currie bikes

Leonardo

Pedelecer
Dec 5, 2006
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www.jobike.it
Do you know anything about those currie "trekking", "street" etc?

Frame seems a copy of the Sparta-Ion...

They are beginning to be imported in Italy, but there are no data about them (power and so on).
 

flecc

Member
Oct 25, 2006
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No fresh information Leonardo, but I wouldn't read anything into the use of the Currie name. The current traditional style Currie alongside the rear wheel doesn't use their own motor, I believe it's a Unite model. It seems the Currie name is just being added freely, for example in saying it has Currie Kenda tyres, they are just Kenda of course.

It may be a proprietary Chinese hub motor in the Sparta type frame, possibly with Sparta's co-operation. It doesn't look particularly powerful judging by the small dimensions of the motor.
 

Leonardo

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Dec 5, 2006
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Thanks for the answer flecc.

It seems they are sold also in England...

If this is the official Currie web site, it links to these bycicles (but to Schwinn as well?)... but I rember having seen somewhere on the net some kind of chinese copy of the Sparta... Anyway what matters to me is that you say that it is not the traditional Currie.
 

flecc

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Oct 25, 2006
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It seems not Leonardo. Our A to B magazine which covers electric bikes has reported that there are two Currie versions around. If you use this link and then scroll down to ElectroDrive, you'll see the A to B explanation.
 

Canadian Cadence

Pedelecer
Jan 26, 2007
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Schwinn e-bikes (the cheaper ones)

I bought a Schwinn I-zip a month ago for my wife. It is sold by Canadian Tire over here and last month they were selling it for $100.00 off the asking price of $599.00.

I think it is very similar to the bike you are talking about. Its performance is nothing like my Bion-x but for $499.00 it is a lot of fun and my wife really likes it. This link shows the department store Schwinn e-bikes.Canadian Tire
 

Leonardo

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Dec 5, 2006
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Thank you very much Canadian Cadence.

I'm particularly curious about these kind of i-zip, with the battery inside the frame... did you ever see it?

 

coops

Esteemed Pedelecer
Jan 18, 2007
1,225
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Manchester U.K.
Hi Leonardo :)

The Schwinn/Currie Izip Canadian Cadence referred to has the fairly powerful electrodrive motor; the Schwinn/Currie street/trekking etc. have hub motors which one forum member (I think from 50cycles?) said are very weak. The bikes probably will not perform similarly at all, especially on hills.

The 3 bikes above the bottom one on that UK page you linked to are electrodrive; all the others are hub motor. If you look at the specs, you'll see what I mean.

The Currie/Schwinn bikes are getting as confusing as the Giant Twist "series" for inconsistency: while the Twist went from crank to hub-drive, the Currie name familiar for the powerful rear wheel external add-on motor - the electrodrive or US pro-drive is now being used to sell hub motor bikes, i.e. the street, trekking, enlightened etc. you referred to.

Beware the uninformed! ;)

Stuart.
 

rsscott

Administrator
Staff member
Aug 17, 2006
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Here is an iZip which we spotted at Presteigne on Sunday:




cheers
Russ
Russell Scott
Pedelecs UK
 

flecc

Member
Oct 25, 2006
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That one that Russ and Leonardo have shown I'm sure is the product of the newer "alternative" Currie company that A to B refer to on their website.

Just name usage, aka "Badge engineering", having little meaning.

Maybe the company producing this is also the one actually manufacturing the Sparta Ion for Sparta, so explaining the identical battery elements?

As said before, the traditional side mounted Currie uses the Unite motor, and if you have a look at their site you'll see they only produce that type of motor, not bike hub motors like that on the Sparta like model.
.
 
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Leonardo

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Dec 5, 2006
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Maybe the company producing this is also the one actually manufacturing the Sparta Ion for Sparta, so explaining the identical battery elements?
Do you think it is possible? Sparta seems me quite an high-end product, a different category in comparison to this Currie... As far as I know, Ion technology has been licensed to other brands, such as Hercules in Germany (which sells bikes almost identical to the original Sparta) and Koga for a luxury version... But it is true that this kind of inner battery is widespreading: beside this Izip, see the new hungarian geo gepida, with a tiny motor without power specification as well... may be Sparta, which I think uses a different motor, is just selling around its battery technology?
 
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flecc

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Oct 25, 2006
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It was just a guess Leonardo, but the similarity is so striking that one might think a legal action could result if it wasn't done in partnership.

One only has to look at the whole range of electric bikes today to realise that most are produced by taking bits out of the same parts bins.

Thank goodness a few companies like eZee are different.
 

coops

Esteemed Pedelecer
Jan 18, 2007
1,225
1
Manchester U.K.
Here's the post on the Currie/Schwinn Izip Street Enlightened I referred to: the only experience I know of here on these bikes, until Presteigne on Sunday it seems! As it is, yes it does look like another "flattish land pedelec", though if you like the frame, I suppose someone could put in a stronger motor? ;)

Interesting encounter Russ & nice photo :) I don't suppose you were able to get any more info on how that izip rides, or even a quick test-ride? :D

Stuart.
 

rsscott

Administrator
Staff member
Aug 17, 2006
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Hi Stuart,

unfortunately every time we went over to have a ride someone jumped in before us :D Those test riding it seemed impressed but obviously we can't guage much from that. A much more detailed test is required.

cheers
Russ.

Russell Scott
Pedelecs UK
 

coops

Esteemed Pedelecer
Jan 18, 2007
1,225
1
Manchester U.K.
Oh well, never mind Russ, sounds like it was a popular bike :D certainly looks novel, but more detail on performance is required as you say.

I wonder if all these lookalike bikes, including the Geo Gepida (with "gepida hub motor") use the same motor too?
 

Leonardo

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Dec 5, 2006
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I have a little update about these bikes.

The distributor insists on the fact that they have a torque sensor in the crank set and not in the rear wheel like the Sparta. Why is it so important?

The battery is quite inexpensive at a cost not much higher than £ 100.

No official info about the power (he says 250W but I'd like to see it written, and with the peak power as well).
 
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flecc

Member
Oct 25, 2006
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The torque sensor is intended to smooth out the power delivery Leonardo, rather than have all the power snatch in suddenly, on/off fashion, making the bike more controllable. Not all of them work well though, and with those at the pedals, on some makes the owners report a "spongy" feel to the pedalling.

I can't say what advantage they might get using crank rather than wheel sensing, but I know the Sparta Ion has been very well received so it's a hard act to better.
.
 

Leonardo

Pedelecer
Dec 5, 2006
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Thank you flecc.
I would be surprised if these bikes were better than the Sparta too. About the "spongy" feeling in the pedalling: if I'm not wrong, someone says something of that kind about the new Giant Twist. Maybe is that the reason?