Like most European cities, Basel’s winding, picturesque streets were built over many centuries. Ideal for scenic riverside walks, not so ideal for driving your car to work every day. Andreas Buttiker, CEO at Baselland Transport (BLT), understands this better than anyone:
We don’t just have regional traffic—we have international traffic, too. This causes a lot of congestion.
Andreas Buttiker
CEO at BLT
As Basel attracts more people to live and work there, traffic in the centre is getting worse—which leads to higher levels of air pollution in the city. BLT’s trains, trams, and buses already give residents sustainable transport options. But while trams are an iconic part of Basel life, they can’t reach everywhere. People who live further out of the center don’t have great transport links, which means they still rely on cars.
Then one day, on a long trip back to the suburbs, BLT’s Stephan Brode had an idea: “I used to take two trains and a bus home, and I often missed the bus. I thought: what if there was another form of public transport I could use to get home?”
The idea for Basel’s first shared micromobility network was born. But to make it happen, BLT would need some help.
Why Pick-e-Bike chose ElectricFeel
Andreas and Stephan wanted to create a shared network of free-floating electric bikes. This would ease Basel’s traffic problem, reduce air and noise pollution, and give people an easier way to commute. The bikes would be rented through an app, adding a digital option to BLT’s traditional public transport offering.
But to succeed, they needed two things: the software to run it, and the know-how to launch it. That’s why they partnered with ElectricFeel.
If you want to launch fast and go far, it’s best to use a system that already exists. ElectricFeel already had several major successful projects.
Stephan Brode
CEO at Pick-e-Bike
ElectricFeel’s software solution comes in two parts—the app for riders to rent vehicles, and the operating system for the Pick-e-Bike team to manage the fleet, onboard riders, and maintain vehicles.
For the Pick-e-Bike rider app, ElectricFeel’s designers worked closely with Stephan to customize the experience. Logos, color schemes, images, custom sounds, and a unique loading animation made the design reflect Pick-e-Bike’s brand.
ElectricFeel also trained the Pick-e-Bike team on how to get the most out of the fleet management software. This helped them manage battery swapping, set up maintenance facilities, and define the limits of where the e-bikes could be used.
But the technology was only one part of what made the partnership work:
If we’d done all this ourselves, we would’ve had to make every mistake ourselves, too. ElectricFeel’s experience was very reassuring early on.
Stephan Brode, CEO at Pick-e-Bike
Taking advantage of ElectricFeel’s track record launching similar micromobility systems, Pick-e-Bike successfully launched with a fleet of 225 e-bikes on May 17, 2018—less than three months after they partnered with ElectricFeel.
Scaling with a shared vision
Pick-e-Bike now has a fleet of over 330 e-bikes, with 21,000 signed up riders. It has provided more than 700,000 km of emissions-free travel.
But beyond immediate success, both partners are committed to working together towards a long term goal: eliminating cars.
“If everyone has a car, then the city is done. Shared, electric, eco-friendly mobility is the future.”
Andreas Buttiker, CEO at BLT
The popularity of Basel’s e-bikes has already offset 100 tons of CO2 emissions.
And as demand for public transport shifts due to COVID-19, ElectricFeel has been in close contact with the team—listening to their challenges, sharing best practices, and helping Pick-e-Bike play an increasingly important role in Basel’s public transport.
https://www.electricfeel.com/success-story/pick-e-bike
Electric bicycles account for only about 1% of total bicycles sales in Portugal, in comparison to the European average of 8% or more than one third of the sales in some European countries. Following MUBi’s advocacy work at the Portuguese Parliamentary Groups and Government, the Portuguese National Government has created a fund in 2019 for financial incentives for the purchase of electric assisted bicycles (Pedelecs). For the first time.
Financial incentives for the purchase of electric cars and motorcycles were already foreseen in previous Portuguese State Budgets, so MUBi carried out an extensive research of incentives for e-bikes existing in other European countries. This research greatly contributed to the advocacy actions for the inclusion of cycling in electric mobility public policies and, in particular, for the extension of the state incentives to electric assisted bicycles.
