The Gocycle turned heads when it was unveiled two years ago and its successor, the G2, looks just as well thought out. It retains the original's stylish injection-moulded magnesium frame and looks likely to offer the same excellent ride quality but adds optional electronic shifting and torque sensing, a handlebar 'dashboard' and an increased range.
The new bike will be made by Flextronics of Hungary – chosen because of their expertise when it comes to both injection-moulding and electronics. A limited edition run of the top-of-the-range G2R model (€2,999) will be available later this month, in continental Europe only.
Lower-priced S and L variants will be available in the UK from spring 2012, the G2S spec lacking the torque sensor and electronic security of the G2R. The R and S models have a claimed weight of 14.9kg, range of 40 miles and top speed of 15.5mph – the European legal limit. They also boast an 'Empower' mode that boosts top speed to 20mph. Check out the video below for a closer look at some of the G2's key features:
Gocycle g2r
The initial production run of 3,000 £1,495 Gocycle G1s sold out earlier this year, with around half being sold in the relatively small UK market. The company say 2012 will be "a year focused on Europe, high quality and high reliability, working closely with our new partner Flextronics for a smooth ramp-up in production".
Gocycle founder Richard Thorpe told BikeRadar: "Gocycle do very well here [in the UK] due to our innovation – perhaps more so than other, more traditional e-bikes. We're probably about two to three years behind other parts of Europe, but electric bicycles will substantially replace traditional commuter bikes over the coming decade.”