I was in Palo Alto during the Gran Fondo today and saw a RideKick electric power trailer attached to Ellen Fletcher’s Breezer Citizen!
Ellen is the 80-something year old former vice mayor and Nazi holocaust survivor who still uses her bicycle to get around. “You know breathing is getting a little more difficult for me,” she explained, reminding me that she’s recovering from lung cancer, “so this electric trailer helps me bike a little easier.”
The RideKick trailer attaches to your bike like many other trailers, but this one provides a boost with an electric motor along with some modest cargo capacity. The standard 19 lb 24V 12 AH sealed lead acid battery drives a 500 watt motor, which is governed to 19 MPH. A handlebar mounted throttle controls speed; the battery is removed for charging.
I tried it at Interbike and it works better than I expected. I expected fishtailing and other control issues from the trailer’s push while I rode through a heavy crowd at the Bike Hugger Mobile Social, but maneuverability and control was just fine with the trailer.
For more info, visit RideKick.com.
See also:
- iPhone controlled Smart Pedelec
- Ellen Fletcher
- Ellen Fletcher, Holocaust survivor
- Sanyo Eneloop electric bicycle
