I haven’t been on a bicycle in ages but I clearly remember how much I hated some of the hills I had to trek across to get to my destination. The technique of course was to zig zag making it easier to conquer the hill. Or sometimes I would simply get off the bike and walk it up the hill before hopping on continuing the ride. Back then, I would wish for mini rocket boosters to help me go up the hill but now it’s almost 2014 and we can’t be wasting expensive fuel and polluting our air. Now it’s all about hybrid and EV vehicles and this is where the Copenhagen Wheel comes into play. The Copenhagen Wheel has been an ongoing project between MIT and the city of Copenhagen. The wheel essentially turns your regular bicycle into a smart electric hybrid by simply replacing the back wheel.
The Copenhagen Wheel learns how you pedal and integrates with your motion. If you pedal hard while going up hill, the wheel will push you forward with increasing power. If you pedal gently, the wheel will ease on the power level. With the Copenhagen Wheel, the biking experience is still there unlike a pure electric-bike. You can enjoy your ride while traveling farther, faster, and easier by having three to ten times your foot power. Just like hybrid vehicles, the wheel also features a regenerative braking system which captures energy when you apply the brakes or go down hill and stores it in an integrated lithium battery pack.
All the technology for the wheel is contained within the red casing such as the motor, removable battery, smart lock system, wireless connectivity, and other features. There is also an app you can download (but not necessary) which allows you to monitor the system. You can keep track of distance traveled, calories burned, elevation climbed, and even control how much of a push you get from the Copenhagen Wheel. At the present moment, the wheel is only available in 26-inch or 700C but other wheel sizes will be added at a later date. The replaceable battery pack is good for 1,000 cycles and then needs to be replaced as it is only 70% efficient.
In Europe, the wheel will feature a 250W motor (25km/h) while in the US, it will feature a 350W motor allowing for speeds of 20 mph (32km/h). The Copenhagen Wheel will set you back $799 but as the early-bird special for the first 1,000 customers, you can get yours for $699. Shipping of the Copenhagen Wheel will begin in the spring of 2014.