The gathered arguments were presented in meetings with the Parliamentary Groups prior to the discussion of the Portuguese State Budget for 2019. These included MUBi and Federação Portuguesa de Ciclismo (FPC) (Portuguese Cycling Federation) joint contribute to the National Programme of Investments 2030 and MUBi’s contribute to the programme Cyclable Portugal 2030. This documentation work was culminated with the joint position paper Electric Mobility for All authored by MUBi, the Portuguese bicycle industry association Abimota, FPC and the environmental NGO Zero. MUBi also took the issue several times to the media, giving cycling as a regular mode of transportation a high coverage in the press.
A great contribution to cycling
During the discussion of the State Budget, 3 of the 7 Parliamentary Groups came forward with proposals for financial incentives for the purchase of electric bicycles, with 2 of them publicly stating they had assured the Government agreement. These two proposals were voted favourably, and the incentive was included in the State Budget for 2019. Already in March of this year, the Government published the terms and the regulation of the incentive programme, which includes a subsidy of 250 EUR for 1,000 electric assisted bicycles for urban use in 2019.
This also opens the door for other future public financial and/or fiscal purchase subsidies programmes or bicycle commuting incentives schemes. Besides its direct goal, with this campaign MUBi got closer to the national decision makers, made them more aware of cycling and some of its most relevant issues, and strengthened ties with other Portuguese bicycle organizations.
Snowball effect
Furthermore, Lisbon has been selected to host Velo-city 2021. BYCS within its Bicycle Mayor and Leaders Program has recently appointed a bicycle mayor in Lisbon for the first time in Portugal, Ana Pereira, a long time cycling advocate and one of the founders of MUBi. The Portuguese Government made public a national investment of 300mln EUR for the next 10 years in interurban cycling infrastructures. And very recently, announced the National Strategy for Active Mobility with the aims of in the next decade increasing cycling infrastructure to 10,000 km, reducing road accidents involving pedestrians and cyclists by 50%, and increasing the country cycling modal share from 0.5% to the actual European average of 7.5%. Therefore, Portugal is setting itself in a good position to start considering seriously cycling as a healthy, social, sustainable and economical mode of transportation.
Ukrainian e-bikes conquer the world
Delfast, a Ukrainian company, created an e-bike that can go farther than any other bike in the world on one battery charge. The company works with international clients and develops new models for leisure, as well as professional use.
Bicycles are one of the most widespread types of transportation; they are used by over one billion people. Their popularity stems from their accessibility and ease of use on the one hand, and, on the other hand, they are more environmentally friendly, mobile, and allow commuters to avoid city traffic. As of 2019, over 20% of daily commutes in three European cities — Copenhagen, Amsterdam, and Rotterdam — were by bicycle. In Copenhagen this number went up to 41%, as people there could use rented bicycles for free within city limits. European countries work on popularising the use of two-wheeled transportation by creating separate lanes, setting up rental and maintenance stations, parking spaces near supermarkets and train stations, and so on.
The advantages of a bicycle over other types of transportation are obvious: it is cheaper, easier to use, and does not require a driver’s license or fuel. However, there are cases when using bicycles can be inconvenient or even impossible. For example, they cannot be used by people with physical limitations. Some difficulty arises when it comes to long distances or multiple trips in a single day. This and other aspects gave a push to improving the traditional two-wheel transportation.
Evolution of the bicycle
An electric bicycle, or an e-bike, is a bicycle that is started primarily by an electric engine. Pedals become secondary and are used for speeding up or when the battery charge is low. Such bicycles can travel at different speeds with an average speed of 25-50 km/h and can go different distances on a single charge: for typical models it ranges between 30 and 120 kilometres; however, there are specialised electric bicycles that can go up to 350-400 kilometres without any additional charging. There are models that function similarly to small motorbikes.
It may seem that an e-bike is a relatively new type of transportation. However, the first patent for a battery-driven bicycle was granted to an American, Ogden Bolton Jr., back in 1895. But it was practically impossible to use for transportation without constant control over the battery’s current (its charging and discharging). There were more attempts at creating a bicycle with more power at the beginning of the 20th century. The first models were powered by various sources of energy, such as steam or petrol engines, but an electric engine turned out to be the best option. The first commercially successful electric bicycles appeared on the market approximately 100 years after the first prototype — in the 1990s. At the beginning of the 2000s, two Japanese companies, Yamaha and Panasonic, began producing them for the mass market.
Electric bicycles, unlike vehicles with a petrol engine, do not pollute the air. Due to this fact, more and more people who are concerned about the environment, are choosing them over other means of transportation. According to the forecast of Electric Bikes Worldwide Reports, by 2050 approximately every fourth person on earth will have an electric bicycle, which is nearly 2 billion people. As of 2020, there are 200 million e-bike owners all over the world.
