Another week, another kickstarter... this time we're bringing you the UrbanX smart electric wheel. It's a plug-and-play e-bike conversion kit: just drop out your existing front wheel and replace it with this, and you're off and running.
Okay, we know that's not a new concept: the Copenhagen wheel and the FlyKly wheel spring to mind, as do half a dozen others. That doesn't mean it's a bad idea, though: it's the simplest way to get power to your bike, and you can fit it in a matter of minutes.
The UrbanX wheel will be available in 350W/20mph and 250W/15mph incarnations, so there's an EU-friendly version for us Brits. In essence it's doing the same as other all-in-one wheels we've seen: putting everything in the hub so it's a simple job to fit it. There's one fairly major difference from other designs: the battery is a removeable unit, so you can carry a spare one to double your range. UrbanX claim the 125Wh battery unit will give you a 20-mile range. That's – how shall we put this – optimistic. You'll probably want to go for the two-battery option if you've got anything more than pootling to the shops planned.
Like your fridge, your toothbrush and your light bulbs, the UrbanX wheel can talk to your smartphone. There's an app which allows you to access the three different levels of pedal assistance on offer. If you prefer there's a throttle control, although the legality of using that in the UK is questionable.
UrbanX claim a 6.8kg all-in weight for the wheel – that seems pretty realistic – and if you want to sign on the dotted line then you can still at time of writing get the early bird price of $299 for the EU-friendly Eco wheel. A two-battery kit costs $429.
To find out more head over to the kickstarter campaign.
