Think
“bicycle” and most people imagine a handlebar, wheels, and pedals
attached to a diamond frame. A chain converts the power generated by leg
muscles into mechanical energy to drive the contraption forward. That’s
been true for nearly 150 years. A new bike I’ve been testing from a small Dutch startup hopes to change your way of thinking.
The Volta, pictured above, is Byar Bicycle’s
first e-bike. Its striking step-through design and floating saddle are
the first things you’ll notice. The second is the lack of a chain.
That’s because this bike is shaft-driven. Moreover, it features an
electric assist provided by an oversized rear hub that cleverly conceals
a 250W motor; controller; Bluetooth and GPS radios; sensors to measure
torque, slope, and cadence; and a 160Wh battery that can automatically
recharge itself.
The Byar Volta is an electric city bike designed for
urbanites with a penchant for luxury, not speed. It’s for the
two-wheeled casual commuter with a desire to stand out from the crowd
and pockets deep enough to absorb its starting price of €3,500, or
almost $4,000.
I’ve been testing a Volta prototype for the past few
weeks. It was delivered to me by Renier Meuwissen, owner of Byar and the
bike’s designer. My ride is a model produced in 2018 for a city-wide
ride-sharing venture that never took off. The 2019 Volta that went on
sale two months ago in The Netherlands was tweaked to incorporate
lessons learned from the 2018 prototype. As such, I can’t offer a full
review. I do have some detailed impressions of the prototype I rode that
should still apply to the 2019 model.
But first, let’s discuss the merits of shaft drives and all-in-one motors.
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