Can Biking Be Fun Again? Yes Says Autobike

The bike is hung up in the garage waiting to be taken out again. But until somebody comes and moves the hills, or explains to you exactly how the gears work on the bike so you don’t feel as though you’re riding through wet concrete everywhere you go, the bike will stay hung up in the garage. That’s how most people feel about biking these days but Autobike has developed a new automatic bike that will make any road seem flat. Biking can be fun again according to the electric biking company from Detroit.

Smooth, Self-powered and Automatic

The SRAM front hub dynamo generates electric from every revolution of the front wheel. The electric is used to power the brain of the operation, a computer which is placed right behind the pedal crank. Sensors are able to detect the cadence of the cyclist and any incline in the road. The brain then caluculates the adjustments needed to keep the cyclist at their chosen cadence and changes the gears accordingly. Rather than experience rapid gear shifts that judder the bike and jar the rider, the developers have used a Nuvinci N360 rear hub transmission allowing for super smooth gear shifts.

All about the Cadence

Cadence is a term used to describe the amount of revolutions your pedals go through per minute while cycling. Most people fall within the range of 60 to 70 revolutions per minute (rpm) but when they climb a hill this will normally change depending on how well a person uses their gears.

Autobike uses automatic gear shifting to make sure that people can stay at the same rpm anywhere they go. The rpm is completely up to them and what makes them feel comfortable, making every road and hill seem flat. The co-founder of Autobike, Sean Simpson told Mashable; “we set out to create a bike that offers a fun experience that is accessible to anyone who wants to jump on a bike with zero training. They can just hop on and go.”

Getting Back on the Bike

The Voyage and Voyage ST can be ordered from Autobike for $1,000. Developers are hoping the bikes will get people to return to biking and perhaps even forego the short ride on the subway or bus to work for a healthier, more economic bike ride.

[Image via BensmanBiz]