Every Day Adventurers

We couldn’t resist taking some pictures of a couple of Bromptons, all cozily folded up like slumbering hedgehogs.

The Mobile Social turned into one big test ride party, with folks tooling around on Xtras, and Xtracycle folks riding around on whatever else that came along.  We had a particularly amusing time zooming about on the A2B, a Light Electric Vehicle offered by UltraMotor.  Unlike other electric bicycles, this one has no hybrid drive – you don’t need to pedal in order to use the motor, and you can pedal as much or as little as you’d like.  It has a maximum speed of 20mph for 20 miles, after which you’ll need to plug it in again to recharge the lithium ion battery.  Or, you can add another battery to the frame (the first one is hidden within the frame, and the UltraMotor folks had to help us find it), and be able to zoom around for 40 miles between charges.  We’re told the bike costs around $2600 or so.

Of course, we had to try it.  We all started out be pedaling – when on a bike, you pedal it, right?  But we soon all figured out that when you gave the throttle even a little twist, woah!  The A2B really motors.  The strangest – and most exhilarating – sensation is zooming along on a flat, without pedaling, and without hearing any motor noise.  The A2B is almost completely silent.

We had to really put it to the test; Jason might be the first person to ever wheelie an A2B.

So why would anyone want one of these things?  Well, not everyone who wants to be able to commute by bike, can.  Some people might have injuries or diseases that prevent them from pedalling their bike all of the time.  But, unlike a regular scooter, with the A2B one can get as much exercise as one can handle, and then can continue on the ride without a lot of struggle or a lot of noise.  We did find that pedalling the A2B was more challenging than riding a regular bike – the A2B has small wheels (24″) and weighs 73lbs – so we’re unsure how much pedalling of the A2b will actually take place.  Given the huge fun factor of silently zooming along, we suspicion that most people who start riding an A2B with grand notions of pedalling it frequently will soon fall into the habit of turning up the throttle and zipping their commutes away.  But maybe something like the A2B will help lower the bike commuting barrier to entry for some people, getting them out of their cars and onto the road.  And who knows what seeds might be planted once non-bikers realize that it’s fun, satisfying, interesting, and (potentially) healthy getting yourself places without a huge, gas-guzzling vehicle?

Bike Hugger’s Mobile Social had to be the strangest bike ride that most of us have ever taken.

We massed up in the convention center, to make sure everything was set.  Jeremy watched as Jason did a happy dance, and Rick made sure we had enough beer.

Everyone met up outside the Sands to get going.  Just getting out of there was a feat in itself.

And then we were off!  The group was mostly a mixture of Xtracycles, folding bikes, and a few odd ducks like the A2B electric bikes (more on that to come!).  We massed up and rode toward the strip, while some folks from Rock the Bike trailered each other and the bike blender.

And then, it was time to roll down the strip.  We were definitely the main attraction for all the tourists that night – we even managed to pry several pairs of eyes away for a moment from the sinking pirate ship.  As part of the Vegas experience, we got to magically travel the world in a matter of blocks.  Eqypt, medieval England, New York – an Xtracycle can take you anywhere!  Carrie even made it to Paris.  Bike parade!

And then we arrived at the scene of the U.S. crit finals.  The Yuba Mundo that carried the ice chest had to rest, while Paul from Rock the Bike danced licentiously.

We lined up all the Xtras, but they didn’t stay there for long – impromptu test rides on fully-loaded Xtracycles were given out all night.

Paul (Fossil Fool) of Rock the Bike kept us in music, while Mark made a bike-blended smoothie for dinner.

We finally decided to leave around 11, and an hour of some of the most terrifying, frustrating, exhilarating, entertaining bike commuting commenced (at one point we even had to dodge a steamroller, and its evil mini-steamroller doppelganger).  We’re glad we made it back to the hotel alright, and wouldn’t want to do it again, but man, what a way to feel alive.

The Momentum Magazine crew put on a very amusing bike fashion show featuring, in part, Xtracycle’s very own Radish.  We expected it to be funy and delightful, and it definitely was that.  But we weren’t prepared for just how sexy the combo of well-dressed, hamming-it-up models plus beautiful bike porn would be.  That’s right, we said it.  Bike porn.

We were perusing the folding bike neighborhood when we came across a booth with a disparate array of magical contraptions.  What set the Pacific Cycles booth apart was the sheer variety of very different folding bikes, and the fact that they not only had the smallest folder we’ve ever seen but also one of the largest bikes at the show (it seated four, two side-by-side in two spacious rows).  The Turf Trike was another large bike associated with the Pacific crew, and is meant to take the place of a golf cart.  With its golf bag holder and plaid theme, it’s obviously most at home on the greens, but we can envision it being used on campuses, or wherever you might want to carry around another person and a bunch of stuff with a bit of panache.

The super tiny Pacific folder (seen on the left here) apparently works because the tire pressure on the itty bitty wheels is as high as 120psi.  This supposedly helps it roll quickly and smoothly.  And don’t let the smallness dissuade you – we were told with confidence by Ryan Carroll, Pacific’s six-foot-something chief engineer that he can ride around on the bike just fine, thank you.We were rolling around Andrea’s Electra Xtracycle at the time, so of course the logical conclusion was to put the tiny bike in the big bike.

We admit, these bikes are not necessarily entirely practical for most people.  But the newest folder, designed by Carroll, is one of the most awesome folding bikes we’ve seen.  This bike, the IF MODE, won a design award a few weeks ago at Eurobike, and we can see why.  By using wheelchair hubs, Carroll got the bike to fold down as flat as possible, with both 26 inch wheels pancaked into each other.  He built in a handle at the top of the bike so, when folded, the bike can be grabbed and rolled to where you need to go.  The basic folding process takes about one second, though, if desired, the handlebars, the seat post, and even the pedals can be further folded down to make the bike even smaller.

Carroll said he’s seen a definite increase in transportational cycling in America over the past few years.  “Americans are starting to realize that cycling is a way of life and not just recreation,” he told us.  “People are starting to look for something to make them feel better, and biking for exercise helps.  And then they find out that they can get somewhere at the same time and…” And then the seed is planted.

Click here to see the folding magic!