A few things on my mind . . .
- Massive Thank You follow-up #1: Thank you again to everyone at Finished Art. Just the fact that you all were interested in the bikes was more than enough for me.
- Wood Monocoque/Bike Bodies : “How can it be strong enough?” . . . .”It must be heavy”. . . . “Have you patented the construction?” Questions and comments I enjoy hearing (hopefully not because the folks asking are watching too much Shark Tank but because they’re thinking about how things work!). My typical response includes a trip back in time to the monoxylon (“one” + “tree” in Greek) and beyond to the first known dugout canoes dating to 8000 years ago. Strong, durable and about as patentable as fire . . . The bikes just reflect advances in available technology and maybe a bit more emphasis on style.
- Bike Performance . . . how fast, how long, how far . . . ? Answering these types of questions with precision requires nailing down more variables than (most of) you would care to read about here. At some point I’ll publish hard data with all the stuff engineers love but in the interim . . . Prototype 1 is almost 1 year old, has 2865 miles on it and I’m smallish at 155lb.s/70kg.s, ride it in a moderately hilly area and typically see top speeds hovering around 35 mph with range between 15 and 22 miles. Acceleration and hill climbing is better than a typical 50 cc scooter/moped . . . and handling is much more spirited. On a related note, the prototypes weigh between 115 and 120 lb.s and have fully adjustable suspensions.
- Press/PR: Anyone can bring their ideas to life. The author of Sandy Springs Reporter/E. Eldridge – Cycle Story does a much better job of relating that statement to the bikes than I could here or anywhere.