There are a few companies in Ukraine that manufacture battery-powered bicycles. Eleek, for example, is a company from Ternopil that develops and tests new models. The Evel company in Kyiv converts regular bicycles into electric ones and sells the accessories for the process. Delfast produces high-speed electric bicycles with all the required components for customers in Ukraine and abroad.
From eco-friendly delivery to a world record
Delfast has been operating in Ukraine since 2014 as a delivery service. Their couriers on electric bicycles were the first who could deliver online orders all over Kyiv in under an hour. Danylo Tonkopiy, the founder, recounts that it was important for him to use an eco-friendly type of transportation for his business.
— I spent my whole childhood and youth in Almaty — a city with constant smog (due to transport emissions and outdated equipment at many factories — ed.). My father is an ecology professor, and my childhood books were about environmental problems in the region. I am a fan of electric vehicles so there was no question what to ride on and deliver with.
However, it became challenging for us to choose the right type of vehicle. Couriers were getting tired quickly when riding standard bicycles, while most of the electric models on the market were not fit for the delivery business:
— We tested dozens of e-bikes from various manufacturers. 99% of e-bikes are used for leisure riding: to go to a park on a weekend or ride to a grocery store. They are mostly for fun, like a toy. And we actually turned electric bicycles into a professional means of transportation that can go all day without any additional charging.
Standard electric bikes can go 30-40 kilometres on one battery charge. This distance is too short for couriers as they need to work all day. and each charge takes a few hours. That is why the company decided to create its own electric bike. They invited Ukrainian engineers to work on research and development. In time, they accomplished the impossible: a bicycle that can go 370 kilometres on one charge, which broke the world record.
Thanks to their e-bikes, Delfast has shortened the CO2 emissions into the atmosphere by over a million tons (as of 2020), and such a reduction increases every day. Danylo explains this choice of transportation for his employees not only by its eco-friendly features but also efficiency. According to him, a motorcycle uses about 3-4 litres of petrol per 100 kilometres, which costs about $3.50 (100 UAH). For the same distance, an e-bike uses 1 kilowatt, which costs about $0.07 (2 UAH). These bicycles can be charged from a standard outlet, with no need for additional devices. The first 70% of charge is reached within the first hour; the rest takes about 5 hours.
In the autumn of 2017, Delfast hosted a campaign on Kickstarter (a global crowdfunding platform focused on creative initiatives — ed.) to raise funds for the production of their electric bicycles. The goal of $50,000 was reached within one day, with $150,000 raised in total.
Delfast e-bike models
The company has developed five models of e-bikes. They are similar in design but vary in their specs: battery capacity, engine power, and electronic components. The first model, Delfast Partner, can go about 100 kilometres on one battery charge. This e-bike is created specifically for delivery couriers: it is light and equipped with all the necessary features, such as a GPS, an alarm system, remote start, engine lock, and so on.
The second model is called Delfast Prime and it is the one that beat the world record in 2017. Vitalii Arkhipkin, an amateur cyclist who was riding this bike on a Kyiv cycle track during the record-setting, had to ride in circles for 16 hours, keeping the same position. During this whole time he only took one 2-minute pit stop.
This story began when, in the summer of the same year, Danylo and Vitalii decided to check how far a Delfast e-bike could go without extra charging. They ended up travelling the distance between Kyiv and Rivne, which totalled 380 kilometres, and filmed the journey. There were some sceptics, however, who refused to believe that a bike with an electric engine could cover such a distance in one go, so Danylo got an idea of how to save his reputation: by setting an official record. Since it was recorded in autumn, the cold temperature shortened the battery life, and the warm clothes, which Vitalii was wearing, added more weight, so the e-bike covered 10 kilometres less than was expected. Nevertheless, they set the record, which no one has been able to break since.
According to Danylo, the next two models, Delfast Top and Delfast Offroad are the most popular. The Offroad falls into a category of so-called “fatbikes,” which are off-road bicycles with wide tires. It was designed for riders who love to go out in different weather conditions, on various terrains, as well as for hunters and fishermen. The e-bike model Top is in the top five fastest bicycles in the world. It reaches a maximum speed of 80 km/h, and can go up to 320 kilometres on one battery charge.
