more, this cork is able to have all the properties of those plastic layers: structural rigidity, foam comfort, and weather resistance.

According to Frame Cycles, they were able to create the first batch of these cork saddles by using a firm grade of reconstituted cork so it has the similar hardness to the usual leather bike saddle. This also means that you will have to spend at least two weeks for the cork saddle to break in and start to soften. They will eventually release variants with different grades of cork. The process of sourcing the materials from the cork trees is also less harmful as stripping the bark every 8-10 years boosts the carbon consumption 3-5 times.

Before the cork saddle gets to you, the components are harvested in Portugal and then molded when it reaches Glasgow, Scotland. This is also where the parts are treated with water-based lacquer and then integrated into the welded titanium substructure. Knowing this entire process, it will not surprise you that the FR-1 Bike Saddle is a bit expensive at around $130. But of course, it’s a small (expensive) price to pay if you want a more eco-friendly bike to accompany your sustainable lifestyle.

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This electric bicycle turns into a kick scooter but lacks the comfort one would desire

Posted on 07/11/2023 by Gaurav Sood

Personal mobility vehicles come in various genres and form factors depending on the specific needs of the user. There is a wide array of options from the upbeat Segway and kick scooters to the more conventional bicycles and unicycles. The creative Asian market in Japan and China is also witness to the more futuristic personal pods that are a cross between a Segway and a scooter.

This electric bicycle further takes the hybrid nature of personal commuters to the next level with Cake bike-inspired aesthetics. The modular nature of this commuter makes it a good option for every kind of user. It can be your scooter, a Cake bike, or an electric ride.

Designer: YU ID

The ride also draws inspiration from everyday gadgets, adapting their sleek form without compromising on the robust aesthetic that’s vital to support the body weight. Talking of supporting the rider’s weight, the saddle takes an awkward-looking shape that’ll not keep the rider comfortable for long. This form factor flows with the slim character of the bicycle but is somewhat of a comfort killer I have to say.

The rear middle section of the Electric Mobility bicycle can be detached for the kick-scooter functionality. A pretty big kick scooter it has to be said, perfect for above-than-average people. Would anyone fancy riding this? Well, this commuter has many bases untouched that should have been taken into consideration while designing the blueprint.

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J.Laverack’s Limited-Edition Aston Martin .1R Bicycle Uses the Same Process as an Actual Aston Martin

Posted on 01/11/2023 by Gabriel Moss

What happens when one of the most luxurious automotive brands in the world teams up with one of the most luxurious bicycle brands in the world? That would be the J.Laverick Aston Martin .1R — the direct offspring of a fruitful partnership between the two high-flying British luxury brands, who are jointly calling it the “world’s most bespoke, advanced and meticulously engineered road bicycle”. This design is definitely bespoke, considering that no two Aston Martin .1R bikes will be created the same —and it isn’t exactly clear how many will be constructed in total — seeing as how every purchaser who orders from Aston Martin’s “multi-award-winning” online configurator will receive a personal invitation to get their own unique Aston Martin .1R fitted at Aston Martin’s HQ in Gaydon, UK.

Designer: J.Laverack x Aston Martin

Evidently, Aston Martin’s Gaydon HQ is where a new owner can individually select and install their bells and whistles (literally) after mixing and matching Aston Martin’s signature color schemes — which mirror those of the prestige British auto designer’s most popular luxury vehicles — on the tubes, lugs, forks, stem, seat post, and handlebar drops via the aforementioned configurator. For what it’s worth, yes, you can also choose between saddle and handlebar type. Right now, it’s not clear how much this will all cost, but it makes sense to expect a higher price than most other J.Laverack bicycles, which start at around $5,000.

This advanced titanium road bike design uses a mixture of 3D-printed titanium lugs and sculpted carbon fiber tubes for a lightweight yet sturdy build without any exposed bolts on the outer body. Aston Martin’s designers call this a world first, and I can’t deny it looks like a cross between a bike and a sports car. Though, calling it a “sports bike” would be redundant. That said, Aston Martin’s Executive VP and Chief Creative Officer, Marek Reichman, dug into this idea even further in an official press release, calling the Aston Martin .1R a “titanium hypercar on two wheels.”

Its max speed probably doesn’t equal that of a shiny new Aston Martin supercar, but it’s likely the speediest (and sturdiest) bicycle we’ve ever seen. Several elements of the ($3 million) Aston Martin Valkyrie’s engineering and design process made their way over to the .1R, including the bicycle’s 40-micron badges. The wheels themselves, plus the stem, also use similar processes. According to Aston Martin, “The hypercar’s wheel design can be glimpsed in miniature in the titanium piston caps of the brakes on the bike, while if you inspect the beautifully machined cups on the threaded bottom bracket of the .1R and you will notice parallels with the central wheel nuts on an Aston Martin Valkyrie.”