Let’s be honest, 2020 hasn’t had a whole lot of positives but it has been the year of the electric bike. Thanks to progress made in the last 12 months it’s now possible to look as stylish and go (almost) as quickly on a battery powered bike as it is on the classic petrol version. Onyx’s RCR Electric Bike is, according to the company themselves, ‘the most fun ride on two wheels’. That is a big claim, so let’s see what lies behind it.
We start with the most important aspect of any bike: Power. This electric beauty can travel at 60mph which may not sound like much, but when it comes to the real world, you are rarely travelling above that speed anyway. The lightweight makeup of the bike, it weighs just 145 pounds, means the acceleration is massive, and the 3kW continuous rear hub that relies on a 72V 23Ah motor will whizz you along nicely.
Importantly, a full charge on the bike will take you 75 miles and the size of the battery should mean it charges relatively quickly in comparison to its four wheel cousins. This is the bike we’ve been waiting for. But, like all good things in life, it doesn't come cheap.
The battery-powered beauty will set you back £3,070 ($4,149), which is actually a fair price given we are still in the infancy of this technology and considering the price of other bikes on the market. For that sum you get a steel tube chassis and a hydraulic disk brake, with regenerative braking. With a LED headlight and taillight, an LCD display panel to give you all the information you need and three mode drives to boot, this can suit all your needs. Economy mode keeps things quiet, while other modes allow you to engage full power.
Oh, one other thing. It looks blooming spectacular! One of the simplest designs we have seen in recent years, it gets the job done with no frills, but it has made itself look sleek rather than plain. Anyone else getting Steve McQueen vibes? Makes this baby your great escape...