Ridekick introduces power trailer for standard bikes
21 June 2012
Ridekick International, a Colorado-based company, recently introduced the Ridekick power trailer—the first commercially available electric-powered bicycle trailer. It blends the design of an electric bicycle with a bike trailer, letting a bicyclist (on a conventional bike) ride at speeds up to 19 mph (31 km/h) without pedaling.
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| The Ridekick power boost trailer. Click to enlarge. |
The trailer, with a 42-liter lockable storage compartment contains a 500 W electric brush traction motor and a 24V, 12 Ah sealed lead acid (SLA) battery. The system has a range of 12 to 15 miles on a single charge. Ridekick is taking orders on Li-ion battery packs which will weigh less and offer greater range.
Base priced at $699, the Ridekick power trailer attaches to most bikes in minutes and can be unhitched in seconds for traditional riding. The power trailer thus offers an alternative for riders who do not want to make an investment in a full electric bike.
Ridekick International was founded by Mark Wanger in 2009. Wanger became interested in taking the sweat out of his bicycle commute to local sustainability organization meetings in Fort Collins, Colorado.
This could be what I've been looking for. I don't really want an electric bike, too expensive for a good one, and you are always hauling around all that battery and motor. This way my wife and I can share, but keep on using our normal bikes. It should even fit on the elevator to charge in the office (and keep it safe). Anyone tried it?
Posted by: Opbrid | 21 June 2012 at 03:46 AM
Opbrid: I can see the sense in your case, but I'm unsure that it will be the case for many. It doesn't seem a cheap way to get an electric bike (using cheap technology but still want a reasonable amount of money). Rather it is a good option for those wanting a lockable trailer. Would have thought they could build the battery, motor into the base of a trailer which could then be adapted to multiple uses.
The push is coming off centre - would the ~6% lean to balance this be disconcerting?
Posted by: DavidJ | 21 June 2012 at 01:53 PM