Latest news with #ebike
WIRED
2 days ago
- Automotive
- WIRED
Priority's Current Plus Ebike Powers You Up the Meanest Hills
I've been an avid biker for as long as I can remember. As a kid, I'd cruise my BMX around town with friends all day during the summer, reveling in the freedom and autonomy that only comes from your own ride. Decades later, my introduction to the ebike scene has provided a renewed sense of that nostalgic joy for the open road. As a relative newcomer, most of my ebike experience over the past year or so has been with relatively cheap ebikes, like the Propella 9S and Priority's e-Classic Plus. So when Priority offered me a chance to try the much pricier Current Plus, my first question was, 'What do you get from an ebike that costs over three grand?' In this case, the short answer is range, style, features, and power. Lots of power, which may be the biggest key to the Current's success. As a throttle-equipped Class 2 ebike that converts to Class 3, you can absolutely blaze on this thing at up to 28 mph with pedal assist, and there's virtually no hill that can slow you down. Most importantly, the bike's punchy motor keeps you safe in sketchy situations. Simply kick up the motor speed to level 5 and let the Current Plus fire you through traffic or cut through busy roads. I rarely pushed the motor above the midpoint, but when I needed the power, it swiftly arrived, affording me the freedom to cruise virtually anywhere on Portland, Oregon's mean streets. The Current's impressive battery range adds to that go-anywhere feeling, letting me ride worry-free for days without the need to top it off. That kind of freedom and autonomy has brought back that BMX feeling, taking me from ebike tourist to true commuter. Greaseless Lightning As a direct-to-consumer bike, the Current Plus needs some assembly when it arrives. A local bike shop can do the job for you for around $150-200, which I recommend considering for beginners. If you're more ambitious, you can assemble it yourself, but Priority still recommends having a shop give it a once-over for safety. Otherwise, the Current Plus is extremely hands-off from a maintenance standpoint. The Gates Carbon Drive belt requires no lube or grease and is claimed to last up to '2-3 times longer' than chains, while Priority tested the 750 Wh battery for up to 90 miles per charge on the lowest pedal-assist speed. Letting the bike loose up and down the hills of southeast Portland for weeks, I squeezed out a still-impressive 60 miles per charge, give or take. I tested the bike with the five-speed Shimano Nexus gear system, but for $200 more you can swap in the Enviolo CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission). This is a swap that you might consider if you're hauling a lot of gear—it's much safer to be able to make tiny adjustments to the torque if your bike is heavy or off-balance—but if you don't have a kid or two clinging to the back, you probably won't need it. While the bike's mid-drive motor is much smoother than the front-mounted eClassic, I noticed some pedal buzz when starting the bike in higher gears. Downshifting to lower-tension gears eliminated the buzz, and the simplified belt drive made it brilliantly smooth to shift to any gear at a standstill. After a few rides, I was shifting and swapping through motor speeds without thinking, like driving a car with a manual transmission. Before long, I was flying across town like a pro, increasingly leaving my car behind as Portland's rainy winter turned to sunlit spring. And man, does this thing fly. When boxed in at 20 mph as a Class 2 bike, I was hitting the top speed in seconds from anything above the second pedal-assist motor speed, so you'll likely want to convert it to Class 3 from the display settings if local laws allow. After converting, I still only hit around 26 mph on flats, but that was fast enough. I spent the majority of my time between the first and second pedal-assist speeds, but when I got tired (or curious), moving to the fourth or fifth speeds was a blast. It's empowering to know you can make any hill your … subordinate, allowing you to choose virtually any path to your destination. Need to catch up after a late start or get rid of a car on your tail? Punch up the speed and let it rip. It's truly a joyful feeling.
