Beat Bike

[matthew]

Anyone got any experience of a Beat Bikes? Apparently they are a 1 hour range electrical assist folding bike.

Due to my office being part of a sustainable transport network we are being offered one of these to raffle to the staff and a discount for other purchasers.

My biggest concern is where to mount any luggage e.g. saddle bag or brompton bags. Oh and I fear the handling could be a death trap.

[Kim]

It probably doesn't go fast enough to be a proper death trap.  Single speed transmission, low centre of gravity, and the electric assist will cut out above 25kph.

It's got limited range, has wheels and is faster than walking.  Lack of proper luggage can be mitigated by the usual rucksack or messenger bag.  You're getting less sweaty with a motor doing half the work, and won't be riding that far on it anyway (looks like it might be a good option for staff transport around a campus, rather than as a commuter bike).  I'm more concerned about the absence of lights.

[matthew]

I hadn't looked as far as lights 

It is obviously being marketed to us as a ride to the station and 0.5 miles from the station to the office type of transport.

[Andrij]

I hadn't looked as far as lights 

It is obviously being marketed to us as a ride to the station and 0.5 miles from the station to the office type of transport.

A bike for half a mile?  Does your employer consider walking too dangerous?

[Kim]

An electric utility bike without integrated lights is just sloppy, I reckon, but I suppose they're a UK company (we don't expect bikes to have lights here) and trying to keep the costs down.

But yeah.  The overall concept seems valid (including engineering down to a price), but the question remains whether they're actually any good.

[Kim]

A bike for half a mile?  Does your employer consider walking too dangerous?

As I say, that seems like a useful piece of kit for someone doing a job that involves a lot of meetings etc in random parts of a university-style campus.  Most people can walk half a mile, but they can cycle it a lot quicker, which soon adds up over the course of a day and gives them more time to do their actual work.  Certainly better than using cars or vans, assuming they don't have to transport anything more than a laptop.

I suppose it's equally applicable to a mixed-mode commute, where the electric assist can avoid the usual problems associated with hills or getting sweaty.  It's not designed for us 'cyclists'.

[matthew]

I hadn't looked as far as lights 

It is obviously being marketed to us as a ride to the station and 0.5 miles from the station to the office type of transport.

A bike for half a mile?  Does your employer consider walking too dangerous?

Some of us can't walk that 0.5 miles each way each day 

I would think most will use it to get to the station at the other end from home. Cycle parking at the stations on this line is typically poor to nonexistant.