This is Gi bike, a prototype designed by a team based in New York and who are in the final stages of developing the ‘lightweight, full size, folding, smart electric bike’. They are shortly to start a Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign which they hope will raise enough to put the model into production. Ultimately the team plan to aim the e-bike at commuters and city cyclists.
According to Gi’s Max D’Angelo, the e-bike is “a full-size, light, folding, electric bike, created for people who love the city. It has tons of cool features, but the best one (for me at least), is that it’s full-size and it folds in merely 3 seconds. It also runs 40 miles on battery, has smart phone integration (for apps/maps), anti-theft safety lock and carbon drive belt.”
The pedelec’s motor is 250W and the team would be keen to see the Gi in the UK. “We think Europe is a neat market and we want to make the Gi available there”.
Behind the design is Agustín Augustinoy, an industrial designer originating from Argentina. Augustinory studied “architecture, urbanism and industrial design” at The University of Cordoba. He states his studies taught him about “social demands” as well as being “really skilled in technical aspects of build and production”. He believes this differs from focusing purely on “shape, form or style, like other design degrees”.
Augustinoy told Pedelecs: “Personally, me and Lucas [Toledo, also of Gi], we both love bikes. Our city has more and more cars and traffic… it’s a mess, so we asked ourselves, why we don’t use our bikes? So there the Gi story began. We couldn’t find a more efficient way of moving [from place to place] but at the same time we didn’t use our bikes to go to work and so we decided to make a ‘proper bike’ for urban, everyday use.”
Augustinoy recognized that cycling in a suit presented its challenges if you wanted to arrive as neatly turned out as you left your front door, he also thought that you shouldn’t have to be “worried about your trousers getting stuck in the chain”. So they set to work, trying some Chinese kits but, amongst other concerns, felt that an integrated battery design would improve overall aesthetics.
D’Angelo added that road safety played a big part in the design, saying “60% of bike accidents are side-crashes…the bike getting hit on the sides. The Gi has special front-wheel smart lights on the sides that turn on at night so as to gain visibility in the most dangerous situations. This is another feature that I think makes the bike more outstanding.
Talking about their overall aims, Augustin told Pedelecs “We want the comfort of a car, with everything integrated and working together for you. That’s why the Gi has lights, assistance and few more cool things all together in one place and working perfectly.”
Below are some of the key features of the Gi according to the team:
Weight: The Gi is made of aluminium: a sturdy, light material. The electric model weights 17kg (37.4 lb)
Folding: It will take only 3 seconds of your time and one motion, to fold your Gi. After folding, it’s easy to carry, like wheeled luggage, you just grab the handles and take it home.
Assistance: 5 levels of assistance and a special smart mode that analyzes your use and adjusts. The actual speed depends of the path you ride and how much you pedal.
Range: 40+ miles
Safety: Gi’s front wheels feature smart LED lights that turn on at night, gaining visibility in darker hours thus making the ride the safest one possible. You can activate them manually by the Gi’s app on your smartphone or you can set it up to turn on when your light sensor of your phone detects darkness.
App: Gi app will be available for both Android and iOS.The intelligent app will foresee any detractions from your set route. Hazards, heavy traffic: updated by users via social integration.
Maintenance: Gi’s carbon drive belt means no maintenance at all.
Battery: Gi features a Lithium Ion high performance battery. USB Integrated port will allow to use it to charge your smart phone in while you cycle or stop for a break.
Security: Integrated anti-theft lock. Locks automatically once you walk 10 feet away from your bike.
Speed: 15 miles/h (which is the maximum possible, legally.)
The bike will also be available as a non-electric alternative. Prices for the e-bike have not yet been released.
The GI Bike team are keen to hear feedback on the bike’s features and the UK market, from both e-bikers and those already in the trade, so will shortly be on the Pedelecs forum to ask your views. Tell them what you think here.
You can also view a short video on the bike on the Pedelecs home page.