BBC News
3 days ago
- Health
- BBC News
Alana Armstrong: Mum 'rammed' off bike 'sometimes' supplied cannabis
A young mother who died on a country road after she was "chased and rammed" off an e-bike by a 4x4, "sometimes" supplied cannabis while her boyfriend drove her around to deliver it, a murder trial has Armstrong, 25, died at the scene in Batley Lane, near Pleasley, Derbyshire, on 26 November 2024 after Keaton Muldoon made five attempts to hit the bike she was riding, the jury Armstrong's boyfriend Jordan Newton-Kay, 26, who was injured and had his leg amputated following the crash, said: "[Mr Muldoon] deliberately chased me, deliberately rammed me, and left us for dead."Mr Muldoon, 23, of Tuckers Lane, Mansfield, in Nottinghamshire, denies murder. Jurors at Derby Crown Court were told Ms Armstrong bought the Sur-Ron off-road electric bike for her boyfriend, which is not legal for road use and is known to be a "drug-dealing type" jury heard Ms Armstrong, Mr Newton-Kay and a friend stopped at a lay-by in Sampsons Lane, near Pleasley, where the Land Rover was parked, and no words were exchanged before the vehicle spun around and "chased" them down the country Friday, Adrian Langdale KC, defending Mr Muldoon, cross-examined Mr Newton-Kay, who said his girlfriend of four years "sometimes" supplied cannabis which he drove her around to court heard that before the fatal collision, Ms Armstrong, from Tibshelf, received a message asking if she was available for a "drop off", but Mr Newton-Kay said he was "unsure" if they were going to deliver cannabis that evening. Mr Langdale KC also told the court Mr Newton-Kay had taken the speed restrictor off the bike to make it go Newton-Kay denied he thought the 4x4 parked in the field was a police also denied wearing a balaclava on the evening of the crash and told the court he had not been doing wheelies and pulling out on other drivers before the Newton-Kay admitted he had smoked cannabis that day, but denied that influenced his recollection of Langdale KC said: "You don't have any helmets on, neither of you. You seemed to suggest to police you didn't, as a general policy, wear helmets."You also suggested to the police you would drive, wherever you went, at maximum speed. Forty-six miles an hour to be precise."Mr Newton Kay admitted it was not a safe way to travel but said he went "trail to trail" and "was not on roads much". 'Did not happen' Mr Langdale asked how the pair did not come off the bike if they were hit four previous times."Your account of there being four previous rammings... is simply not right, did not happen," he said."You have no real memory of how you came off the bike. You undoubtedly came into contact with the car but it was not by him ramming you deliberately."Mr Newton-Kay replied: "He deliberately chased me, deliberately rammed me, and left us for dead."The defendant, of Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, admitted causing death by dangerous driving and causing serious injury by dangerous driving before the trial begun.
WIRED
3 days ago
- Health
- WIRED
Can't Afford an Ebike? Borrow One for Free From a Lending Library
Michael Venutolo-Mantovani May 30, 2025 6:30 AM Programs that let people borrow an ebike for a few days at a time are blooming around the US. They're convenient for all, but they also provide free transport for those priced out of bike ownership. Photograph:All products featured on WIRED are independently selected by our editors. However, we may receive compensation from retailers and/or from purchases of products through these links. An ebike library is exactly what it sounds like: a place where people can borrow electric bikes for free for, in some instances, as long as a week. And lately, thanks to the growing popularity of ebikes, these lending libraries have begun to sprout up around America. According to some experts, ebike libraries serve two purposes: to expose potential buyers to the advantages of ebikes through a real-world test ride and to provide access to free transportation in or near lower-income communities. There are approximately 50 ebike libraries around the US, a number that has nearly doubled since 2022. Many of them are housed in local bike shops, though some are connected to traditional book-lending libraries. In many ways, ebikes have made cycling more accessible than ever. Their electric motors flatten hilly areas, where biking can be strenuous, allowing anyone who knows how to ride a bike to climb almost any hill. They enable easier commutes and around-town errands more than traditional bikes. They lighten the load of towing kids around, whether to school or simply for recreation. They ease the weight of a bike loaded with two or three or four bags of groceries. Because of this, ebikes have exploded in popularity over the past few years. According to a 2023 study published by the US Department of Energy, ebike sales in the US grew fourfold from 2018 to 2022, from 287,000 to over 1.1 million. By 2024, that number doubled, with around 2.05 million electric bikes sold in America. On a recent trip to New York City—where I visit often and almost exclusively travel via the city's CitiBike bikeshare program—though traditional CitiBikes were plentiful, the models with electric pedal-assist motors were almost always all spoken for. Even though ebikes have gotten cheaper in recent years, the price remains a major barrier of entry. The cheapest reliable ebike you can find is the Aventon Soltera.2, which will set