About Grant Ryan
YikeBike founder, Grant is an addicted inventor and entrepreneur. He has founded a number of companies including GlobalBrain.net (sold to NBCi), RealContacts, SLI Systems (profitable fast growing SaaS search company) and Eurekster (North America Red Herring 100 in 2006). He is on the board of Canterbury Development Corporation and has also served on the board of the New Zealand Government's $140 million Venture Investment Fund and $430 million Foundation for Research Science and Technology. Grant has a degree in Mechanical Engineering and a PhD in Ecological Economics from the University of Canterbury. The YikeBike perfectly combines his love of mechanics, environment and innovation.
YikeBike on the cover of Time magazine
Time magazine have just listed the YikeBike as one of the top inventions on the year. Very nice to be recognised - thank you to Time for that. Check the YikeBike on msnbc.msn.com.
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Hey! Way to go. Strikes a chord with me. I like it, in part, because I like gizmos! Yes, you could use a bicycle. But what about 'take it with you'? That's compelling. Get one. Insure it. And pay for it
with your bus fare over time!
I like the idea and innovative concept my suggestion to your demo is : please use safety helmet this will be safer and also for demo reason create better perceived image.
The counties we are selling in cyclists typically don't wear helmets and the serious accident rate is far lower than countries wear helmets are compulsory. As unlikely as it sounds "there is an active scientific debate, with no consensus, on whether helmets are useful for cyclists"
We encourage you to use a helmet where ever you do not feel safe on the roads.
The video only show flat riding, how does it handle slopes??
Check out the hill climbing in this video
The YikeBike looks attractive, modern, and for an elecric bike, is very light. The video is very professional.
However, I'd like to make a few points. I think the the YikeBike encourages a sedentary lifestyle. You sit on your YikeBike on the way to work. You sit in you office. You sit on the way home. The guy in the promotional video should be doing more exercise!
What happens when it rains. Would you consider providing a version of a YikeBike with a roof?
Where will YikeBikers ride? On the pavement they will be slow (too many curbs) and get in the way of pedestrians. I would feel vulnerable on a busy road. It is the similar to recumbant tricycles, the YikeBike is a bit too low down. At least with a bicycle, you are higher up and can see over the cars.
Sorry to be so negative. Good luck!
If you are interested in why the YikeBike won't make you fat see the previous post. The YikeBike is designed to go on the road like other bicycles so it is unlikely we will have one with a roof. The YikeBike has a more upright riding position than many bicycles to you can see and be seen better in traffic. It also has a number of safety features the bicycles don't such as Anti-Skid brakes and built in lights and indicators.
I think that there is a lot of potential for something like this, especially if you know how to market it, but I wonder what makes you so confident that it won't flop the way Segway scooters did? Eight years on for them and the average working class person or no/low-income student can't afford to buy one because the price is still too high. In my opinion, these are the people you need to target as your priority customers, since they will benefit the most from a product like this and over time, they will also bring you the most profit.
I'm assuming with the other more recent comments on this discussion that the cost is intended to drop over the next few years, but by how much do you see that happening?
I'd also like to know what impact the steep slopes have on the battery life; say for example, I want to drive a 10km distance, constantly up and down hills (exceeding the 5 meter slopes shown in your tests), what kind of range can I expect to see now? 6km? Maybe less? Is there an option for a spare battery? How quickly can I replace it?
I'm really interested, but I'm not convinced... not yet anyway.
Thanks for your thoughtful comments
The YikeBike was actually inspired by the Segway and the reason we think it has even more potential is that is is less than a quarter of the weight, a firth the volume, with more safety features. This means it can link in with all existing transport infrastructure.
Even our first high tech carbon version is cheaper than the Segway and long term we think the price has a potential to reduce dramatically. See www.minifarthing.com for the list of ideas for future versions. The Tesla car company is criticised for producing a high performance product first before getting to a cheaper version but this is the reality of how new technologies come to market. Our aim was to make sure the first product is a superb piece of engineering that far out performs any comparable product
Yes like all batteries steep slops will reduce the range and life of the battery. We will give details of the full battery specifications once all the testing has been done and we will at some stage offer additional battery packs.
tahnks,
This is an amazing concept. Especially for the big European cities.
Do you have a tricycle (two back wheels) or attachable
training wheels?
We don't have training wheels as most people find it very easy to learn to ride. We have had requests for training wheels for users with limited mobility and we may develop this some time.
I commute both in the City(London) and countryside(Essex), 20km in each to be exact.
If I wear a helmet I get a lot of "close calls" specially with trucks.
Since I stopped wearing a helmet its a lot better now, trucks give me extra space because they see us more vulnerable.
Cycling is SAFE! I do 40km every day with no problem! Check statistics! dont be a sheep! think for yourself!
I like the Yikebike concept, but 8-10 miles??
Thanks for comment. We will offer a version with larger range but see this blog post for reason why the range is so small. http://yikebike.com/site/blog/why-range-so-small-9-10-km-rubbish-compare...
Gentlemen: the "bike" is fantastic and I truly admire the innovation and environmentally - friendliness of the bike.
I do ask though, that you consider promoting safety in all of your advertisement and media coverage by ensuring all riders are shown wearing helmets.
In any kind of cycling, a helmet is your head's best friend.
cheers
In most of our target markets helmets are not worn by cyclists. We don't wear when testing as we have NEVER hit the ground. You are only ever going the speed of running and can just step off the front. The YikeBike has safety features that most bikes dont have, electronic anti-skid brakes, build in lights, indicators and brake lights, speed limited.
This is an amazing concept. Especially for the big European cities.
unfortunately the NZTA in New Zealand will not be able to understand that this is a bicycle. As it has a 1.2kW motor in it, it will be classified as a motorised vehicle. That means that anyone driving it needs to wear a motorcycle helmet, needs to have a drivers license and the YikeBike will have to be registered..
So even though the YikeBike has been developed right here in NZ, we cannot use it here to experience the "Urban Freedom".
A true shame..
We are working on the regulations to have it approved in New Zealand and other countries. We think the YikeBike is safer than a normal bicycle http://yikebike.com/site/faq
The video only show flat riding, how does it handle slopes??
Check out this test video http://yikebike.com/site/blog/yikebike-testing-video. One of my favourite things about using the YikeBike is going up a hill and catching up on a Lycra clad cyclists puffing away.
please!
10km range for 4000 euros?
you could buy 4 decent real bikes - make that 6
wle.
Your comment is like when the first iPod came out saying I could buy 4-6 CD players for the same price. The whole point of the YikeBike is that it does things you cant do with you bike. It is only 10 kg and a third of the size of any other 20 inch folder and can be taken on the train, bus, put under your desk etc.
Check this out to see the reason for the range http://yikebike.com/site/blog/why-range-so-small-9-10-km-rubbish-compare...
I'm really interested, but I'm not convinced... not yet anyway.
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