The Folding e-Bike: Urban Transportation Solution?
September 12th, 2011 by 
Sure, a bike is a great way to get to the farmers’ market or library on a lazy Saturday morning, but what about M – F? No one wants to show up to work sweaty or rain-soaked. But what if there was a bike that made it easy to switch from pedaling to public transit to walking, according to the circumstances?
Award-winning designer Gabriel Wartofsky recently launched a Kickstarter campaign for a lightweight, compact, intuitively folding electric bike he calls “the solution to the first and last mile commute problem.”
What many urban commuters struggle with is the question of how to get to the train or bus station without using their car, and then how to get from the station to their destination without using a taxi or walking.
Wartofsky thinks his ultra-light e-bike is the answer. Commuters can use it to zip from their home to the public transit hub without breaking a sweat. Then, it can be folded in seconds and carried on without fear of taking up too much room or getting axle grease on office clothes.
“We never had a car growing up: we lived our lives by bicycle,” said Wartofsky. “My parents took us to school on bikes, we went to the store and transported groceries by bike – we lived our lives by bike. I want people to experience again the magic of the bicycle my mother lived by for most of her life. My design challenge was to design an e-bike that will enable commuters to re-acquaint themselves with the hidden magic that surrounds daily travel. An easy, fun way to get around. And I can’t do it without you.”
Follow Wartofsky’s progress on Facebook, Twitter, and his designer blog, and sign up to get the newsletter on his web site: www.consciouscommuter.com.
Article by Beth Buczynski, appearing courtesy Crisp Green.
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