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--- transportation:electric_bikes [2026/06/04 01:24] – [Electric Bike Company] timb
+++ transportation:electric_bikes [2026/06/18 01:12] (current) – [Ariel Rider] timb
@@ Line 1847: / Line 1847: @@
 https://electrek.co/2026/05/14/how-i-learned-to-stop-worrying-and-love-pedaling-my-e-bike/
+== The real reason why e-bike throttles have gotten worse ==
+Micah Toll - Jun 8 2026 4:29 am PT
+I’m going to say something that may make me sound old, but I just don’t care. E-bike throttles used to be better in the old days.
+Not every e-bike throttle, of course. There have always been good ones and bad ones. But if you’ve been riding e-bikes for a decade or more, you’ve probably noticed the same trend I have.
+Over the last five to ten years or so, the industry has largely abandoned right-side half-twist throttles in favor of left-side thumb throttles. And that’s a meaningful downgrade, especially in North America, where the throttle reigns supreme in the e-bike world.
+I’m not talking about opinions. There are lots of opinions on many things regarding e-bikes, and they’re pretty much all valid. I respect everyone’s opinion. And if your opinion is that you prefer a left-side thumb throttle, then that’s fine – more power to you!
+But objectively speaking, biomechanically speaking, as a human being speaking, right-side half-twist throttles are simply, objectively, and undeniably the functionally better choice for an e-bike throttle.
+And the kicker here is that the shift away from them didn’t happen for reasons of malice or cost savings or really anything I can fault the e-bike companies for. Ultimately, the worst part of all of this is that the trend happened for mostly understandable reasons. I can’t fault them, but I can resent them nonetheless.
+https://electrek.co/2026/06/08/the-real-reason-why-e-bike-throttles-have-gotten-worse/
+== Who killed the lightweight commuter e-bike? ==
+Micah Toll - Jun 16 2026 5:10 am PT
+There was a time, not all that long ago, when the electric bicycle industry seemed headed in a very different direction. The promise of the e-bike was elegantly simple: take a normal bicycle and make it easier. Easier to commute, easier to climb hills, easier to ride farther without arriving sweaty, and easier to replace car trips.
+And for a while, that’s exactly what much of the industry built.
+The typical commuter e-bike of the late 2010s in the US was moderately light, often around 45-50 lb (20-22 kg). It looked like a bicycle because it was a bicycle – just one with a somewhat discreet motor and battery added in (ok, maybe discreet packaging wasn’t the highlight of early e-bikes, to be fair). But generally speaking, these bikes had narrower urban tires, modest motors, and geometries that still prioritized pedaling.
+Then something changed. Today, the US e-bike market is dominated by machines that often weigh 70-90 pounds (30-40 kg), with some even surpassing 100 lb (45 kg). These are normal, not extreme examples. These are average e-bikes today. They wear fat tires, carry giant batteries, and boast oversized hub motors. Many feature motorcycle-style bench seats, dual crown suspension forks like motorcycles, and enough power to whiskey-throttle new riders right into a fence.
+And I’m not saying that lighter e-bikes don’t exist anymore, but they’re now the exception instead of the rule. The lightweight commuter e-bike didn’t exactly die. But it definitely got pushed out of the spotlight.
+https://electrek.co/2026/06/16/who-killed-the-lightweight-commuter-e-bike/
@@ Line 2711: / Line 2744: @@
+===== 2026 =====
+== Here are the best electric bikes you can buy at every price level in June 2026 ==
+Micah Toll - Jun 7 2026 1:33 am PT
+I’ve spent countless hours here at Electrek doing detailed hands-on testing of hundreds of electric bikes. Through thousands of miles of riding, I’ve been fortunate to learn these e-bikes inside and out, top to bottom and front to back. That long-term experience with real-world e-bike testing has helped me find the best electric bicycles on the market for just about any budget.
+Below are some of the top e-bikes I’ve hand-tested for every price range, current as of June 2026. With summer ready to hit us full force, it’s time to get back in the saddle! Check out the awesome e-bikes below, any one of which could become your next electric bike.
+This list is divided into several price ranges. We’ll start with the best e-bikes under $1,000, then move on to the under-$2,000 category, under-$3,000 category, etc. The goal is to highlight some of my favorite models in various budget ranges to help you make the right decision based on your needs and budget.
