World’s most stylish electric bicycle retro fit

A small and stylish-looking electric motor that clips to any bicycle in less than a minute and power up to 15 miles of cycling looks set to revolutionise the electric bike market.

Most conversion kits available currently weigh in at 10-15kg and require a toolbox and some skills in electronics and mechanics to install them. According to the designers of the Rubbee, most electric bike conversion kits make your bike look like a DIY experiment.

There’s no doubt the Rubbee looks stylish. And much thought has gone into the way it works, too.

The friction wheel that drives the bicycle's rear wheel is cast from a special polyurethane formula developed to provide maximum grip by rubbing as opposed grinding; hence the name, Rubbee.

The only sticking point for British users is the Rubbee’s power output - electric motor integrated inside the roller is electronically limited to 800W, which is higher than the 250w you have to keep to if you want your bike to remain a bicycle in the eyes of the law. In practice, the fact that the Rubbree conforms to the maximum assisted speed of 15.5mph means you would be unlikely to attract the wrong kind of attention on the roads, but insurance would be a problem. Cycle insurance from the ETA extends to electric bicycles and would cover a bike fitted with the Rubbree against theft, accidental damage and third party liability up to £5m if it conformed to the legal limit of 250w.

Many people consider the limit of 250W and 15.5mph unnecessarily strict not least because a fit cyclist on a good road bike routinely reaches 25mph+ on the flat.

Electric bicycles...what's the rub?

The price, range and practicality of electric bicycles makes them the most viable option for those wanting the benefits of a battery-powered vehicle today, so it’s perhaps unsurprising that the market is already worth £5.5 billion a year and forecast to grow. There are a few possible explanations for why sales of electric bicycles in Britain remain relatively sluggish. We routinely overlook bicycles best suited to ‘utility cycling’ in favour of beautifully-styled racing and off-road designs - even cyclists who might really benefit from the occasional push from an electric motor are likely to be reluctant to swap their sleek hybrid, road bike or MTB for an electric model that is heavier and more cumbersome. In other words, a well-designed occasional electric motor like the Rubbee may find a ready market.

The Rubbee has yet to hit the shops but you can buy one for £699 at Kickstarter

Spiritual successor to the Velo Solex

The simplicity, practicality and style of the Rubbee make it the spiritual successor to the Velo Solex. As iconic an image of traditional France as the beret or baguette, the ‘Velo Solex’ is the distinctive moped with a petrol engine over the front wheel of a bicycle that it’s still possible to spot in rural backwaters. The moped, which was available in any colour as long as it was black, recently underwent a dramatic makeover at the hands of Pininfarina, the designers best known for designing Italian supercars including Ferraris.

The need for cheap and reliable transport in the post-war years gave birth to the Velo Solex, Piaggio Vespa scooter and the Honda Super Cub; with over 60 million sales to date, the world’s best-selling motorised vehicle. The ungainly-looking original Solex was launched in 1946 worked surprisingly well and became hugely popular in France.

In its latest incarnation, the Velo Solex has swapped its small petrol engine for a rechargeable electric motor that can be charged via a standard 240v socket. The new Solex range comprises the Velosolex folding ebike, the Solexity low-step ebike and the e-Solex e-scooter. Prices range from £1,300 to £2,000.

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