Sir Clive Sinclair, the English egghead that invented the revolutionary ZX Spectrum computer, and then went on the make the widely ridiculed C5 electric trike, is back with another, erm, electric bike.
Maybe Sir Clive was just way ahead of his time when he launched the C5 back in 1985, as this pod-like electric vehicle actually looks pretty smart today. The egg-shaped bubble is called the X-1, and works a lot like a recumbent, with a comfy seat, forward-mounted pedals and a nice, high, chopper-style handlebar. Then things get interesting.
The X-1 packs a 24v lithium-polymer battery which drives a slightly underpowered 190-Watt motor via a fixed-gear drivetrain. Disk-brakes front and back provide stopping power and built-in lights let the cars see you sat down in the road.
The whole vehicle weighs 30Kg, which is rather heavy for a bike, and I wonder if it could make it up a steep hill with that 190 Watt motor - especially as recumbents aren't so great at climbing as it is. It could be heavier, though: the lower shell is made from carbon fiber to reduces weight (the chassis is steel and the screen is acrylic).
Most astonishing is the price, something that Sinclair managed to get right almost every time. The X-1 cost just £595, or $962, making it as cheap or much cheaper than many more normally-styled electric bikes.
In London, bike use has rocketed in recent years thanks to better infrastructure and rising transport costs. Could Sinclair's X-1, which is uniquely suited to England's rainy climate, actually take off? Maybe, but don't expect this to be a welcome site in the capital's bike-lanes, which the product blurb assures us the X-1 is allowed to use.
Available 2011.
Sinclair X-1 [Sinclair ZX]
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