+https://electrek.co/2026/06/07/here-are-the-best-electric-bikes-you-can-buy-at-every-price-level/
@@ Line 2921: / Line 2967: @@
 https://electrek.co/2022/04/06/ariel-rider-kepler-launched-as-1800w-fat-tire-electric-bike-with-long-range-and-32-mph-speed/
+==== Kepler ====
+== Ariel Rider Kepler review: A big, safe, fat tire commuter e-bike with style ==
+Micah Toll - Jun 15 2026 7:07 am PT
+Ten years ago, if you had told me that I’d be riding what I would soon call an “excellent commuter e-bike” despite it weighing 118 pounds (53.5 kg) and rolling on 24×4.0-inch fat tires, I probably would have laughed. Today, though, I’m not so sure.
+The Ariel Rider Kepler occupies a category that doesn’t really exist on paper but makes a lot of sense in the real world: the fat tire commuter. Plenty of riders buy adventure-style e-bikes and end up using them almost exclusively for city riding anyway, enjoying the comfortable fat tires, upright riding position, and confidence-inspiring handling. Ariel Rider seems to have looked at that trend and decided to lean into it instead of fighting it.
+After spending a good amount of time riding the Kepler, I came away impressed.
+It’s powerful without being ridiculous, it has enough battery capacity to make range anxiety almost disappear, and at its current sale price of $1,999, it feels like a lot of e-bike for the money.
+To see the bike in action, check out my video review below. Or if you’re more of a reader, keep scrolling for the full article below.
+https://electrek.co/2026/06/15/ariel-rider-kepler-review-a-big-safe-fat-tire-commuter-e-bike-with-style/
 ===== Aventon =====
@@ Line 4578: / Line 4648: @@
 https://arstechnica.com/cars/2025/05/gazelle-medeo-t9-city-e-bike-review-steady-as-she-goes/
+==== Ultimate ====
+== Gazelle launches new 28 MPH e-bikes, bringing Dutch comfort to fast American riders ==
+Micah Toll - Jun 9 2026 6:00 am PT
+Gazelle has unveiled a completely redesigned Ultimate platform in North America, giving riders a faster take on the company’s signature Dutch-inspired comfort and refinement.
+The new Ultimate C380+ 2.0 and Ultimate T11+ are both Class 3 e-bikes capable of reaching speeds up to 28 mph (45 km/h), but Gazelle says the focus wasn’t simply on making a faster bike. Instead, the company aimed to create a platform that remains comfortable, stable, and confidence-inspiring at higher speeds.
+That philosophy feels very much in line with Gazelle’s reputation. While many Class 3 e-bikes chase speed through bigger motors and more aggressive geometry, Gazelle has built its name around premium commuter and trekking bikes that emphasize ride quality just as much as performance.
+When I had the chance to tour Gazelle’s factory in the Netherlands a couple of years ago, that focus on rider-first comfort and control was on display as key to the company’s ethos.
+https://electrek.co/2026/06/09/gazelle-launches-new-28-mph-e-bikes-bringing-dutch-comfort-to-fast-american-riders/
@@ Line 5275: / Line 5362: @@
 https://arstechnica.com/cars/2025/12/lectric-xpress-750-a-full-sized-bike-for-the-budget-minded/
+==== Company ====
+== As VC-backed e-bike startups went bankrupt, bootstrapped Lectric grew ==
+Kirsten Korosec - 10:38 AM PDT June 5, 2026
+Lectric eBikes, a Phoenix, Arizona-based company known for its practical and affordable XP series electric bikes, has launched three new brands so far this year — a Juiced Bikes relaunch, a new Juiced Powersports brand, and now a premium adventure brand called Monarc — an expansion strategy that runs counter to the wave of bankruptcies that have plagued the sector.
+Together, Lectric has put about $10 million toward these initiatives, CEO Levi Conlow told TechCrunch.
+“Others might be pulling back, or raising money, we’re actually deploying and investing into initiatives like this,” he said. “I actually don’t think the market is saturated right now; Lectric last month had its biggest sales month in our company’s existence and we sold almost 30,000 bikes. I’m not sure anybody has done that before, even at like peak COVID.”
+https://techcrunch.com/2026/06/05/as-vc-backed-e-bike-startups-went-bankrupt-bootstrapped-lectric-grew/
@@ Line 6241: / