This king-size electric bike makes riding a bike a breeze for tall riders. Is it the biggest electric bike in the world?
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| Image credit: DirtySixer |
DirtySixer, a bike manufacturer that specializes in rides for taller riders, has released its first electric bike, allowing vertically gifted riders to enjoy the sensation of riding at 20mph with minimal effort.
Even the best electric bikes usually come in a fairly limited selection of frame sizes, but as science and technology site New Atlas reports, the eDirtySixer fills the void for significantly taller than average riders.
At 6’6″, company founder David Folch knows all too well the difficulties of finding a bike when you’re much taller than the typical rider, and while the eDirtySixer is his first electric bike, he hasn’t skimped on the components. The bike features 36-inch wheels with Nextie carbon fiber rims and an aluminum alloy frame to keep the weight down.
A Gates carbon belt drive helps reduce maintenance, cables are routed internally to prevent damage and corrosion, and you’ll have the option of an inverted suspension fork or a rigid fork, so you can choose a setup that suits you. to your favorite driving routes.
Size matters
The bike is powered by a 250-watt Shimano STEPS e8000 bottom bracket motor and a battery built into the down tube. It has a top speed of 20 mph with pedal assist (which is legal in most of the US, but riders elsewhere will have to check their local laws) and a very respectable top range of 60 miles (same as the versatile Ribble Hybrid). AL e).
The eDirtySixer is currently a prototype, but Folch plans to put it into production soon, with pre-orders opening in the coming weeks on the DirtySixer website and delivery expected next year. We don’t have exact prices yet, but the suspension model is expected to cost just over $8,000 (around £6,000 / AU$10,000), while the non-suspension version will be a bit lower.
It’s certainly at the higher end of the price scale for an
electric bike, but understandable given the specialized engineering involved, the quality of the components, and the likely low production run.
Opinion: it’s about time
Many bike manufacturers now offer at least a couple of frame sizes, and we’re starting to see more companies offering the option of drop-in or step-through frames, but the e-bike world isn’t particularly inclusive yet. when it comes to height.
Many great
e-bikes like the Cowboy 4 are optimized for riders between 5’5″ and 6’3″. That’s fine for someone my height, but it would be totally inappropriate for my brother, who’s 6’6″ in socks, or most of my girlfriends (according to the Cleveland Clinic, the average height of a woman in the US is 5 ‘4″).
Electric bikes are fantastic for accessibility, opening up bike lanes and roads, and freeing people from cars. However, we really need a much wider variety of frame sizes. It’s possible to outfit a regular pushbike with an
e-bike conversion kit, but it’s great to see companies like DirtySixer creating e-bikes specially designed for those outside of the standard height range. Hopefully, both shorter and taller riders will soon have a lot more options.