At the moment, Delfast is negotiating a deal with the LA police. On their request, Ukrainian engineers have created an electric bike with panniers, mounts for radio transceivers, red and blue emergency lights, sirens, a loudspeaker, and a mount for a rifle. It is named accordingly: Top-Cop. These bicycles are already used by patrol police in Mexico, and they are currently being tested by police officers in another part of the US: in Brevard, North Carolina.
In the autumn of 2020, the company has made a decision to stop producing Offroad and Prime models; it will now focus all its efforts on the Delfast Top model.
The newest model, which has also been released in 2020, is the Delfast Trike: a 3-wheel freight e-bike; its development was funded by a grant from USAID (an independent USA federal government agency that provides non-military assistance to foreign countries — ed.). This model was developed at the request of Nova Poshta, a Ukrainian delivery service. On this bike the couriers can deliver packages of up to 300 kilograms. Danylo is confident — such a bike can also be used by other types of businesses. For example, a coffee machine can be installed in place of the luggage space.
Compared to similar electric bicycles on the market, Delfast models have 30% more power reserve, thanks to the patented battery management system. Recuperation technology allows the battery to partially restore its power during braking. Specially designed software analyses the data coming from all the vehicle’s components and presents it in a phone app. These innovative solutions make the company’s electric bicycles some of the fastest and most powerful in the world.
Currently, Delfast electric bicycles are manufactured in China, but Danylo dreams of bringing production to Ukraine. There is already a signed contract with Kyiv Polytechnic Institute, and Danylo plans to collaborate with them on creating a design lab for making not only e-bikes, but also other types of electric vehicles, such as wheelchairs. Currently, Delfast employees have access to the Institute scientific database and, in return, the company offers work placement for students.
Serhii Honcharov, the company’s engineer, also speaks about their intention to move production to Ukraine:
— When we accumulate some feedback and know-how that require some changes to be made, the offshore factory’s response is rather slow. We have some problems with that. And to fulfil our need for new development we need to set up at least some experimental production. This is a full-cycle production, from a sketch, through a prototype and to the finished e-bike that can be taken for a ride. This is why it’s so important for us to bring manufacturing closer.
In April of 2020, the company received a grant from EBRD (The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development — ed.) as part of the “Climate Innovation Vouchers” project, which is funded by the EU. It allowed the certification of e-bikes in the EU countries and introduction to the European market. Delfast electric bikes have received a new “heart” that now beats in all of their new models — an on-board computer and a battery controller.
The interest in electric types of transportation in Europe will continue to grow in the next few years, which also means a rise in sales, and the e-bikes are already the best-selling electric vehicles in the world. According to Deloitte analysts, e-bike sales in Germany in 2018 alone grew by 36%. This is why Danylo considers this area of business to be very promising:
— I am delighted to see that humanity has come to its senses and started switching from fossil-fuel vehicles to the electric ones, which are much more eco-friendly and clean.
The company’s goal at the moment is to be able to fulfil the demand, as it still significantly exceeds their development capacity. The 2019 pre-orders were for approximately 20,000 e-bikes. Danylo says that during the COVID-19 pandemic even more people began taking interest in the company’s electric bikes and ordering them.
A second life for batteries
The company’s founder jokes that these bicycles can be passed on as an inheritance, because one battery has up to 3,000 charging cycles. Even if the bicycle is charged daily (and most users would not even need that), the battery can last for almost 10 years.
Electric bicycles do not produce emissions during operation, but making their batteries requires a substantial amount of resources. The current models of e-bikes use lithium-ion batteries, which are considered hazardous waste. Delfast offers its customers a disposal and recycling program, which allows them to minimise the impact on environment and to prolong the batteries’ use for decades:
— If such a battery cannot be used for our bicycle anymore, it will suit another purpose; for example, it can be used as a portable charger. This would not require the peak power as electric vehicles do.
In addition to that, the production of lithium-ion batteries is usually done outside the city limits, and is regulated, so the harmful impact on the environment is still much lower than the one from fossil-fuel vehicles.
Company’s customers
At first, Delfast was producing e-bikes solely for their own couriers. There was no intention of selling them, but people kept asking for them:
— People would always inquire, asking “Do you sell e-bikes?” And we would respond that we did not, that we were a courier service. But people kept asking so often that we had to put a note on our office door, saying “We do not sell e-bikes”. But then we thought, why not start selling them anyway?
