Monthly Archives: May 2009

23ct Gold Plated $13,995 Optibike OB1 electric bike hits the streets

Posted on by
Reply

Boulder, CO, May 29, 2009; The American made Optibike OB1 electric bike hits the
streets today, with only 24 available in 2009.

“We have customers all over the world who pre-ordered and will be taking delivery
starting next week. So far, 2 of 24 have been delivered.  One went to a Swiss buyer, and
one to NFL Superstar DeMarcus Ware.  The rest of the customers in wait are an equally
impressive bunch.” says Craig Weakley, Marketing Director.

A handful of 2009 OB1′s are still available.

The Optibike OB1 is equipped with the absolute best cycling components: Carbon fiber
handlebars, Patented PDA interface with GPS, oversized Avid Code hydraulic brakes,
and front and rear Fox suspension all rolling on the brand new Crank Brothers Iodine
wheels.

Outfitted the largest, and lightest battery offered in an electric bike with a nearly 1 hour
ride time at full speed or 2.25 hours in “eco” mode, the Optibike OB1 sets the bar high
for electric bikes.  The comparatively low power Eco mode on the OB1 has a higher
output than most imported electric bikes have at full power.  Top speed is 34+ mph.

Each OB1 features a fully custom paint job by the world-renowned custom motorcycle
painters at Gunslinger Custom Paint.  The paint scheme includes a 23ct gold foil inlay
with individually unique pin striping.  Customers have an option of 4 color schemes: red,
blue, green or silver.

The OB1 is the signature model of award winning electric bike designer and former
champion motocross racer Jim Turner.  One of Mr. Turners 2008 Optibike OB1′s is
currently on exhibit in the California Academy of Sciences touted as “The Future of
Transportation.”

Optibike designs and manufactures electric bicycles in Boulder, Colorado USA from
exclusively American made custom parts and has been doing so since 1997.  Optibike
offers electric bikes specifically designed to meet the needs of the American market that
include a Commuter Series, Pro Series, and Women Specific electric bikes in addition to
the Limited Edition Optibike OB1.  For more information visit www.optibike.com

Contact:

Craig Weakley
Marketing Director
Optibike LLC
Craig at Optibike dot com
Office: 303.443.0932 x201
www.optibike.com

Dallas Cowboys DeMarcus Ware rides an electric bike?

Posted on by
2

Damn right he does.  A custom built 2009 Optibike OB1.

DeMarcus says:

“I’ve been riding my Optibike OB1 for over a month, and I can’t stay away — I absolutely love the bike.  I ride it every single day as part of my training regimen.  In the suburbs or on the hills at training camp, this bike will be with me.  It is the perfect cross-training tool for me because it allows me to get a great workout yet still enjoy what I’m doing.  I would recommend an Optibike to anyone who has those same goals.”
-DeMarcus Ware
Dallas Cowboys #94
dware-optibike-ob1

The value of quality components on an Electric Bike

Posted on by
Reply

It pains me to write this article. A quality product is so much more than the sum of the parts yet at the same time a quality product needs to be made from quality parts, so sometimes we have to break apart the whole to see what it is made from.

In electric bikes, you have two choices: You can buy what is essentially a $100 Walmart quality bike with an electric motor and battery, which even if the electrical system is good quality- the whole design is bastardized by a cheap front fork, cheap or non existent rear shock, cheesy brakes, shoddy rims, cheap tires, etc. Or you can buy an electric bike outfitted with components that are designed and built with mountain bike racing in mind. Now, you may say, “ I don’t plan on racing or even riding off road!” Fair enough. Lets take a closer look at E-biking vs mountain bike racing vs cheap bike applications and you will see why good components are essential:

Speed:

Mountain bike racers routinely travel at 20-35 mph during races.

E-bikes travel at 20+ mph all the time (If you have a decent model)

Cheap Walmart quality bikes are designed to be ridden 8-15 mph. These components will not cut it at higher speeds. The brakes will not last, the rims cannot handle the abuse, and the cheap suspension will make your bike ride like a paint shaker.

Weight:

Downhill mountain bikes weigh in at over 50 lbs.

E bikes weigh 40-80 lbs (for the most part)

Cheap Walmart bikes weigh around 25 lbs. The brakes, suspension, wheels and frame are not designed to handle the extra weight on a day to day basis. They will not work as well as components designed to handle the weight of an electric bike.

Longevity of use:

Mountain bikers expect a return on their investment of several years.

Optibikes are warranted for a full year (3 years on the battery) with LIFETIME warranties on several components from the manufacturer.

Cheap Walmart bikes, like nearly everything else made in a certain Asian country are throw away products that have a built in expiration date when you will just go and buy another one just to have it in the landfill a few years from now.

