This Week’s E-Bike News Headlines
Bosch Adds New Theft Deterrent Features for Consumer & Commercial E-Bikes
Image Source: Bosch
Details about the new features were presented at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. At the consumer level, Bosch e-bike owners will be able to flag stolen e-bikes and/or batteries via the Bosch Flow app starting at the end of January. This allows stolen items to be easily identified, making it much more difficult for a thief to resell the bike or its parts.
Pairing stolen e-bikes with the Flow app is also blocked. Additionally, dealers will receive a system notification advising them about the stolen items when connecting a bike to Bosch’s diagnostic software.
To enable these features, Bosch’s e-bikes, and their motors, batteries, and displays will be linked to the owner’s profile within the company’s management system. This information is shared between the Flow app, dealers’ DiagnosticTool software, and Bosch’s eBike Support system.
The goal of these new features is to prevent theft, and, if a bike is stolen, to increase the likelihood that it can be recovered by its owner. This feature rounds out Bosch’s app-enabled security suite, which also currently includes a bike lock, a battery lock, and an alarm function.
For commercial purposes, Bosch’s ConnectModule now allows owners to remotely deactivate bikes in their commercial or rental fleets if they aren’t returned. Owners also have remote access to data for each of their bikes, including its location, charge level, estimated range, mileage, and service history.
This feature can be incorporated into fleet management software, making it easy for business owners to monitor bike status, ride data, etc.
Our Take:
Regardless of whether they are used personally or commercially, there’s no disputing the fact that e-bikes can be a significant investment. Those made with Bosch components are typically on the more premium end of the spectrum, making them even more valuable.
We hope these new measures will successfully reduce and prevent e-bike theft, and we appreciate the steps Bosch has taken to allow users to secure their e-bikes and recover them if stolen.
New E-Bike and E-Motorcycle Laws Go Into Effect in California
As of January 1st of this year, Californians need to be aware of a few big changes to the laws governing e-bikes and electric motorcycles (also called e-motos), as well as their enforcement.
For starters, Assembly Bill 544, which addresses e-bike safety, requires that e-bikes be equipped with a rear-facing reflector or a red light that includes a reflector. The red light can either be solid or flashing. Lights and reflectors must be on at all times, with the goal of increasing visibility and reducing or preventing e-bike-related crashes.
New e-moto regulations require all off-highway electric motorcycles, such as Sur Rons and Talarias, to be registered with California’s DMV. Their use on all walkways, sidewalks, and public roads is now strictly prohibited, and electric vehicles of this type must comply with all laws governing off-highway vehicles (OHVs).
When it comes to the enforcement of e-bike-related laws, minors operating e-bikes—or their parents—can be cited for infractions, depending on the situation. At this time, specifics are unclear.
Minors cited for riding without a helmet can clear their fines by taking a California Highway Patrol safety class.
Our Take:
The enactment of Assembly Bill 544 is unsurprising, especially considering the rise of e-bike-related accidents over the past few years. We support measures implemented to increase safety, and considering that most e-bikes come equipped with integrated lighting (and that all bicycles and e-bikes are required to include reflectors), this step seems minimally invasive. We’re hopeful that it makes a difference in keeping riders safe!
California’s steps to restrict e-motos seem smart, and in some ways, a long time coming. We will be curious to see if other states adopt similar measures to control the irresponsible use such bikes have become synonymous with in many locations across the country.
The ability of law enforcement to cite the parents of minors violating e-bike laws is likely a good way to encourage responsible use. We believe education to be the best approach when encouraging young riders to behave safely and responsibly, so we’re glad to see California offer classes as a method of discharging fines.
Cannondale’s Founder, Joe Montgomery, Dies at 86
Image Source: Pinkbike
Montgomery founded Cannondale in 1971, building its reputation on innovation in both materials and designs. Initially, the company gained traction for manufacturing a bike trailer called “the Bugger.” At a time when other brands exclusively used steel for their bike frames, Cannondale began mass-producing the aluminum ST-500 touring bike in the 1980s.
In 1997, it released its first non-aluminum bike, the carbon fiber Raven trail bike. Cannondale also gained fame from two unique suspension forks: the Headshok was a monoshock-style urban fork, while the Lefty XC fork boasted a mind-bending single-sided design.
Unfortunately, Joe Montgomery lost the company to a private equity firm after trying to branch into motorcycles; he filed for bankruptcy in 2003. Currently, Cannondale is owned by the Dutch conglomerate Pon Holdings, which also governs other well-known cycling brands, such as Schwinn, Mongoose, and GT.
In recent years, Montgomery ran a software company in Florida. He is survived by five children, including his son Scott, who served at different times as Cannondale’s co-president and vice president prior to its bankruptcy, as well as three grandchildren. Memorial services were held last weekend.
Our Take:
Iconic companies often don’t become legendary by playing it safe, and Joe Montgomery’s legacy of risk-taking and innovation clearly helped to further cycling technology and the industry as a whole. After all, most e-bikes we test and review are made with aluminum frames, which may not be the case if Cannondale hadn’t pioneered the material’s use.
We’re grateful for Montgomery’s contributions and we admire his bold spirit. We also wish comfort to his family and friends during this difficult time.
