BikeBiz Bicycle and cycling retail news
The Flit-16 folding electric bike, designed in Cambridge by an ex-Jaguar Land Rover engineer, has been launched today.
“Our vision was to make an electric folding bike that feels great to ride, whilst keeping the convenience of a compact commuter bike,” said Dave Henderson, technical lead at Flit. “Using my background as an automotive engineer, I focused on the e-bike’s geometry to give a comfortable and responsive ride, perfect for city journeys.”
Designed to be electric from the start, the Flit-16 was developed around a custom lithium-ion battery pack that has been built into the top tube. This reduces its weight whilst maximising the rigidity of the frame. The 250 Wh battery uses the latest generation of LG cells, offering 30 miles (50 kilometres) range on a single charge.
In the rear wheel, a high torque motor provides a boost to the rider’s own effort. Both the rear light, which is built into the back of the frame, and the fixed front light are controlled via the handlebar display. The rear light also functions as a brake light and offers visibility during night riding.
The e-bike weighs 14 kilograms including the battery, and it can be folded in ten seconds. The frame is made from a heat-treated 6000 series aluminium alloy. For durability, key contact surfaces have been reinforced with stainless steel inserts to minimise wear.
“We’ve seen growing support and excitement for the Flit-16. After receiving positive feedback from hundreds of test riders and experts, we’re excited to launch it on July 30th,” added Alex Murray, co-founder of Flit.
For its design innovation, Flit has won multiple grants and has support from the Design Council, the University of Cambridge and the Department for Transport. The Flit-16 recently won the ACID Design and IP Champion award and has also been selected as a Eurobike Startup Award finalist.
The Flit-16 is currently available for pre-order on Kickstarter. The crowdfunding campaign starts on 30th July and runs through to 7th September 2019. Limited Kickstarter pricing begins at £1,250, saving over £1,000 on the final retail price.
