Requested $50,000 on kickstarter but received >$70,000 in one day - Riide

Wow, I just love stories like that! The funding they have gotten so far is incredible. The bike looks pretty rad too.

Congratulations
 
Awesome find Ravi! They did an amazing job with the artful presentation. I like the poem at the beginning and then the more down to Earth connection they made at the end. I'm kind of surprised it shot up that quickly because the bike seems sort of expensive to me and the features are a bit basic. Maybe some of the sponsors have never heard of an ebike before. There is definitely a lot of marketing going on here, these are some of my favorite moments ;)
  • "disc brakes, the same kind used in motorcycles and cars"
  • " Just like a Tesla . . . harnesses the energy from braking"
  • "Lasts All Day (and Night) . . . has a 25 mile range"
  • "Infinite gears" = one gear, one motor
  • "Invisible battery" = can't see it, can't remove it
All kidding aside, I love the light weight intelligent throttle that goes 20+ when pedaling if twisted simultaneously. This seems like a neat simple solution that cuts costs and complications vs. a separate pedal assist switch or LCD computer. It might tire your wrist out over longer rides however... The wide metal pedals looked nice and the regenerative braking and two year warranty are cool. It's a unique combination that's well suited to young active riders that prefer to pedaling and don't weigh much. These are the specs I caught:
  • 350 watt gearless rear hub motor with regenerative braking
  • 36 volt 9 amp hour Lithium-ion battery pack
  • ~2.5hr charge time, ~25 mile range, 26" wheels, 35lbs
  • derailleur hanger so you can add a cassette and have gears vs. single speed
A few questions came to mind when I was watching the video:
  • Is the battery pack removable?
    • Someone asked this but there has been no answer.
  • Are there multiple frame sizes? Low step?
    • They posted that it only comes in one size: "we have found in giving hundreds of test riides that this size frame fits almost everyone"
  • Do both brake levers activate regenerative braking?
riide-frame-size-and-geometry.jpg
riide-electric-bike.jpg

ps. this Kickstarter project caught my eye, a one wheeled skateboard for $1,300 that you control by leaning... Pretty sweet! http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/4422853/onewheel-the-self-balancing-electric-skateboard
 
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