Thus, in 2017, another line was opened in the company’s business — production of electric bicycles, — and by the end of that year, 50 people all over the world became owners of Delfast e-bikes. Half of them were from the USA. Most of the company’s client base today is also in this country. 30-35% of the Delfast e-bikes are purchased in the EU. Canada, Mexico, and some other countries are also on the company’s customer list. Ukrainian clients make 1-2%. As of 2020, the company has sold a few hundreds of their bicycles powered by an electric engine.
Anyone can visit their website and place an order. The company mostly works with individual customers from all over the world. Danylo says they are usually small-town residents who enjoy riding bicycles or other two-wheeled vehicles, but who do not want to or are not able to use pedals to go for long distances.
E-bike rental companies, as well as courier and delivery services, are also on the list of Delfast clients. The company has come up with a special credit programme for couriers. Delfast e-bikes are also used by the couriers of an online food delivery company — Glovo — which is very popular in Ukraine. Danylo explains what advantages they see in using these electric bicycles:
— A courier that uses an e-bike for deliveries says, “I go a hundred kilometres a day. In the first month of work I lost 15 kilograms. If I don’t work during the day, I spend an average of $7 (200 UAH) on food. But if I cover a hundred kilometres, I burn a lot more calories and so I spend $17.6 (500 UAH) on food. When I’m on an electric bicycle, I do not burn as many calories or use as much energy, and I can enjoy going for long distances”.
Viktor Novohatskyi, a courier in Delfast, says that an electric bicycle is very convenient for delivery work as it allows preserving more energy and covering much longer distances. Viktor charges his bicycle twice a day, during the lunch break and at night:
— It is quite convenient, because I can charge it from a standard outlet and I don’t need to look for a special charging station.
Volodymyr Kononets, another Delfast e-bike user, says that he covers about 150 kilometres in a day:
— Compared to regular types of transportation, the Delfast e-bike saves time. It can go anywhere. You can take it over any kind of pedestrian crossing: regular, underground ones, or over footbridges.
Despite the fact that Delfast mostly works with foreign customers, Danylo says that he wants to work in Ukraine:
— Ukraine for me is the most comfortable place for living. I like to do business here, and there are opportunities to grow creatively and make something by yourself. It has wonderful cuisine, and nature, and architecture, and history, but most importantly — people. They are the most valuable part of Ukraine.
https://eu4business.org.ua/en/success-stories/ukrainian-e-bikes-conquer-the-world/
PBSC Urban Solutions is excited to attend this year’s Tomorrow Mobility World Congress, taking place in Barcelona from November 7 to 9, 2023. This annual event is all about improving urban mobility and solving transportation sector challenges among international experts, industry and governments.
As our team gears up for TMWC, we’re taking the opportunity to highlight some of our industry-leading bike share systems throughout Europe! PBSC first entered the European market back in 2010, with London’s Santander Cycles – one of our most popular systems to date. Some 13 years later, our presence in Europe keeps growing, representing today:
- 35,000 bikes and e-bikes
- 2,500 stations
- 12 European cities
- 6 countries.
Read on to meet some of our European partners and discover their city success stories!
Barcelona | Bicing
Boasting a large-scale mixed fleet of our bikes and e-bikes, Barcelona’s Bicing system is a true European bike-share success. With more than 13.5 million trips taken each year, this popular system marked our entry into Spain.
When we first rolled out Bicing in 2019, we deployed the system in just 3 months, replacing another system by a different provider. We also seamlessly managed the system transition for more than 100,000 members. Since then, membership has increased by 35%. Recording today an average of 10 rides per bike per day, Bicing has become entrenched into local culture as part of daily life. PBSC’s presence in Spain doesn’t stop here, as we also launched our solutions in four other cities: San Sebastian, La Coruña, Valladolid and Madrid.
Monaco | MonaBike
Acting as an important ingredient of Monaco’s Smart City program, which promotes low-carbon mobility, the MonaBike system was PBSC’s very first all-electric system launched in Europe. Replacing another system operated by a different provider (while also tripling in capacity), the friendly system remains ideal for the principality’s hilly terrain and has helped reduce traffic congestion in Monaco. Indeed, our e-bikes offer quick and accessible public transportation that makes it easy for more people to get around their city without breaking a sweat.
