A group of design entrepreneurs have developed an impressive technology-packed carbon fibre e-bike that they say is the future of urban cycling – but they’re looking for US$180,000 (£106,000) to complete the project.
The Croatian team behind Visiobike have integrated a suite of technology into their 45km/h pedelec bike with a 120km range including smartphone technology and an integrated rear facing camera.
The hardware is based on a two-piece carbon frame that houses the MPF Drive 5.1, Panasonic battery and the sophisticated electronics. Visiobike says it's taken care to spec the highest components: the drivetrain is a Nuvinci N360 and the brakes are Magura hydraulic, though the model isn’t indicated.
However the electronics are perhaps the most impressive feature. Ultimately, the bike is smartphone controlled via Bluetooth. That means riders can set the amount of assistance they’re given, assess battery life and govern the speed. The makers have integrated Google Maps into the app, so users have handlebar mounted turn-by-turn GPS instruction too.
The designers have also taken the step of creating a Google Glass app, meaning all the relevant information is transmitted to the head-up display.
And with all that technology and funky design, the bike is going to be an attention-grabber, so Visiobike has intergrated many security features too. The bike is disabled until the user taps in a PIN code and GPS and GSM tracking mean users should know where the bike is all of the time.
The team is led by the founder Marko Matenda, who said the fledgling company needs the crowdfunded cash to certify the bike, place bulk component orders and complete the assembly process for the first batch of bikes, which they hope to start shipping to pre-order customers in August.
For more information or to pledge, visit Visobike’s Indiegogo site or watch the video below.
The visiobike: we're impressed
Video: The Visiobike – we're impressed