Would you ride around on a Yike Bike? The picture on the left an electric bike. It does not look really that comfortable to sit on. Never the less it could be useful for traveling around the city. When you are finished using it or get to where you want to go, it folds into a small space easy for carrying and storing.
In our research we did not come across the weight of the Yike Bike. So we do not know just how heavy this is to carry around. You certainly would not want to have to carry it very far if you are out shopping or going to work. I think they should find something that is more comfortable to ride on as well. We have listed the specs below for the Yike Bike. In addition comments we found from several people to give you a perspective on what people think about the bike. These are people who have actually tried it. If you have comments on the Yike Bike from personal experience, we would love to hear about it. Let us know if you think this will be something that will catch on!
The Technical Specs for the Yike Bike
The specs for this bike at the time of writing this post were as follows:
- 10 km range for the battery, extra batteries can take you further
- Battery recharge in 50 minutes with optional fast charger
- Top speed is 23 km/hour
- Electric brushless DC motor
- Brakes are electric, anti skid and regenerative
- Power is 450 watts
- Wheel size is 20 inch font and 8 inch back
- Hi visibility built in LED
- Folds to a compact 43 liters in size
- Fold time can be done in 15 to 20 seconds
We actually saw this bike on a program called storage wars where one of the buyers found a Yike bike in a storage locker that he bought. When he had it evaluated, the value was estimated to be approximately $4000, which seemed pretty high. A quick search on the web found prices to range from $2500 to $3500 depending on the bike and the accessories that were purchased with it.
Feedback from Users
On the company’s web site there were glowing reports from users who absolutely love their bikes and find them easy to use and to be perfect for getting around town including folding them down and going on public transit systems. Regular bikes are pretty difficult to use and travel on public transit systems. Other reviews mentioned that there is no kick stand so you have to basically lay the machine down when it is not being used or lean it against something when not in use. Also there was no mention of how easy or difficult it is to clock this bike to something. They would be easy to walk away with and you really need to make sure that you lock them up adequately.
Learning to ride is a bit difficult since you are essentially sitting on a seat that is located on the handlebars. Balancing takes a bit of getting used to. Users report that it might take 30 minutes to get used to the idea of riding on a yike bike. The maximum speed one user was able to get to was 13.5 km’s and not the full speed of 15 km’s.
Not That Comfortable
Like a regular bike there is no cushioning when you go over bumps etc. In fact with smaller wheels you may even feel the bumps even more so. You will need to carry the charger with you or purchase a second one to keep at another location if you use it for commuting.
All in all it is a neat piece of technology and will appeal to a specific set of people and application. We are not sure that it will catch on as a means of transportation. Perhaps more in Europe where bikes in general are more accepted particularly as a commuter vehicle but not so much in North America where the car is still king. If you have one let us know what you think.
For many more posts about electric vehicles including home charging stations, click here.
November 2nd, 2014 on 12:35 pm
You requested a reply about the Yike Bike in ottawa article. What did you wish to discuss. FYI, I re-reviewed this post and corrected some of the writing. It obviously had not been proof read.