Electric bike helps you get around
Exploring different places is part of what makes flying so enjoyable. Once you arrive at your destination, though, you can’t exactly park your airplane on Main Street. For the savvy pilot with deep pockets who may not feel like breaking a sweat, the Gocycle is a nice option to get around after tiedown.
Collapsible electric bikes have grown in popularity among pilots because they are able to fit in the baggage compartments of most airplanes. The Gocycle, a lightweight electric bicycle from Karbon Kinetics Ltd., is loaded with new technology and state-of-the-art design features.
As far as bicycles go, this is a Rolex. Designer and founder Richard Thorpe brought his experience in designing lightweight race car components to the design of the 35.4-pound magnesium alloy e-bike. This flashy electric bike probably wouldn’t appeal to the budget-conscious bush pilot looking to get a good workout while mountain biking. It’s more suitable for the convenience-minded pilot who likes to stick to the pavement.
Some of the Gocycle’s features include pedal torque sensing, a variety of riding modes, an LED dashboard display, electronic predictive shifting, proprietary 500-watt drive motor, and the Gocycle Connect App via wireless Bluetooth. The adjustable seat post and frame are designed to fit most riders at the same contact points as a large-wheel bicycle. The Gocycle can travel up to 40 miles on a charge, depending on pedal input. It collapses to about 24 inches by 30 inches by 12 inches for stowing.
What’s neat about riding the Gocycle is the way it can sense your current speed—so long as you are continuously pedalling (it doesn’t matter how hard you’re pedalling so long as you are doing it)—and maintain that speed as if it were a car in cruise control. It’s fun to use the Gocycle Connect App to control your pedal effort versus speed ratio and riding modes (which include City, Eco, On Demand, and Eco+). Folding it up and putting it back together again isn’t too challenging a puzzle to solve.
All these features, along with its visual design, are impressive, but the real question is: Is all this really necessary? The answer to that question is up to you. If you are considering buying a collapsible electric bike, do you want to roll up to that $100 hamburger joint in style? If so, for $5,000, the Gocycle will do just that.
Matthew Orloff, a student pilot, served as aneditorial intern for AOPA Pilot.
Web: www.gocycle.com
Worth the weight
Club Glove’s Carry-On II luggage
By Chris Rose
As someone who spends more than 100 days each year on the road, quality luggage is as much a necessity for me as it is a luxury for some. No Louie V or Prada here. Give me tough, practical, and overhead compliant. Club Glove’s Carry-On II fits the bill. The size is perfect for several days on the road, and riveted Cordura 1000 construction means that even the angriest baggage handler is no match. The high-impact plastic wheelbase houses a pair of high-quality inline skate wheels that are replaceable—trust me, this is important because they do wear out. Overall dimensions are 22.5 inches high by 13 inches wide by nine inches deep, and the bag comes in at a reasonable nine pounds. At $379 it’s not cheap, but it’s a downright bargain compared to a comparable bag from luxury makers such as Tumi. If you haven’t heard of Club Glove, don’t worry, many haven’t…yet. Some pay for a name; I’d rather pay for $379 worth of product—and this one is worth every cent. If a flashy name is important, you can also have it embroidered with the AOPA logo.
Chris Rose is a photographer for AOPA Media.
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