Will electric power be the next big event in the evolution of the bicycle?
Though Schwinn and other big bike makers are banking on it, electric motors are just one way that technology is changing the bicycle at the close of the 20th Century.
If you haven’t ventured into a bicycle store lately, you may be surprised at what you’ll see on two-wheelers–motors, disc brakes, springs, lightweight metals and more. Technology is transforming the bicycle into a safer, more comfortable, better-performing machine.
Good examples of bikes with all the latest technology are the Mercedes-Benz mountain bike, $3,300; the Schwinn 4 Banger, $3,699; the Fisher Level Betty SE, $2,300; and the GT Charger electric bike, $1,200.
Some new bikes, such as the $795 BMW mountain bike, don’t have cutting-edge technology but are innovative in other ways. For instance, the BMW bike can be folded and placed in a car trunk.
A few years ago, such things as automobile or motorcycle-inspired hydraulic disc brakes; front and rear suspension systems; lighter, stronger metals; and frame designs that cause less stress on the rider usually were found only on custom-made bicycles. Now, they’re becoming available on a wider variety of bicycles.
To see the latest in bicycle technology, you have to visit a bicycle store or shop online. Large retailers, such as Target, Kmart and Wal-Mart, usually sell lower-priced bikes built by Huffy, Murray and Roadmaster. Premium brands–Trek, Schwinn, Cannondale, GT, Giant, Raleigh, Gary Fisher and others– can be found at brand dealers.
Despite the increased complexity of higher-end bicycles, maintenance costs are about the same as before. Some bikes will need to have their disc brakes serviced, but bearings, shocks and suspension systems are, more often than not, sealed units that are durable. An occasional adjustment is usually all that’s needed.
Here’s a look at some of these bicycles:
– Electric bikes: The industry is watching this small but growing segment. Electric-powered bicycles have been whirring around for a couple of years, but they’ve been on the fringes of the industry. Most bicycle dealers don’t carry them. But that could change this year when Schwinn, one of America’s oldest bike makers, rolls out the Sierra Electro-Drive.
If the Schwinn bike, priced at about $1,100, proves popular, the race could be on for other manufacturers to jump into the market. Until now, only a few small companies have marketed electric bicycles. But Schwinn is a powerhouse, with the greatest number of dealers and the most recognized name in the industry.
Until now, the most successful electric bicycle manufacturer has been ZAP Power Systems in Santa Clara, Calif. ZAP is an acronym for Zero Air Pollution. Since 1994, the company has sold about 20,000 electric bicycles and electric motor kits that customers can install on nearly any bicycle, said ZAP spokesman Alex Campbell.
ZAP sells a ready-to-ride Z-Bike for $649. If you have a bike and just want an electric motor kit for it, ZAP offers a system for $375. Bear in mind that the kit adds about 20 pounds to the bike.
One thing to consider when it comes to electric bikes: State laws may require riders to have at least a restricted drivers license and to wear a helmet.
Campbell believes consumers eventually will buy into the electric bike. He says that Schwinn’s entry into the market will raise the profile of the electric bicycle. Also, former Chrysler Chairman Lee Iacocca has formed a company that plans to make electric bicycles. The EV Global Motors E-Bikes will sell for $995 for the base model and up to $1,300 for the top-of-the-line.
– Whisper Drive: This model year, the Schwinn Bicycle Co. will introduce a classically styled cruiser with one or three speeds that uses a rubber-toothed automotive-type fan belt instead of the traditional metal chain. The advantages are no maintenance and a much smoother, quieter ride, said Jeff Hannen, a marketing manager for Schwinn in Boulder, Colo.
Replacing the chain with a rubber belt has been very successful for Harley-Davidson’s motorcycles, and Hannen thinks it may someday revolutionize the ever-popular cruiser.
Schwinn has been working on the Whisper Drive cruiser for about two years, and the company thinks it’ll be a huge hit among cyclists who live in coastal areas where sand and salt can ruin bicycle chains. Hannen says the bike is undergoing final testing for durability.
“It’s a really weird sensation,” he said. “There’s no grinding when changing gears. It’s very silent and much smoother.”
The Whisper Drive Cruiser costs $299 for the single speed and $399 for the three-speed, says Schwinn.
– Disc brakes: A few years ago, only the most avid gearheads were fitting motorcycle-type disc brakes to their mountain bikes. Now the braking system has proved so popular that bikes from Schwinn, Cannondale and a few others come from the factory with front and rear discs.
Some disc brakes are cable-actuated, while others use brake fluid, like a car or motorcycle. Schwinn’s Hannen says the disc setup is needed only for extremely hard and fast riding, such as downhill racing.
John Salmons of David’s World Cycle in Orlando says that he has seen more and more customers opt for disc brakes and expects them to be installed on a greater variety of bicycles in the coming years. It’s hard to say how much disc brakes add to the cost of a bike, however.
“Discs are only on higher-end bikes, which already use good brakes,” Salmons said. “Discs are a bit better and they’re different.”
He said bicycles need to be engineered from the start to accept disc brakes, but on a bike designed for them, the cost isn’t much greater. Plan to spend $1,700 to $3,500 for a mountain bike with disc brakes.
– Suspension systems: Bicycles with front and rear suspension are nothing new. But the suspension systems have evolved. Gone are the crude, exposed springs on such classics as the Schwinn Phantom and Dayton Twin Flex. Today’s full-suspension bikes look like scaled-down motorcycles. They have rear swing-arm type systems that allow the rear wheel to move up and down without affecting chain tension.
Upfront, sealed, motorcycle-like tubular shocks have replaced the rigid steel fork on many high-end bikes.
Prices have plunged on full suspension bikes to about $1,500 from about $3,500 two years ago.
– Materials: Some exotic bikes, such as the $6,000 Schwinn Straight 8, have carbon fiber components that are as strong as steel but weigh next to nothing. Strong, lightweight metals, such as titanium, also are being used more frequently on bikes. A lighter machine is easier to pedal.
– Other items: Shimano, the bicycle industry’s biggest supplier of parts, is revolutionizing the city bike with its Nexus internally geared hubs.
Instead of the maintenance-intensive exposed gears of a derailleur, the Nexus setup packs the gears and the brake system inside the hub. The shifts are smoother and the system is sealed for life. With the Nexus system, the rider need not be pedaling to shift gears. If riders have to stop suddenly, they can move the shifter back into first. Nexus-equipped bikes start around $350.
An electronic shifting system for the Nexus hub, called Auto D, uses wheel sensors to shift gears. Shimano expects to have the system on the market this year.
Comfort bikes also are gaining popularity. The rider stays upright instead of leaning forward. These bikes have suspension seat posts that bob up and down when the bike rolls over bumps, and a spring device in the handlebar stem also absorbs shocks. Prices start around $300.