MonaBike’s fleet of 400 dynamic e-bikes and 43 smart charging stations averages 6 times more rides than the previous network, with 2.5 times more members. In August 2023, ridership increased 27% compared to last year, and the system has recorded 1.8 million journeys since its launch.
Clermont-Ferrand | C.Vélo
In 2021, PBSC rolled into Clermont-Ferrand, France with 680 ICONIC bikes, 57 solar stations and smart technology solutions to reinvent its C.Vélo bike share system! Replacing another system from a different supplier, we managed a smooth and successful transition – deploying the system in only 10 days. With 18,000 members and a million rides taken in 2022, each of our bikes racked up 7 rides a day. Our second solution in France (following Valence) enhances the sustainability goals of this historic agglomeration and undoubtedly complements its public transit infrastructure.
C.Vélo also has the smartest lock in town! Each bike is equipped with one of our smart locks, so cyclists can secure bikes to make stops en route. Smart locks also manage station overflow by allowing users to return bikes in proximity to a station when all the docking points are full.
Sibiu | Sibiu Bike City
Launched in 2022, Sibiu Bike City is PBSC’s first system in Romania. Having already experienced its first expansion, with the deployment of 110 more bikes and 8 stations, the system now features a total of 650 FIT bikes and 57 solar-powered stations.
This system is accompanied by exciting strides towards sustainability, including plans for additional dedicated bike lanes. The historic Transylvanian city received EU funds to implement this bike share solution, helping to finance active and sustainable mobility! With a 2030 goal of reducing CO2 emissions by 20%, part of Sibiu’s strategy is for 40% of trips to be made by foot or by bike, and our bike share solution plays an active role in helping to make the vision come to life.
Madrid | Bicimad
Did you know that this September 2023, Bicimad recorded more than 40,000 rides in a single day? That’s right, Madrid’s new fully-electric bike share solution is off to a fantastic start. Showcasing the growing mobility trend towards electrification, Bicimad features our largest e-fleet ever, with 7,500 E-FITs and 611 smart charging stations.
With 2.5 times more bikes and stations than the previous system spread out throughout all 21 of the city’s districts, near and far, our micromobility solution makes active mobility accessible to a wider range of people.
We couldn’t be happier to see our European presence putting smiles on people’s faces! Indeed, our ever-growing bike sharing solutions throughout Europe improve the quality of life of city’s residents, influencing infrastructure development and reducing congestion in cities. We’re also excited to tell you about our next European cities who will soon be joining the PBSC movement. Stay tuned…
https://www.pbsc.com/blog/2023/11/pbsc-s-european-presence-a-bike-share-success-story
Power that moves you forward.
To anywhere.
An eBike is much more than a bicycle. The power of its electric motor helps you get around better. In the city, across the country or up a mountain. It gives you a power boost when you need it and makes you independent of timetables or parking spaces. eBikes take up little space and produce neither noise nor exhaust fumes. In return, you can focus on enjoying the ride, even at longer distances. And of course, an eBike offers an incomparable riding experience.
No wonder eBikes are booming. Their advantages are fascinating and convincing. And yet there are still many questions: about the technology, how to operate eBikes, and about their use in road traffic. But don’t worry – we’ll explain everything you need to know here.
In 90 % of pedelecs, a mid-motor is responsible for propelling you forward. This is for a good reason: it is located at the bottom bracket in the middle of the bike, which lowers the centre of gravity and leads to a balanced weight distribution. This makes bike handling easier, and the direct power transmission to the chain conveys a natural riding feeling. And because the Bosch eBike motors, also called drive units, measure important riding data over 1000 times per second with their sensors, they always provide you with the optimum power: precisely dosed and tailor-made for you.
The mid-motor. The golden mean.
The fact that most eBikes use a mid-motor instead of a front or rear wheel motor brings another advantage. It retains the natural, familiar cycling feeling and you don’t feel pushed (rear wheel motor) or pulled (front wheel motor). In addition, with the mid-motor, the power can be controlled precisely via pedal pressure. Note that only a mid-motor can provide maximum power even at low speeds – it gives you thrust whenever you need it.
https://www.bosch-ebike.com/en/stories-experiences-and-adventures/what-actually-is-an-ebike
Explore our e-bikes and bicycles
Whether you’re looking for a little extra support or prefer to do the pedaling yourself: there’s a Gazelle for you. In fact, there’s a whole variety of them, ranging from stylish to adventurous, from supportive to powerful. Pick yours!
