A bike generator cost $50,000 but can last 10 years on an electric one.
And now a bike pump for $50 a pop can be built for a bike that weighs just 2.8 kilograms.
All of these things were considered “crazy ideas” at one point, said David Wainwright, a professor at the University of Southern California who has studied the future of bicycle transportation.
But with a $2.6-billion investment in electric bike projects from the government and major manufacturers, Wainowski said the trend is going to be the next big thing.
“The cycle pumps are going to come along, they’re going to replace the electric pumps, they’ll be the future,” he said.
Wainwright said there is a need for people who can afford to spend a lot of money on their electric bike.
“A lot of the costs associated with electric are not necessarily the cost of electricity but the cost associated with maintenance and repair, and the cost involved in getting a pump to work,” he explained.
For those who can’t afford that kind of money, the cost savings from a bike pumping is going “to be significant,” he added.
“They’re going back to being more of a sport than it was,” he predicted.
“And that’s going to mean a lot more people will ride bicycles.”