Ready to go into production by the time EUROBIKE takes place

Bicycle manufacturers go shopping regularly. The art of building a good bicycle includes selecting the best of the many OE (original equipment) components available on the world markets and independently developing from them an attractive and functional new machine. Ahead of EUROBIKE, the international bicycle fair which will take place September 1-4, 2010, several trends in the electrical drive components can already been seen. These trends will be incorporated in the new models manufactured by e-bike suppliers at the fair in Friedrichshafen.

In total, more than a thousand exhibitors will showcase their bicycle products in Friedrichshafen. E-bikes will be particularly well represented. The electric drive systems can be tried out on various test courses.

In addition to new circuit and suspension technology, drive components for e-bikes and pedelecs are increasingly becoming the focus of attention.

E-bikes exhibit strong growth
The e-bike market is booming: in the past year, the Zweirad-Industrie-Verband (ZIV) [two-wheeled industry association] has reported an increase in the market volume in Germany of a very healthy 50 per cent. And in the Netherlands, one in eight newly purchased bicycles now has electric pedal power support. The technology is developing as fast as the sales volume grows.

Compact bottom bracket motor
A showcase for this development is Clean Mobile AG. This company, based in Munich, has been building components for electrically driven light vehicles for some years now. An example of these is the delivery bicycle used by Deutsche Post. The know-how acquired here has been used by Clean Mobile to develope a particularly compact and powerful bottom bracket motor: the housing, in which the motor including all the reduction gears and bottom bracket motor is accommodated, measures just 15 cm. But the most interesting point of the Clean Mobile drive is not only its compact design. The developers have also succeeded in reducing the high rotation speed of the electric motor largely loss-free to between 70 to 90 revolutions a minute, which is compatible with bicycles. As a result, a very high proportion of the motor power is also transmitted mainly to the back wheel.

Shimano’s new electric drive
Apart from the fact that it is definitely coming, little is known at present, even in industry circles, about the long-awaited electric drive from the leading component manufacturer, Shimano. Some industry insiders will be able to cast an initial glance at the Shimano system in the near future. What will they see there? Perhaps a combination of Shimano’s successful gear hubs with e-bike technology? The industry will certainly learn more at EUROBIKE.

Bosch introduces its own drive system
Another novelty is eagerly awaited in the industry concerning the bottom bracket motor. It is no longer a secret in industry circles that the Swabian electronics giant, Bosch, has been working assiduously on its own drive system. One of its first customers will be Cannondale, the American bicycle manufacturer. Bosch is intending to launch this product at EUROBIKE, although some product managers in the bicycle industry have already had a first glimpse behind closed doors of the new drive components.

Wireless key chip cards
The supplier, TranzX PST, demonstrates what can be done with wireless technology. The Taiwanese have developed a key chip card, like those that some owners of luxury limousines will already have in their possession. The only difference is that these cards by TranzX PST do not start a Mercedes or BMW but rather an e-bike. The interesting feature here is that as soon as the e-bike rider and the keycard move away from the e-bike, the drive switches off automatically and switches on a vibration- controlled alarm system.

High level of price acceptance
The price trend for e-bikes is currently a hotly discussed subject. To the great joy of the bicycle industry, a relatively high price acceptance for e-bikes has established itself amongst consumers. And there is a good reason for this: an e-bike is a long-term investment with a high utility value. Making savings at the wrong end may well be a source of frustration after a year or two when the batteries for cheaply acquired e-bikes fail and can only be replaced at great cost.

Components in the e-drive: smaller and lighter
High-quality e-bike technology has now matured and has already proved its practicality a hundred fold. The e-bike industry, above all, is working on making the appropriate components even lighter and more powerful. Finally, the declared aim of many suppliers is to produce an e-bike that will not be noticeable as having electric features even at second glance.

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