For tomorrow’ outcomes
Enea is an international strategy consultancy advancing energy and climate solutions.
https://www.enea-consulting.com/en/
Our mission
Turn drivers into cyclists by converting bikes into eBikes
At Swytch, we’re changing the way people move. We fundamentally believe that sustainable transport shouldn’t cost the Earth, so we’ve made it our mission to make electric transport accessible to everybody.
Founded by engineers Oliver Montague and Dmitro Khroma in 2017, we’re a London-based startup with an industry-leading product and global recognition. To date, there are over 60,000 loyal Swytchers across 100+ countries, who’ve collectively ridden over 10 million miles!
Join us on Facebook for the latest E-bike news in the region:
https://m.facebook.com/EBikeLoversDC
An excellent opportunity to learn more about e-bikes
Learn more about electric bicycles from those who use them daily or weekly. What is their experience? What should you avoid when you are in the market for an(other) electric bicycle? How do you manage batteries?
These are just some of the questions you may ask other members while we pedal on our e-bikes.
Weather and cancellation
There is never a lousy biking day; there are only bad biking clothes. We plan to bike year-round, including in the winter (but within reason). With the right clothing and protective gear, this can be a great experience.
What you need to know
We always follow traffic rules and stop for stop signs. Safety and fun first. We frequently ride on roads with other traffic. It will help if you feel comfortable doing this.
You join us at your own risk, and you are responsible for your own safety and following the law.
Future developments
We may organize lectures on electric bicycles – E-bikes with specialists, test rides, and arrange day-long biking (out of town) trips once COVID-19 is under control. This will also depend on the size of this group.
As we have managed Meetup groups before, our experience indicates that we need to have a regular membership before organizing extracurricular activities. As of now, we are designing a library of e-biking tours for all to enjoy.
Costs
Participation is free. If we organize extracurricular activities, we will inform you of any costs involved. You can support us through our reader-supported Amazon-affiliate and Google Adsense website.
Questions?
Contact us through the Meetup email system or this website, and we will respond quickly.
Cytech was created and is owned by the UK cycle industry via the Association of Cycle Traders (ACT). Since being developed over 30 years ago, 25,000+ courses and qualifications have been delivered to candidates from 50+ countries around the world including staff working for some of the world’s leading bicycle distributors.
History
The professional training and accreditation scheme came about following a court case regarding a bicycle accident in the UK during the late 1980’s. A very well-known cycle shop owner was asked what qualifications he had to work on this particular bike. He started saying, “Well I’ve been in the cycle industry 45 years…” to which the magistrate responded with, “I’m not asking you how long you’ve been working. I want to know what qualifications you’ve got!” He couldn’t give an answer because at the time there weren’t any.
In response to this the ACT decided that the industry needed a qualification structure that could be delivered to the cycle trade so that if the above situation arose again, the dealer could answer with, “Yes, I’ve got this qualification.” Since then the qualifications have become the industry standard and are recognised worldwide. It’s not just the cycle industry that recognise the qualifications either, for example many insurance companies base their policies around the level of qualification that the business staff have, and councils use them when it comes to cycling events too.
In 2014 Cytech went international by launching in South Africa with Torq Zone Academy, our first training provider outside of the UK. The training scheme, as well as bicycle mechanics as a profession, has gone from strength to strength in the country with the syllabus also becoming the basis from which their recently developed National Qualification Framework (NQF) for bicycle mechanics was created. These developments are a great achievement and mean that the profession is recognised on par and in the same light with the likes of other more established careers, in South Africa and also setting a precedent for further afield.
In 2016 Cytech expanded further, launching in both Canada and Australia with Specialized Canada* and Bicycle Industries Australia (BIA)** respectively. These developments as well as others that are in the pipeline reinforce the fact that Cytech is the internationally recognised industry standard and that our qualifications for bicycle technicians and the cycle trade are applicable worldwide.
*As of April 2020 Cytech training is now delivered in Canada solely by Whistler Adventure School.
**As of September 2020 Cytech training is now delivered in Australia under ‘Cytech Australia‘.
So, why choose Cytech?
There are many reasons why people choose Cytech over other organisations, from wanting nothing less than the industry leading bike mechanics qualifications to receiving the highest quality of training that all of our trainers and assessors personally deliver. Here are a selection of benefits that technicians, businesses and customers all get from choosing Cytech:
