Americans urged to get on their bikes -- hybrid ones
By James B. Kelleher
CHICAGO (Reuters Life!) - Americans who haven't cycled for years but are worried about the environment are being urged to take up pedal power -- on a new hybrid bike unveiled on Friday.
Designers at the Trek Bicycle Corp., one of the largest U.S. bike makers, came up with the idea of a hybrid bike after noting Americans preferred automatic to manual transmissions in cars and were warming to the idea of hybrid powertrains.
The designers built a bike combining the two technologies -- and marketed it as an easy-to-use, environmentally friendly alternative to the car for short trips.
Calling the new bike Lime, they are hoping to lure the millions of adult Americans who haven't been on two wheels since they were children back in the saddle.
With just three speeds and old-fashioned, pedal-backwards brakes, the Lime isn't designed to appeal to Lance Armstrong wannabes.
It's designed for the more laid-back casual rider or daily commuter looking for affordable, stylish and basic transportation that can be customized -- the bike equivalent of Toyota's Scion brand.
The technological heart of the Lime is a three-speed automatic transmission developed by Shimano, which uses a computer sensor to monitor the bike's speed and shift the gears up or down.
When the bike is brought to a stop, the computer -- which runs on energy generated by the bike's front wheel -- automatically returns to first gear. When the rider encounters a hill, the bike automatically makes it easier to pedal up.
"It's a really sophisticated system but it's really simple for the user," said Hans Eckholm, the bike's chief designer.
"The simplicity is unique. The racing bikes I work on are very precise machines that have lots of mechanisms that have to be tuned and controlled and adjusted. This bike is the kind of bike you get on with your jeans and just ride. You don't have to think about any of that stuff."
The Lime, which comes in two versions priced from $499, features a saddle seat that flips up for storage, puncture-resistant tires that automatically seal, and color kits, bells and baskets that let owners personalize the bike.
During a test drive of the Lime on Friday, the aluminum bike proved to be as easy to operate as suggested although the seat was a bit uncomfortable, a problem Trek's staffers insisted could be fixed with a minor adjustment.
"It's designed to go get coffee, run down to the grocery store, go to work if it's relatively close and you have a nice path to get there," said Eckholm.
"It's not a bike for people who think of biking as fitness. This isn't an exercise bike. It's a fun bike."
