I had the opportunity to talk with a rep from iZip bicycles as well as take a test ride of the IZIP E3 Metro –DF bicycle. The designs here are actually pretty nice. As batteries get better and come in different shapes and sizes you can see they have used this to make the battery and motor part of the front frame. If it was any smaller you would never know it was an electric bike.

I had to sign a waiver just in case and the rep then explained to me the controls. Although it seems like there are a lot of controls it is actually all managed on small box that mounts to the handlebars. It shows battery level and allows you to shift between two modes. One mode simply allows the bike to continuously pedal with you and you can adjust the speed up and down. The other mode allows you to twist the throttle like a motorcycle when needed.

As a motorcyclist you can bet the first thing I did was twist the throttle. I was warned it is bit quick immediately which makes sense with an electric motor so I just tapped it to get the feel of it and then opened it up taking the bike to 20 mph in no time.

I then switched to pedal assist and the bike began to pedal with me. I could easily slow it down or speed it up on my first try with the + and – buttons on the previously mentioned box mounted to the handlebars.
The bike feels like a bike (hey, you never know) and I have to be honest, I never thought about the additional weight that the motor and batteries add. Since I didn’t ride for hours, I have no idea if this additional weight makes a typical bike ride harder than most. This bike had a basket on the front but it does not turn with the handlebars. If you have ever sat on, or ridden a Harley Road Glide, you know this feeling although not as bad.

Learning to ride it was as quick and easy as learning a Segway, if you have ever done that. If not, learning a Segway only take a minute to explain and a minute to ride it before you get comfortable. Of course the difference here is that you can pedal it like a bike with no lesson time and simply get comfortable as you go.

For this bike with all the bells and whistles you will need around $2,699 but they do have entry level models (as seen in the photo below) for $999. A decent Trek bike, like the one I own will set you back at least $400 so while $999 seems expensive, that’s only if you are comparing it to entry level bicycles at Wal-Mart, for example which would be an unfair comparison.



You can check out all the biukes (and scooters too) at http://www.currietech.com/

You can find these bikes at most larger bicycle dealers and they do have a Find a Dealer page to find a dealer near you.

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