Optibikes are built with the absolute best components in the cycling industry. Not because we think the most expensive stuff is cool but because it works. Really well. Fox Suspension, Avid Brakes, Mavic Wheels, Chris King Headsets, Thompson Stems and Seatposts, Schwalbe tires- these products are developed and tested by serious bikers who ride under conditions that are closer to E-biking than a cheap $100 bike with a motor attached. Take a good look at the parts that make up your next E-bike purchase and decide for yourself if you trust a $3 set of no-name rim brakes to stop you on your next descent.

Ask Optibike! Does the Optibike charge while you pedal?

Posted on by
Reply

This question from J.B:

“Hi my guestion about the Optibike Helia had an error on it so please answer
this question for me does the Helia recharge itself when you pedal or do you
need to charge it every time?”

When you pedal an Optibike, you are contributing to
the overall speed and hill climbing power of the bike- not to charging the
battery.  There are several reasons for this: First, we found that when it comes
to pedaling, instant gratification is key.  Meaning, if you pedal now- you will
go faster now.  This encourages pedaling- Optibike riders pedal just as much as
traditional bike riders so the exercise benefit is the same.  Of course, you do not have to pedal.  If you were to pedal to recharge the battery, the
gratification would be delayed- and you would pedal less.  Second, The Optibike
Helia has a 50 mile range extendable to 100 miles with the optional Touring
Battery (currently out of stock but due back in July.)  This is the longest
range offered in an electric bike, guaranteed.  So the question from a usability
standpoint is: Do you need to go further? Few of our customers run their battery dead on a regular basis.  Third, in order add “pedal charging”
there would have to be very complex mechanics and electronics added to the
Optibike that would weight more, cost more, and provide marginal benefit to the
rider (see reasons 1 and 2).  Additionally, this system would be less efficient
than the current system we have in place where your pedal efforts go directly to
the rear wheel.

I hope this answered your question, please leave comments below or email me at ask (at) optibike dot com .

Worlds fastest electric bicycle drives 44% sales increase.

Posted on by
Reply

May 18, 2009 Boulder, CO:   The American made Optibike 850Xli may look like a regular mountain bike, but stealthily mounted inside the bottom bracket is an electric motor capable of producing nearly twice the power of cycling champion Lance Armstrong.

The Optibike 850Xli is the invention of award winning electric bike designer Jim Turner who claims his latest bike is the worlds fastest production electric bicycle, “I designed the 850Xli to fit the needs of the American market- it is very fast, made with the highest quality racing components, and is powered by the largest, lightest, and most powerful battery offered in an electric bike- the 850Xli is the ultimate electric bike for the serious commuter or backcountry enthusiast.”

So far, Mr. Turners assessment of the market has proved right on- sales of his $9995.00 Optibike 850Xli have driven unit sales volume of his company up 44% so far in 2009. This, after a solid 230% volume increase in 2008.

“This year we have seen a dramatic shift in the demographics of our customers. Electric bikes are no longer only a niche market for enthusiasts- we sell Optibikes to people ranging from 22 to 80 years old, the biggest thing our customers have in common is the desire to have fun and get out and enjoy life,” says Optibike Marketing Director Craig Weakley.

One Optibike customer, Arnie Singal, sums up his experience: “With the Optibike, I can now do in my 70′s as much or more as I could do in my mid 30′s.”

Optibike LLC is a privately held Colorado based manufacturer of High Performance Electric Bikes that has been in business since 1997. Optibike proudly sources more than 95% of their custom made parts in the United States and distributes Worldwide. For more information visit:  www.optibike.com

For more information:

Craig Weakley

Marketing Director

Optibike LLC

Craig at Optibike.com

303.443.0932 x201

www.optibike.com

Ask Optibike! Can you turn the Optibike upside down without hurting the batteries?

Posted on by
Reply

This question came from Derek in Toronto, Canada- Derek owns a 2008 Optibike OB1:

“Can the Optibike be turned upside down to work on?” If so, for how long?

Answer: The Optibike uses sealed lithium ion batteries, so there is no fluid to leak out if the batteries are inverted.  Further, the lithium ion batteries that are used in your Optibike do not require any regular maintenance like a wet cell lead acid battery- meaning that aside from charging (and riding your bike) there is no maintenance that needs to be performed on your battery.

Happy riding Derek- thanks for the question.

Craig Weakley

Optibike

Doctors orders: Buy a hybrid

Posted on by
2

Like so many Americans, Keith and Mary Felch of Aliso Viejo, CA were deeply concerned about the rising cost of gasoline, their ailing health, and the amount of stress in their lives.

Keith, who drives a Honda CRV, and Mary who drives a Mitsubishi Spider, were used to spending $600 per month on gasoline and spending nearly 50 hours a month in their cars. “The stress from just sitting there driving for that amount of time was unbelievable.” The Felch’s story is a common one, according to the US Census, the average suburban couple spends over 40 hours a month just getting to and from work.

“Even with my medication, my blood pressure was almost 90- I knew I had to do something”, Keith said.

Keith started with the purchase of an elliptical machine. “We purchased a $4000 elliptical machine that sits upstairs. The cost of it was our biggest motivation for using it.” They are not alone, nearly 40 percent of those who buy home exercise machines say they use the equipment less than they expected, according to Consumer Reports.

After a few months, and the desire to climb on the elliptical machine waning- Keith and Mary decided to try some electric bicycles.

When Keith and Mary started looking for options, they were surprised at the wide range of options in electric bicycles. They found that most electric bikes were built in China and were not made well enough for the car replacement use that the Felch’s had planned. After an exhaustive search, the Felch’s decided to purchase two hand-made electric bikes from a company that manufactures their bikes in Colorado- Optibike. Their choice was based in part by Optibikes’ willingness to build them custom bikes that exactly fit their needs. Keith added, “I am a big guy, I needed a bike built with quality components that would hold up to the kind of mileage we were going to be putting on them.”

Now, Keith and Mary have replaced 500 miles of driving their cars per month with riding their Optibikes, at a savings of about $320 formally spent on gasoline and maintenance based on the AAA estimate of driving costs of $0.64 per mile in 2008.

When asked how much more time they have to spend riding their electric bikes over driving Keith said, “ I actually spend less time. I would normally spend about 30 minutes driving and then get home to spend an hour on my elliptical machine. Now, I spend only 1 hour on my Optibike and get to work, and get exercise. I save 30 minutes and about $15 a day on gas- and I arrive to work stress free, calm, and my mind is clear.”

In only 6 weeks, Keith lost 3 inches off his waistline, and his blood pressure is 18 points lower- hovering at 72.

Mary, a private practice family therapist, now looks forward to riding her Optibike home. Having “Time to think thoughts,” has replaced the hours every week formally spent sitting in traffic, talking on her cell phone, listening to the radio, or otherwise not thinking. Taking time to think while moving enhances your ability to process thoughts and reduces daily stress while improving your overall health.

A video of Keith and Mary can be found here:

http://www.veoh.com/videos/v6586066zZCSZrh2

Ask Optibike!: Tell me more about the Optibike Riding Modes.?..

Posted on by
1

This question came in from Jim:

“The specs indicate there are two “riding modes” = Fast and Economy.  When clicked into either of these, is the motor outputing a ‘constant’ speed or is the throttle dynamic like a motorcycle would be?  (i.e. the more you throttle, the more you go – up to the motor’s max).  I’m trying to understand the exact mechanics of throttling.  The videos make it seems like the motor is driving the Bottom Bracket at one speed -which you then can ‘add onto’ via your pedaling.  (which also raises the question; if you’re trying to stop, can you throttle down the motor while braking or how does that work?)
> Thanks in advance for the info!
> -Jim”

Jim- Thanks for your question.  You are correct (on several fronts), all Optibike models have 2 riding modes, Fast and Economy- these modes govern the upper limit on output power with the throttle  continuously variable within that range.  For example: The Optibike 850XLi has an upper limit in fast mode of 850 watts of power, but you are welcome to use as much of that as you would like by depressing the throttle, just like a motorcycle throttle or your car’s gas pedal for that matter.  The economy mode in all Optibikes is the same, set at ~300w of output power with the throttle fully depressed.  This “economy mode” has more power than most other electric bikes peak power and with the Optibike’s 20ah Lithium ion battery you can ride for over 2.25 hours in economy mode with the throttle fully depressed. No other electric bike has this kind of range, guaranteed.

The throttle on the Optibike is exactly like a throttle on a motorcycle, in that by pressing it (or twisting it) you control the power output to the motor.  The throttle does not automatically cut off when you squeeze the brake. When stopping, simply let off the throttle and hit the brakes.  All Optibikes with the exception of the USV come with hydraulic disk brakes for your safety and equal performance in wet or dry conditions.

When you pedal the Optibike at a cadence of 85-90, your pedaling efforts are in perfect harmony with the motors’ speed (at full throttle) so you can still get plenty of good exercise while you are zipping along at 25+ mph.

The Optibike’s patented MBB (motorized bottom bracket) is the only electric bike drive system that works in perfect harmony with the rider by seemlessly integrating the motors power with human power- this makes for the only true Human Electric Hybrid™.