When people think of an electric bike, they often think of clunky equipment with the added heft of a battery and a motor. Folding bicycles, although lighter, often are viewed as having less power, and in some cases are considered less versatile than standard bikes. The makers of the Smacircle S1 are looking to change up the space with a foldable eBike that can fit into a standard backpack and doesn’t sacrifice speed or spiff.
Smarcicle S1 weighs 15.4 lbs and easily folds up in five sequential parts: front wheel, rear wheel, handlebar, saddle, and body. These eBikes are making me thirsty…
While electric bikes can take up a lot of room, that isn’t the case with the Smarcircle S1; it’s 19 inches lengthways. The bike’s full dimensions when unfolded are 34.3” x 37.4”. Folded it is 11.4” x 19.3” and 7.5” x 19.3”. To put that in perspective, a typical MacBook Pro is 13 inches. The bike is also both compact and light; if you’re not storing it in a backpack, you can easily carry it by holding onto the saddle.
Despite the small size, the Smarcircle S1 is equipped with a 35V/240W motor that can cruise at up to 12mph at up to a 15-degree angle. The battery is designed to last up to 12 miles on a single charg and the bike supports up to 220lbs of weight. When depleted, the battery can be recharged in 2.5 hours. Smarcicle S1 also has built-in USB charging so that users can charge their mobile devices as they ride.
For safety, Smarcircle S1 has embedded electronic brakes that are more sensitive than traditional brakes. Users just have to press the brake button on the handlebars and the motor will stop. Smarcircle S1 has a braking distance of 4 meters at 12.4mph.
As an additional safety measure, there also is a front light and sidelights beside the saddle that are visible to traffic and pedestrians. For comfort, Smarcircle’s handlebars are easy to adjust, and the saddle is soft for lengthy rides. There’s also a mobile phone holder which makes it easier for users to rock nav while they ride.
As with many vehicles of the smart-age, this one also comes with an app. Available on both iOS and Android, the Smarcircle S1 app allows users to lock and unlock the wheels of the bike, monitor battery usage, adjust the speed while in motion, track routes, and view trip metrics. In addition to unlocking/locking the bike via the app, the security lock automatically recognizes when the user’s phone is within range of the bike, automatically opening up access.
So far the makers of Smacircle have raised over $88,000 via through their Indiegogo campaign (about to blow past 300% of the original goal) with an estimated shipping date of October 2017. Available as of this article, there is still early bird pricing at $649 that gets you a Smacircle backpack and Smacircle S1 eBike.
Charles Costa
Charles Costa is a marketing specialist helping technology companies grow, one word at a time. You can learn more at CharlesCosta.net
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Without the app, I would not even look twice at a product like this. There is a lot to control and when you can do that with your smartphone, there is a certain level of consumer ease that comes into play that really sells a portable electric bike like this.
As more people get around the big cities with something like this, companies are really coming forward and making it easier for them to do so. Being portable and electric really speaks volumes to how the company feels about the consumer and the ease of use for them.
With something that seems to rely on new technology, I am shocked that the company only needed that little bit of money. The fact that it raised that much more shows you how interested people are in alternative transportation.
being able to charge that battery in less than 3 hours really makes this a product that would work for those that do not want to walk to work and do not own a car.
The first thing that I am thinking about is the bike and the small wheels. Are you having to really watch where you are going to avoid any sort of bump in the road or risk getting tossed around like a ragdoll?
I thought that as well, but I have seen people on small wheeled scooters and the like get around pretty good. I am sure this would be the same.