This is my latest fixie that I designed (prototype number 3, model: NUTCASE) and had built up to suit the Swift kit’s light weight electrical components (click here to read the fixie story) . It’s great. The single speed is wonderful; no clunky gears and absolutely no need for them with the electric motor assistance. It has a street legal 200W mini-motor and the water bottle shaped battery mounted on the diagonal crossbar. The bike is very smooth, fast and efficient and has been designed around a racing bike frame. It also looks great and very few people pick up on it being electric. It travels at an average speed of 30km/hr (no pedalling) up to nearly 40km/hr with some good pedalling. Range is about 40km. The only future changes I’ll make to this current model are to include an extra set of retro style handlebars and adjustable stem to make it even more comfortable and add a bit more style. The velo plush seat and handle grips are really nice though so overall riding comfort in its current state is very high. It has a flip-flop rear wheel with a single speed free wheel cassette on one side and a fixed gear on the other side. Riding it fixed was just a little too radical with the added speed and weight of the electric components so I have flipped it around to ride in free wheel mode – it’s more relaxing this way. I hope to make some final very small changes and import a small number of these bicycles to accompany the Swift kit for people wanting what I consider to be a perfect commuting machine and one of the best electric bikes in Australia. This model should be available in the first few months of 2011.
Matt – Solar Bike