At 58 lbs., the OB1 isn’t light. To make up for the weight of the battery and motor, the OB1 is built on an aluminum monocoque frame and is fully loaded with ultralight carbon fiber handlebars, wheels and derailleur. The OB1 is about 20 lbs. lighter than comparable bikes
The custom monocoque frame houses all of the electronics including the battery away from the elements and protected from impact. The battery snugs into the frame in the area that would be the down tube in traditional tubular-style bikes. The low, vertical placement gives the bike a low center of gravity, increasing maneuverability.
From the Fox front and rear suspension, Chris King headset, kevlar-reinforced Schwalbe tires, SRAM drivetrain and Avid Code oversized Hydraulic Disk Brakes, components on the OB1 will be recognized by mountain bikers as the highest-quality on what is essentially a downhill mountain bike.
Other extras on the OB1 include GPS navigation, a fully integrated PDA that displays all of the performance details of the patented Motorized Bottom Bracket, ultrabright dual halogen lighting, the lithium-ion battery charger, toolkit, lock and tire pump.
The Review
The OB1 is a serious workhorse. Because it’s so heavy it can even be a little unwieldy for the unskilled user while walking the bike and maneuvering it around tight spaces. But let me tell you, once on the bike, it does not feel or ride like a 58-lb. bike. With its aluminum monocoque frame, cushy front and rear suspension and the low-center of gravity, this bike was stiff and responsive and an absolute joy to experience.
I found that the burly disk brakes performed beyond my expectations in wet and/or muddy conditions and didn’t fade when they got warm. That can be especially useful while regularly traveling at 35 miles per hour. The hydraulic disk brakes made slowing from 35 down to a dead stop a matter of a simple one or two-fingered operation.
The bike looks and rides like a mountain bike, that is, until you depress that little thumb-throttle. Whether feathering the throttle for an occasional boost or pinning it to maintain a high top-speed, the Motorized Bottom Bracket seemed to operate in tandem with normal bike operation. I found the Optibike’s 850w motor to be particularly helpful climbing some hills in my neighborhood that only the fittest of bikers can get up. In fact, this may be one of Optibikes strongest selling points. For commuters who would like to bike to work but have always been intimidated by long ride or a particularly daunting hill, the Optibike can get you where you need to go relatively quickly, and in some cases, faster.
The pricetag may be a steep, but when you consider that all Optibikes are custom-made in the USA — and that custom made full-suspension downhill mountain bikes with these kinds of components are expensive period — the price point of the OB1 becomes more understandable.
Imagine the money savings in gasoline if you were actually able to replace some or all of your automobile use with this thing. Bikes go places cars can’t. Bikes can go places scooters and motorcycles can’t.
The folks at Optibike expect the price of their bikes will likely come down somewhat as the company grows and scales up production. But these are not meant to be mass-produced bikes anyway.
The only downside of getting to ride the Optibike on trails and around town was that after the four days of riding it, I had to give it back.
*Whether calculating for a car, bike or there are (at least) two ways to calculate the MPG equivalent of an electric vehicle. The Energy Equivalent formula: 36.6 kwh/gallon of gas = 2287.5 (36.6/.72) x 45 = 2287.5
**The average American pays $0.119 per kWh of electricity (EIA July ’09), meaning the 0.72 kWh needed to give the Optibike a full charge with a 45-mile range would cost roughly $0.09 (.119 x .72 = 0.086). If ≈ $0.09 can power the Optibike for 45 miles, then the $2.59 the average American pays for a gallon of gas (EIA Sept ’09) could instead power the bike for 1355 miles ($2.59 ÷ $0.086 x 45 = 1,355)
***All images except one stock photo show bike w/out front and rear fenders, standard on all Optibikes.
Photos Timothy Hurst. Follow Tim on twitter.
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About Timothy B. Hurst
