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The old saying goes that “you don’t need to reinvent the wheel,” but that’s exactly what the startup GeoOrbital did with their ingenious modular gadget. They’ve created a special bike wheel that you can swap with your traditional tire, making your pedal-driven ride an electric one in under a minute. Equipped with a brushless DC motor, Lithium-ion battery, aluminum unibody, and flat-proof tire, the GeoOrbital can go the distance—it reaches speeds of up to 20 miles per hour for up to 20 to 50 miles. Best of all, it’s compatible with 95% of all adult-sized bikes.
GeoOrbital boasts that it’s easy to make the switch from conventional to electric tire. To do this, you simply snap off the front of your old wheel and replace it with the motorized counterpart. Three smaller wheels set against the rim in a triangular formation, and they propel the bike forward. In addition to the tire, there’s also a throttle that you attach to your handlebars that has a power button and indicates battery life.
Earlier this year, GeoOrbital ran a successful Kickstarter campaign—they raised over $1.2 million—and continue to take preorders on their website. They’ll begin shipping in February of 2017.
Above photo credit: The Verge
Photo credit: The Verge
Photo credit: The Verge
Photo credit: The Verge
Photo credit: The Verge
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s22QKOM5Fao?rel=0&w=750&h=422]
GeoOrbital: Website | Instagram | YouTube | Facebook
via [Inhabitat, The Verge]
All images via GeoOrbital unless otherwise noted.
