elby bike san francisco
Sometimes you want to go for a bike ride, but other times you just need to get from point A to point B. In true hybrid style, the Elby bike straddles the best of both worlds. The chargeable e-bike will happily take you for a spin along a scenic bike trail, but if you need to tackle hills on your commute to work, you’ll be thankful for the battery power to boost your weary legs.
Elby founder Frank Stronach explains his vision for the bike: “I’ve always thought the shortest distance between two points is boring. Fred [Gingl, Elby cofounder] and I have long shared a passion for stylish, efficient transportation and the inherent simplicity, versatility, and pure joy of riding a bicycle,” he says. “With Elby, we wanted to marry that joy with a modern, sophisticated design with fully integrated technology and category-leading range that’s incredibly easy for anyone to ride.”
elby bike black one-speed
So what makes the Elby a stand-out? Well, it’s definitely cool that it arrives via concierge delivery, fully charged. It’s fitted to you out of the box (the low-access frame accommodates riders from five feet to six feet, five inches tall), so you can hit the ground pedaling. Test riders report being stunned by how smooth and steady the battery-assisted ride is.
The e-bike battery will take you on average 90 miles per charge and last up to three years if you ride every day or five if you’re a lighter user, and the state-of-the-art engine is a model of efficiency too. “Elby employs the durable, silent, fully sealed and incredibly reliable BionX D series 500 watt gearless, brushless high-torque motor,” the tech team explain. One nifty feature: When you coast downhill, you return power to the battery, so you can stay on the road even longer and farther. Thank you, kinetic energy! There’s no need to have a special license or insurance for riding the Elby either, as the assisted-ride maxes out at 20 mph.
close up elby front
The 6061-T6 aluminum alloy frame weighs in at about 55 pounds, and the bike has 26-inch Continental Cruise Contact tires that are puncture-resistant and Tektro hydraulic disc brakes for all-weather control. You can choose a basic one-speed model if you rarely encounter serious hills, or a more versatile nine-speed for commuting with consistent climbs, but no matter which you choose, both come with built-in high-power Supernova lighting that helps you see and be seen, with safety lights on the front and rear.
elby bike hill

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Plenty of thought went into the intuitive controls as well. There’s a sleek control ring that lets you change power and assist levels with your thumb so you can keep your eyes safely on the road ahead. A bonus we love? There’s a handlebar USB port so you can charge your smartphone as you cycle and a mount for holding your device securely.
And if all this wasn’t enough, this bike is smart, too! The Elby app gives you smartphone access to information about the bike, lets you plan and record routes using the navigation features, provides you with maps, and helps you chart your biking statistics and the status of your bike’s system.
All of these safety, mobility, and comfort features are the embodiment of Elby’s company goal:
“Our mission is to promote healthful lifestyles, personal exploration and create a sustainably profitable business by developing beautiful, reliable, environmentally conscious mobility solutions that move you… physically and emotionally.”
We say “mission accomplished.”