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IZIP Trekking Enlightened Hybrid-Electric Bike: First Impressions |
15 Comments |
| By Michael d'Estries in Bicycles, Energy, Green Living, Hybrids, Transportation | July 16, 2009 | ||
If you’ve ever lived in or visited Ithaca, NY your probably familiar with the phrase “Ithaca is gorges”. It’s a funny little saying that gives a good indication of the region’s topography — hills, hills, and steeper hills. In fact, the inclines we have around here would make even Lance Armstrong break a sweat. So, it was with great expectation that I took advantage of an opportunity to review the IZIP Trekking Enlightened hybrid-electric bicycle from Currie Technologies. Could it be possible to bike to work and not immediately have to take another shower?
I’m still figuring that out — and will have a full review shortly — but so far, I have to say that I’m very impressed with the technology being utilized in this bike. First off, this isn’t one of those bikes that you hit a switch and kick back while the electric motors putts you along. The IZIP instead is an electric-assist — giving you some extra torque to help you up some tough inclines. To that end, you still have to pedal. The beauty of this system is that you can choose to have it on or off — or at different levels of assist. About to hit a hill and want some support? Simply press the “+” button on the left handlebar and watch the LCD indicator light a few bars higher. Want to back off? Hit the “-” button. It’s as simple as that — and believe me, you still get a workout.
In riding around Ithaca, the electric assist was super-smooth. In fact, rarely did I know anything had kicked on at all. In one test, I went up a hill outside my home and cruised up at a leisurely pace. Turning off the system, I realized just how difficult the climb actually was. This bike is also heavy — coming in at 50lbs — so that electric assist is definitely a huge plus in steep climbs.
Shifting gears is very smooth and the seat is fairly comfortable. The addition of a bike light in the front and room for a basket behind is also nice. Front and back disc breaks also work flawlessly. Control of the frame in general is excellent — and the manual comes with some good instruction for getting setup for optimal performance.
Charging the bike is a breeze — and the 24V10a Lithium-ion Battery Pack is juiced up pretty fast. Depending on terrain, the battery will last you quite a bit. I’ve been going up many hills — so I’ve had to recharge every other day or so. No big deal. It’s also worth mentioning that you can’t tell this is a hybrid/electric bike. With the battery pack built into the frame, nobody will know your little secret unless you let on. I like that it retains the bike look without adding on an external battery pack of some kind.
As I’ve got the bike for a few more months, I’ll be updating my experiences using it around town. I will say that it’s made a difference in reducing the amount of energy I have to exert getting around — but the routes I’ve been taking up very steep hills are still killing me. Even with electric-assist, Ithaca’s hills are a tough thing to beat. I suspect that with some tweaking of my routes (by taking less severe gradients to get my destination), I’ll craft a more sweatless routine. Still, you can’t beat the smug satisfaction of riding by someone walking their bike up a hill — even if you do have technology giving your ass a boost.
Check out some photos of the bike below:
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sharppa said,
Don’t most state driving laws make an electric assist bicycle basically illegal to ride? I know those little electric scooters are not supposed to be ridden on the road.
Mystech said,
I think I still prefer the Schwinn Electric. It has more traditional (and attractive, imho) lines making its electric status even more understated than the Izip with that large down tube. Additionally, the Schwinn has an easily removable battery allows you more options for locking the bike up in one place (like work), while taking the battery with you indoors for recharging.
Michael d'Estries said,
Sharppa — I believe the law, in NYS at least, is that you do not need a moped license if the vehicles in question only goes up to 30mph. That’s less of an issue on this bike as the electric assist delivers even less than that — and there’s no “electric-only” mode.
Abdullah said,
Hi, interesting topic – I have just bought an electric bike that I use to get to work everyday. I Just plug in at work to recharge it and then cycle home.
Absolutely love the bike, it was cheap and simple to use. I got it from http://www.elecbikeco.com they seemed good but I am sure there are many other companies out there too.
Good luck
Ahmet
nantucketgirl said,
I have the Izip Urban Cruiser and I love love, love this bike, I ride it all over the island and it’s fantastic. I looked at the Schwinn also but I didn’t like it as much. The battery in my bike is in the down tube so it lowers the center of gravity and distributes the weight between the two wheels and makes it more balanced. I am small and I don’t weight that much so that was important to me. Also what I was told is that there is a federal law is that classifies these electric bikes as bicycles not motor vehicles.
Don James said,
24 volt motor is too slow goping up hills and that pedal assist system is goofy imo. I bought an Ultra Motor A to B bikes but after my third one (defects) I finally bought a PEDEGO. Best value for the money and way cool to look at. Best part, it is the most comfortable bike I have ever ridden. My advice is go for 500 Watt 36V with a throttle control no matter which brand you buy.
anonymous said,
Not legal on public roads. Call the DMV, local Police and Cornell Police. Soon hopefully. Sorry to burst everyone’s bubbles. Hopefully they will ammend the laws, require helmets and whatever registration (or not), safety certifications and lighting, etc.. That’s the hold up.
Brendan said,
As someone who went to Ithaca College, I know this would have come in handy. You haven’t seen hills until you’ve been to Ithaca. With that said, I think a 50 lb bike is a little impractical, no matter how much it assists you up inclines.
Paul said,
In the UK the laws are tighter, I don’t think you can go above 10 or 15mph on any type of non-manual bike unless you have a license. But with most bike conversions, its difficult to notice unless your doing something like 40mph without pedaling.
Marc@Electric Bicycle Kingdom said,
Yip they are legal in many of the states. Plus they’re not classed as scooters or motorcycles, so no tax of any sort!
There are some conditions to this though.
Car Advice Guy said,
I have been looking into electric bikes and scooters for over a decade, and this is the first time I have ever seen a setup like this. The idea behind a MUST pedal electric system is a good one for the fitness crowd, but I must also wonder if it is hurting their market share with those folks who might like to coast every once in awhile.
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[...] IZIP Trekking Enlightened Hybrid-Electric Bike: First Impressions [...]
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Kalia Luxury Eco Living said,
If electric bikes aren’t legal in some states, they’d make a fantastic addition to green-savvy foreign countries like Costa Rica – can you imagine riding a bike through that gorgeous wilderness? I’d ride it straight from my eco-chic Kalia home into the rainforest and back.
E-Bike said,
I love the Trekking its a great bike . I actually found all the currie electric bikes from this site : http://www.curriestore.com . I also like the via rapido and the express very cool bikes.