The lithium manganese batteries used in our high-end electric bikes are one of the most expensive parts on the bike. They represent great technological achievement, giving the light weight, high power feel of our bikes. With proper care, such as keeping them charged, they should last for many years. But because they are expensive, we realize that customers wonder what will happen if or when they need to be replaced.

So, we are going to do something that nobody else in the electric bicycle business does, with a unique warranty policy on the lithium-manganese batteries that come with our bikes. Our original 6 month warranty will remain in effect, where if there is any battery failure in that period due to manufacturing defect, we will replace the battery. But, on top of that, we will offer an additional pro-rated, 2 year warranty on the lithium batteries*. That means the batteries will be covered by an unprecedented 2.5 year warranty. So, for example, in the unlikely event that your battery fails after 1.5 years of use, replacement would go as follows. The first 6 months would count as the free replacement period. The subsequent 1 year of use would count as 1/2 of the two year pro-rated warranty period. We would replace your battery at 1/2 the original retail price (as of 5/1/08, $399 is the full retail price). And, at that time, if you want to upgrade to a different type of battery, such as the long-lasting Li-Fe-Po4, we will apply that credit towards purchase of this type of battery.

We will have a similar policy for the lead-acid powered bikes, but with an addtional 1-year pro-rated warranty period, instead of two (for a total of 1.5 years).

Before you buy an electric bicycle from another manufacturer, be sure to check on their warranty policy. Do they stand behind their product with a warranty that will protect you if the most expensive part of the bike has a problem? We want you to own an electric bike with confidence that it will serve you for years to come.

*The warranty covers manufacturer's defects, and excludes neglect and abuse of the battery, such as: opening or modification of the bike or battery, discharging the battery further after its low-voltage self protection circuit has been activated, failing to keep the battery charged, intentional short-circuit of the battery, using the bike for offroad and/or stunt riding, using the bike for racing, etc. This warranty is only for Cycle 9 brand electric bikes that will be arriving late May/early June. Other hub motor kits and bikes may have different warranty periods depending on the manufacturer.

Tags: warranty,batteries

We heard all the customer feedback, and realized that we could have the most positive impact in the local community (Chapel Hill, Carrboro, Burlington, Greensboro, Durham, Raleigh, etc) by having a physical storefront where customers can drop by to meet us and see the bikes. We have leased a building, located on Highway 54 just west of Carrboro, and are in the process of setting it up. It's where Furniture Follies used to be (he was so successful, he moved to a bigger space - we only hope that we will be so successful!). We aren't open quite yet, but we expect an opening by mid-May. We'll announce a grand-opening sale and the exact location here, so keep your eyes on this space.

Items we'll have in stock in the store include:
- Hub motor kits from Crystalyte, Forsen, eZee, etc. We are in discussions to also get the Stokemonkey once that is back in production.
- Folding bikes from Downtube and Anyrider
- Cargo/sports utility bikes from Yuba and Xtracycle. We are also considering getting a Big Dummy or two if there is customer demand
- Cycle 9 electric bicycles, custom manufactured to our specifications to be light weight, high power, integrated electric bikes
- Accessories, including: Cycle Analyst, Down Low Glow, Bicycle Cup Holders, Bicycle Stereo, Safety Gear, Batteries, controllers, spare motors, riding gear, bike bags, etc.

Other products we are exploring include various trike configurations, Bakfiets style bikes, recumbents, etc. If there is a particular bicycle-related product that you think we should carry, just drop us a line, we'll gladly take your feedback into consideration.

Tags: sales,local

So I'm in China.  Bicycles are everywhere here, still a lot of people use them for transportation.  Last night I saw a guy riding his bike with 3 mattresses on his back!  It was an amazing balancing act, and a testament to the determinedness of the people.

But car use is on the rise.  Here there are many car ads, and cars are seen as a wealth and status symbol - a sign of the good life.

Every society seems to go through an evolution with cars - in the first phase with cars being a luxury item only for the rich, in the second phase cars being something the middle class aspires to have to show wealth and status, in the third phase, society reaching saturation where the number of cars is so large that it puts strains on the system, causing health problems, air pollution, and traffic congestion. There also appears to be a fourth stage, where countries realize the detrimental aspects of cars, and work to reduce their usage, replacing them with age old solutions like bikes, public transport, and walking.  My perception is that China is still in stage 2 - the broad middle class acquiring cars as part of the rapid growth of wealth here.  But already traffic problems are great - and so are pollution problems.  In Bejing, it is gridlock during rush hour - and that with only 1 in 3 people owning cars.  Also, there is an almost constant a haze over the city, which during my stay, only broke after some heavy rain.

When I was in the city of Shenzhen, I inquired with several locals about bicycle rental.  I love to see new cities by bicycle, because I can see more on bike than on foot, yet it is still much more intimate than in a car.  It is also good exercise, to offset the extra eating I tend to do when visiting new places.  However, when I inquired with one of the young students, she said, "Why would you want to bike?  Shenzhen is a modern city!" The implication was that in a "modern city" nobody would bike.  She seemed dumfounded that anyone would prefer to ride a bike, especially a "rich westerner". She viewed bikes as a contrivance only for the poor.

Ultimately, countries like China will continue the evolution to more and more cars, until the problems start becoming so apparent that there is a push to go back to other modes of transportation for the masses.  If oil prices continue to rise, this may happen sooner rather than later.

Morgan

Tags: bike,environment,cargo

We used the Downtube bikes for a recent cycling trip around Italy. The bikes performed great for this 200+ mile tour, which included paved roads, gravel roads, and cobblestone streets! We packed them in standard-sized suitcases (so we didn't pay any extra to take them with us).

And the coolest thing? They pack into a standard size suitcase, so there is no "bike surcharge" of $70 or more charged by the airline. See pix below.

The 20" FS (full suspension) model is pictured here.

More pictures are on our Flickr page.

Tags: bikes,downtube,folding,travel

Thanks to everyone who braved the rain today to try out the electric and sports utility bicycles. Johnny's is a fun place to spend a bit of time, sipping some coffee, chatting with the owner Ben, and enjoying a Guglhupf pastry.

We have one of our bikes located at Johnny's for the next few weeks. This is a standard mountain bike, with the eZee kit and an Xtracycle Freeradical installed. Feel free to stop by to try it out! Also, if you enjoy music and enjoy bicycling, make sure to ask the owner Ben about his I-ride bicycle stereo. These are neat little stereos for your bike, to which you can attach your iPod or other favorite mp3 player. We have them in stock, in our online store. (If you're a local customer, the Paypal store may try to have you pay shipping, but we'll refund it).

We'll also be doing more electric and sports utility/cargo bicycle demos, including Earth Action Day on April 26.

Keep your eyes on this space for other demo dates and times.

Tags: electric,bike,demo