you back around $1,100. If you want something with additional seating to haul your children around, you're looking at the Lectric XPedition 2.0, which costs about $1,400. Prices can easily climb into the mid-five-figure range, while some high-end ebikes retail in excess of $10,000. Where ebikes have given people more options when it comes to pedal-powered transportation, ebike libraries have made access more equitable. The scope, scale, and function of these libraries vary from city to city. For example, Montpelier, Vermont's library loans bikes by the week, from Saturday to Saturday. Farther south, in the Vermont town of Brattleboro, residents can borrow one of three ebikes for six days, checking them out on Fridays and returning them the following Wednesdays, allowing the library to charge the battery and make any necessary repairs on Thursdays. In California, residents of the city of Elk Grove can borrow ebikes from the lending library for as long as three weeks. One trend that seems to be growing in newer libraries is the idea of short-term loans, which can better facilitate usage for running errands or even taking a recreational spin around town. Madison, Wisconsin's ebike library has been one of the most robust in America over the past few years. Known as the Community Pass Program, it offers free usage of the city's Madison BCycle ebike-sharing program through the city's libraries. Unlike CitiBike, Washington, DC's Capital Bikeshare, or Chicago's Divvy, all of which require a credit-card-linked account for use, a Bcycle can be unlocked with a fob obtained for free at any of the city's nine library branches. All you need is a Madison library card. The fobs can be checked out for as long as a week. (The program is currently on hold through the summer while it undergoes program updates.) While Madison's library—and therefore its residents' access to BCycles—spans much of the city, several cities are strategically placing their ebike libraries in or near lower-income communities, offering a free means of transportation to people who might struggle otherwise with a bikeshare program or who are less likely to own a car. 'It costs a minimum of $8,000 a year to own and operate a car in our country,' says Arleigh Greenwald, a former bike shop owner and YouTube influencer focused on ebike travel. 'And if it's not required to own a car in order to live where you live, you've now made a person's annual cost of living so much less. If you require someone to drive to get to an affordable housing unit, it's no longer affordable.' Meanwhile, the town of Carlisle, Pennsylvania, has a lending library connected to a progressive halfway house called Tomorrow's Neighbors. The library provides any of its 20 ebikes for its temporary residents who might be commuting to jobs, looking for work, or simply in need of exercise or recreation. 'In that case, not only is it addressing a transportation need but it's helping reduce recidivism,' says Michael Galligano, CEO of Shared Mobility, national nonprofit based in Buffalo, New York, that aims to make transportation easier and more equitable. Smaller cities and towns simply may not have the funds, the initiative, or the interest to install a citywide network of bike-sharing options. 'Having free access to ebikes is not a hard sell,' Galligano says. 'But where the rubber meets the pavement is the community helping to organize these programs' Some places have welcomed dock-free bikeshare companies such as Lime, but those cost a fee to unlock then the user is charged each minute they're riding In Chapel Hill, North Carolina, a fleet of 100 Tar Heel Bikes—which are provided by Lime competitor Bird—can be found around the town and throughout the campus at UNC–Chapel Hill. However, those cost $1 to unlock plus 29 cents each minute they're ridden. On the other hand, the town of Chapel Hill recently announced a free ebike library, which is housed in a pair of local bike shops and is operated by town officials. According to the official announcement, the program was funded through a $129,010 grant from the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant, along with an additional $50,000 from the American Rescue Plan Act. Through that library, town residents aged 18 and older can borrow a standard ebike, a cargo ebike, or an electric tricycle for as little as a few hours and as long as a week. Users are also provided with a combination lock, a charging cable, and a helmet. 'Most of them have been two- to three-day rentals,' says Brian Van Cleve, a longtime staffer at Trek Chapel Hill, which, along with local shop The Bicycle Chain, is participating in the library. 'People who are interested in buying an ebike want more than a 20-minute test ride. But we've had someone here who needed a bike because they were working Doordash.' As ebikes continue to grow in popularity, the appetite for ebike libraries is expanding in concert. Galligano pointed out that Shared Mobility fields calls every week from municipalities around the US, all interested in starting an ebike library. 'These programs are launching all over the place, because cities see a need for equitable and affordable transportation,' Galligano says. 'And yeah, there's an environmental impact, there's a health impact, yeah there's a transportation impact. But there's a mental impact, too. You have to see people's faces sometimes. It's the first time they've been on a bike in years, and you can see how happy they are just being able to bike.'
Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Lifestyle
- Daily Mail
Travellers woo council in bid to get new settlement approved by promising to install e-bike chargers to prove their eco credentials
A group of travellers are hoping to obtain council planning permission for a new settlement by installing e-bike chargers to prove their eco credentials. In a bid to woo the local council, Michael Chalk and Tom Butler have been accused of including 'token sustainability features' in their planning application in order to have their plans approved for a rural site in Burley, New Forest. Their controversial application has caused a row amongst locals in the ancient village located in the heart of Hampshire's idyllic New Forest, after the pair and their families set up static caravans on the former horse paddocks before then lodging plans to install e-bike chargers and cycle sheds. In a move dubbed by locals as 'performative', the travellers have proposed to build grey, plastic e-bike sheds and charging ports on the field. Submitting a retrospective planning application to install two static caravans, two touring caravans, parking, bin and cycle stores, e-bike charging points and boundary fencing on the former pony paddocks earlier this year, their plans have now sparked outrage amongst local villagers. Opposing the 'urbanising nature' of the development and its 'superficial additions', more than 70 local residents have since objected to the application. Philip Mosley, a local resident, expressed his particular distaste for the e-bike chargers, stating: 'Token sustainability features, such as electric vehicle and e-bike charging points, do not genuinely offset the environmental impacts of permanent housing, increased traffic, waste production, and extensive hard surfaces. 'True sustainability should align naturally with the environmental context, rather than serving as superficial additions.' Mr Mosley also raised concerns that such approval could set a 'concerning precedent' and encourage similar applications. He added: 'Protecting the unique character of the New Forest National Park should be a top priority. 'While acknowledging the need for suitable accommodation options for all communities, including Gypsy and Traveller groups, this particular proposal significantly fails to meet essential planning criteria. 'The negative consequences clearly outweigh any perceived benefits.' The traveller site runs through the historic village of Burley. With a population of just over 1,300 and popular with tourists, it is surrounded by the open heathland of the New Forest. Andrew and Rachel Holloway live next to the paddocks and said that prior to the site's development in March, they overlooked fields and hedgerows. But now, since the travellers have built on the site, they reported that the land has 'completely changed' as the pony paddocks have become 'urbanised', while the 'natural beauty of the fields and surrounding area' has been left 'damaged'. The couple also remarked that the addition of the caravans and grey plastic bike sheds does not help to enhance the landscape and 'scenic beauty' of the New Forest. They added: 'It certainly harms the character and appearance of the area, and would never be considered as high-quality design.' Another neighbour, Mr Briggs, said while the application is framed as a 'multi-functional rural enterprise', the true proposal is 'unambiguously residential'. He wrote: 'The application appears to exploit features-such as electric vehicle and e-bike charging points-as superficial nods to sustainability objectives. 'These token elements cannot reasonably be construed as mitigating factors for the intrusive environmental and visual impacts of permanent dwellings, waste generation, hard infrastructure, and increased vehicular activity. 'Sustainability, in planning terms, is holistic and must be contextually appropriate-not performative.' Mr Chalk and Mr Butler have also received criticism for putting up 'threatening signage' outside of the site when they moved in. One of the signs placed outside of the site reads: 'Strictly no entry without permission. Please beware. Reactive guard dogs roaming loose which will bite you.' Within their application, the two men said that their families intend to integrate into village life, using local shops and other amenities. However, one objector disagreed with such claim, arguing: 'The tall fencing and aggressive signage displayed at the entrance do not suggest a willingness to integrate with the community.' Dr A Lawrence Dr C Walter even described such application as 'mischievous', suggesting that it 'seeks to legalise an encroachment of a built residential environment onto rural land, and that in a National Park'. They added: 'The proposal is for static homes with attendant infrastructure - charging points, bin stores, cycle stores. 'It urbanises and its fences suburbanise what was a pony paddock in a rural setting. 'There is nothing temporary in this proposal just as there is nothing rural or agricultural. Already mostly built, it sets a damaging precedent for incremental (sub)urbanisation of the village.' The New Forest Park Authority are set to make a decision on the plans later this week.
CTV News
5 days ago
- General
- CTV News
Police seek witnesses, info after 15-year-old e-bike rider seriously injured in Etobicoke collision
Toronto police say the e-bike rider was rushed to hospital with serious injuries after being struck on Islington Ave. at a Highway 401 ramp.
