British Company Launches The World’s Lightest Electric Bicycle

A British manufacturer based in Winchester, Hampshire has just launched the world’s lightest full size electric bicycle. At 13.6Kg, the Cytronex Powered Cannondale Capo weighs less than many unassisted bicycles and yet has the power of an additional rider.

Modern Times Ltd is well placed to capitalise on the growth in the ebike market having launched the first bikes to look and ride like conventional bicycles last year. Their Cytronex power assistance and lighting system is fitted in Winchester to existing quality bike brands like Cannondale, Genesis, Ridgeback and Claud Butler. To achieve their trademark “invisible assistance” the battery looks like a water bottle, the motor is about the size of a hub dynamo and the electronics are concealed. The result is that only the rider knows the bike is electric and when the power is switched off the ride is almost identical to the same bicycle before the system was fitted.

Now Modern Times has gone a stage further by producing ultra light single speed bikes designed for city commuters. The Cannondale Capo and the Genesis Day One are easily light enough to be lifted into an apartment or the office. Single speed bicycles are now very popular in cities across the UK and Modern Times say they have proved to be very well suited to power assistance, a view that is shared by the well regarded industry magazine – AtoB which has a review of the Capo in the August/September 2009 issue.

The new Cytronex single speed system removes the key disadvantages of single speed bikes by adding powerful hill climbing and fast acceleration, and exploits the efficiency advantage by keeping speed in the optimum efficiency range for both rider and motor. A sensor continually monitors pedalling speed so that just the right amount of power is applied to give smooth, silent thrust and an average range of about 25 miles per battery charge. The battery can be recharged from empty in just 1.5 hours using around 2p’s worth of electricity.

The Capo and Genesis are very simple to use – the power is left off for low speed control such as weaving through traffic, assistance is turned on with the thumb switch for fast acceleration and hill climbing. From a standing start the power kicks in after just one pedal stroke and quickly whisks the bike up to the optimum speed, which is ideal for getting away from traffic lights fast.

The single speed bikes add to the company’s current line up of 5 bikes, including the Cytronex Powered Cannondale Synapse Flatbar which at just over 15Kg is possibly the lightest multi geared electric bike in the world.

Cytronex power assisted bikes cost from £1295 and are also available to purchase through the government’s Cycle to Work Scheme which gives cycle commuters a big saving on the cost of a new bicycle. See www.cytronex.com for details or call 01962 866122.

Cytronex Powered Cannondale Capo Electric Bike