Now Funding: A-Spadz Cavet e-bike

With electric bikes, they often look like your standard bicycle that has a small motor and power pack strapped on. Gets the job done, but perhaps not the most stylish-looking thing, right? Well, what it you took the idea of cafe racers styling, stripped out the motor, added some pedals, and kept the more robust mechanicals in the suspension and brakes? You’d have something approaching the A-Spadz Cavet.

Over the last year, I’ve been out on my bike a LOT more than I have in, say, the last decade. I’m fortunate to have trails nearby that I can get onto to pedal (or jog) and those have been my main way of exercise. At the same token, my car has been sitting, quietly rusting in the driveway. While I have a feeling my motorcycle days are behind me, something like the A-Spadz Cavet could help fill the gap as being a commuter vehicle (to/from the train station) or even something to go bombing along the trails to go see some friends, or perhaps a stop at a local micro-brewery (for carryout, of course).

To my eyes, the A-Spadz Cavet really started as a cafe racer, at least on paper. While the engine is gone, you’ve got lights fore and aft that would easily work on a current road bike, with beefy tires that wouldn’t look out of place on a fat tire bike (another something I’ve thought about, but those aren’t inexpensive). And that’s something worth talking about. Against your entry-level hybrid bike, the A-Spadz Cavet seems rather expensive. If you start looking at something like a fat tire bike, or even a small 125cc roadbike, then it becomes a much more economical option.

The big thing here with the A-Spadz Cavet is the 48V 20Ah battery and electric motor. While you could conceivably just let the battery drive you forward (as I saw someone doing this weekend), the big win here is using it to assist your own pedaling, going down the trail or even climbing up a hill. Sure, you won’t get as much of a workout in that manner. Then again, you want to work, keep the juice off and just let your legs do the pedaling. With a 73lb weight (including the battery) plus youtself, you’ll get yourself a workout – compared to the 30lb or so weight an average bike might have.

Now, at a top speed of 28 MPH (the limit for these bikes by law, it seems) you’d be barely street legal, so this won’t be go everywhere, do everything sort of a bike. However, if you’ve got a good bike lane system, or trails nearby, this could certainly be a solid commuter option, one that won’t have you show up sweaty. Or, you know, this could be a great vehicle for getting around a campground or a quick jaunt into town without needing to fire up the family truckster. Whatever the case, with pricing starting at $1,499 it’s certainly a very intriguing option, especially given the styling.

The bigger question for me is that battery (and motor) pack. All the other mechanicals – brakes, tires, and so on – you can probably find parts or get a local shop to work on it. The battery and motor, though, that’s an open question for a new thing like this. We’re reaching out to the brand, and if we can get a loaner in for a review, we’ll be sure to let you know how things are. The campaign is running on Indiegogo – and while it’s not hit it’s goals just yet, it’s running until the beginning of May, with shipments anticipated for July. campaign page / aspadz.com

Tech Specs from A-Spadz

Patrick Kansa

A big data developer and leader with a penchant for gadgets, books, watches and beverages. You can find my work on WristWatchReview, Knapsack.News, and Slushpile. If you're on Twitter and/or Instagram, you'll find me there as @PatrickWatches.

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