GeoOrbital Wheel – Make your bicycle electric in 60 seconds
Three ‘rocket scientists’ (their own words) have presented a new concept on Kickstarter for converting an 'ordinary' bicycle into an electric bicycle. The concept, for which a patent has been applied for, replaces the front wheel of an existing bicycle with a special wheel: only the rim turns; the remainder of the wheel is stationary and accommodates the motor, the Li-ion battery and the frame that holds the rim in place.
Three ‘rocket scientists’ (their own words) have presented a new concept on Kickstarter for converting an 'ordinary' bicycle into an electric bicycle. The concept, for which a patent has been applied for, replaces the front wheel of an existing bicycle with a special wheel: only the rim turns; the remainder of the wheel is stationary and accommodates the motor, the Li-ion battery and the frame that holds the rim in place.
The system uses regenerative braking and charges the battery whenever the wheel turns and the 'throttle' is turned down; when you're slowing down, go downhill or simply cycle. Via the USB connection you can even charge your phone like this.
The wheel is available in two diameters: 26-inch and 700C (compatible with 28- and 29-inch). The motor is a 500-W brushless DC type, which can reach a top speed of 20 mph (32km/h). The battery in the smaller wheel has a lower capacity (6Ah) compared to that in the bigger wheel and offers a cruising range of 48 km. Its bigger brother with its 10-Ah battery achieves a range of about 80 km.
More information at Kickstarter.
The system uses regenerative braking and charges the battery whenever the wheel turns and the 'throttle' is turned down; when you're slowing down, go downhill or simply cycle. Via the USB connection you can even charge your phone like this.
The wheel is available in two diameters: 26-inch and 700C (compatible with 28- and 29-inch). The motor is a 500-W brushless DC type, which can reach a top speed of 20 mph (32km/h). The battery in the smaller wheel has a lower capacity (6Ah) compared to that in the bigger wheel and offers a cruising range of 48 km. Its bigger brother with its 10-Ah battery achieves a range of about 80 km.
More information at Kickstarter.
