For several years, The question of how to get more people out of cars and on bicycles has baffled environmentally conscious city designers. As a small woman with young children who cycle every day and live in a city where cyclists are easy, I have an answer: Design my bike for me.
This is not purely self-serving; it’s just the truth. Getting more women to ride bikes helps to attract more cyclists. Women are often more risk averse. We need protected lanes where people can’t shoot their trucks at our kids. We need roads to go to school and groceries, not to meander by rivers. Most of all, we need bikes that are safe and maneuverable so we can get on and off the bike and onto the racks.
This is why I am a huge fan of the small tram movement. Yes, the big fat tires and big Dutch bakfiets are useful, but they are hard to maneuver and a bit intimidating to use. Our favorite affordable motorcycle maker, Propella, recently released a mini ebike. I’ve been going it for three weeks now, and it definitely fits the bill.
Built to overflow
Like many direct-to-consumer bikes, Propella’s e-bikes require assembly when they reach the customer. For obvious reasons, the Mini’s box is smaller and easier to move around in my garage than the others. The manual recommends taking it to a shop to have it assembled, but you can certainly do it yourself, especially if you look at the company’s products. assembly video.
I was actually a bit surprised by the size of the bike. When I measure the wheelbase—the shaft-to-axle measurement used to specify the length of a bike—it is 39 inches. For comparison, Jackrabbit that I reviewed last year has a super-small wheelbase of 26 inches. At 39 inches, the Mini’s frame is just an inch shorter than my ultra-small road bike. It also weighs 33 pounds, light for an ebike but still 10 pounds heavier than a Jackrabbit.
Like Tern’s bicycle, Mini reduced the length by equipping tiny 20-inch wheels for the usual 28-inch size. So is it a smaller bike? feel small. I’m 5’2″, and my husband 5’10” doesn’t feel weird riding it either. If you’re over 6’1″, you may start to feel cramped.
Unfortunately, some ebikes cost a lot more than others (although they probably won’t if we can get the proper tax credit on buying them). Usually because of the powertrain. Propella uses a rear Bafang hub engine. It’s an affordable standard electric motor, powered by a Samsung battery (a big name brand hopefully won’t catch fire) and is activated by the cadence sensor instead of the throttle.
