Schwinn unveils new fast-charging electric bike

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By Matthew Cole | Monday, Sep 29, 2008 1.36pm

American bike company Schwinn have released a new electric bike, the Tailwind, which they claim is capable of recharging fully in just thirty minutes via a standard electrical outlet.

The industry standard for recharging electric bike batteries was previously four hours, so the Tailwind represents a significant breakthrough in battery innovation. The company worked closely with the Toshiba Corporation to perfect the new technology.

More people are expected to buy electric bikes in the near future, mainly as a result of fuel price rises; increased health benefits and for environmental reasons. This also means that bicycle manufacturers are keen to increase the capacity and recharge times on so-called e-bikes.

With a suggested retail price of $3199.99, the Tailwind can be ridden as a normal bike, or with assistance from the 180 watt motor housed in the hub of the front wheel. The bike also has a Suntour fork with lockout and a Shimano Nexus 8-speed geared hub on the rear. Schwinn say that between 25-30 miles should be possible on a full charge, but that this depends on climate, rider weight, terrain and so on.

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  • When you get too old to be pedalling up and down the hils where I live, and still want to appear "green, the next best thing might be an electric scooter. I bought two 500 watt bikes on eBay that came from Vancouver. Unfortunately the so called "delivery charges" came to almost the same price as the bikes, but I bought both for under $1400. They are a two-speed bike that are considered street bikes, so don't require insurance or license. They maintain a pretty good speed on the level but slow down to a crawl on hillsides, and may even require you getting off and letting the bike pull itself up by holding down the throttle a bit. Apparently Canada has a 500-watt limit although they are made with up to a 750 watt motor in the States and still are considered legal. So far they have proved themselves very useful for trips up town, but will require some adaptation for taking along a set of golf clubs. Anyone who wants more info on these should check eBay cause the seller seems to have lots for sale. Also check out www.gio.com for more info

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