E Bikes in the late 1800s

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ldrcycles
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E Bikes in the late 1800s

Postby ldrcycles » Fri Oct 12, 2018 5:26 pm

Stumbled across this gem while searching Trove today, a tandem e-bike made in 1897! The technology has improved a touch since then, for starters modern e-bikes don't weigh TWO HUNDRED AND NINETY FIVE KILOS :shock:


Bottom half of the 3rd column-
1897 tandem e-bike
"I must be rather keen on cycling"- Sir Hubert Opperman.

Road Record Association of Australia
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foo on patrol
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Re: E Bikes in the late 1800s

Postby foo on patrol » Sat Oct 13, 2018 3:40 am

:lol: :lol: :lol:

Foo
I don't suffer fools easily and so long as you have done your best,you should have no regrets.
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find_bruce
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Re: E Bikes in the late 1800s

Postby find_bruce » Sat Oct 13, 2018 6:28 am

Who would want to be a wheel builder to carry 295kg + 2 riders.

I wonder if you could use the battery to make it easier to push it uphill after the riders got off & walked, remounting for a scary descent with ineffective brakes
It doesn't get easier, you just get slower
Tamiya
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Re: E Bikes in the late 1800s

Postby Tamiya » Sat Oct 13, 2018 9:54 am

Sounds like it's built to be a record maker/breaker? Geared to 120" & meant to go 35mph for an hour on zinc-carbon primary cells (aka "Super Heavy Duty" single use batteries today).

Probably needed to be a tandem for pilot to steer & first engineer to throw the switches.

Amazingly it ran, given that it was built by BMC at the Humber motorcar factory in Coventry... it'll be using LUCAS ("PRINCE OF DARKNESS") electrics :D
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