Overview There are two different Boost Modes on Optibikes, FAST and SLOW. These are changed by toggling the MODE switch on the headlight. The FAST and SLOW Boost Modes affect the sensitivity of the Boost Mode.  Some riders find the normal, Fast Boost, is too active with their riding style, so they use the less sensitive, [...]

Many Optibike riders like to ride in cold weather, and some experience reduced battery performance as a result.  Here is an explanation why, and what can be done about it.   Overview The capacity of Lithium Ion batteries will decrease with colder temperatures. As the capacity decreases, the bike will run for shorter times and enter Safe [...]

This question came in from Aryeh: It does rain where I live. Do the fenders provide real protection from wheel splash, or are they more for style? Batteries are expensive. Are they contained in the frame in a way that they can’t be stolen? Thanks, Aryeh Thanks for your questions.  The Optibike fenders were designed with both function and [...]

November 18, 2009; Boulder, CO:  A new electric bike is available for people want to ride their bike more, and fiddle with maintenance less.  The Optibike 850R  features an exclusive 14 speed internally geared hub system, leaving messy shifting adjustments a thing of the past.     “The Optibike 850R is designed to be a car replacement.  Cars [...]

One family finds that their health, high gas prices, and high stress lives have a common solution. Like so many Americans, Keith and Mary Felch of Aliso Viejo, CA were deeply concerned about the rising cost of gasoline, their ailing health, and the amount of stress in their lives. Keith, who drives a Honda CRV, and Mary [...]

Making excuses for not riding my bike to work is easy.  Making excuses for not riding an Optibike to work is just as easy, it you want it to be. I live 17 miles from work.  4 miles of that is washboard dirt path.  3 miles of it is steep winding canyon with no shoulder and [...]

It is remarkable to see companies making products in the US and really doing a great job at it.  In fact, the only companies left making products in the US (that have not gotten bailed out) are probably making a remarkable product- because recessions have a way of thinning out the field. We want [...]

Collision type #6: The Left Cross A car coming towards you makes a left turn right in front of you, or right into you. This is similar to #1. How to avoid this collision: 1. Don’t ride on the sidewalk. When you come off the sidewalk to cross the street, you’re invisible to turning motorists. 2. Get a headlight. [...]

Collision Type #1:  The Right Cross This is the most common ways to get hit (or almost get hit). A car is pulling out of a side street, parking lot, or driveway on the right. Notice that there are actually two possible kinds of collisions here: Either you’re in front of the car and the car [...]

Another great question.  Many electric bikes put the weight of the motor in the wheel, which accounts for several pounds of unsprung mass.  The following writeup on unsprung mass was taken from Wikipedia: In a ground vehicle with a suspension, the unsprung weight (or, more properly, the unsprung mass) is the mass of the suspension, wheels [...]

This question came in from Aryeh: It does rain where I live. Do the fenders provide real protection from wheel splash, or are they more for style? Batteries are expensive. Are they contained in the frame in a way that they can’t be stolen? Thanks, Aryeh Thanks for your questions.  The Optibike fenders were designed with both function and [...]

Great Question.  A great electric bicycle is perfectly balanced, the Optibike has the lowest center of gravity of any electric bike. Balance and Performance based design Award winning electric bike designer and former National Motocross champion Jim Turner designed the patented Optibike monocoque frame from scratch to include 4 key elements: balance, style, performance, and safety. Balance The [...]

This question was most recently asked by Gary Ares, who writes for a blog about E-bikes at www.velochef.com: The answer: Maintaining an Optibike is much like maintaining a traditional bike, with a few exceptions.  Because the bike is heavier and you will go faster- the tires and brakes will wear out faster.  Also, because the Optibike uses [...]

This question comes up quite often, this week from Bill in Ontario: Electric bikes make cycling fun for a wide range of people.  For example, I know people who are VERY FIT who use the electric assist to make long distance commuting possible at higher speeds.  Because the Optibike is designed to be pedaled, and most [...]

It pains me to write this article. A quality product is so much more than the sum of the parts yet at the same time a quality product needs to be made from quality parts, so sometimes we have to break apart the whole to see what it is made from. In electric bikes, you [...]

Riding an electric bike is about freedom (the real kind),exhilaration, fitness, fun, and a host of other emotions/sensations.  Where does range and distance fit into this experience? Having adequate range on an electric bike is about having NO LIMITS.  Whether you are cruising the open road, getting groceries, or exploring a vast [...]

There are four main types of batteries in use today on electric bikes: 1. Lead Acid (Old, large,heavy technology) 2. Nickel Metal Hydride (used in Optibike 2007) 3. Lithium Phosphate (A123 Style) 4. Lithium Cobalt (used in Tesla Electric car, Optibike) Battery capacity is are rated in amp –hrs (ah), but all capacity ratings are not the same. [...]

In the next 2 weeks, the first Womens Specific Optibike Electric bike will be available for delivery.  What makes the womens bike good- for women? 1)  Lightweight.  The Optibike Helia is specifically designed to be as light as possible. Air filled suspension. The front and rear suspension are filled with air, not heavy oil giving Optibike riding [...]

Another great question.  Your answer: Jim Turner designed the Optibike to work as real transportation for people.  He wanted to overcome the limitations found in other electric bikes such as limited range (often caused by small batteries), limited speed, limited hill climbing ability, poor styling, and poor handling becuase of poor design.  The Optibike was designed [...]

Great Question Chris, Here is your answer: The short answer is that good battery life can be obtained for any use profile.  Optibike’s advanced lithium-ion battery technology does not suffer from either the “memory effect” associated with nickel battery systems that dictates full discharge periodically to “erase the memory.”  It also does not suffer from sulfation-like [...]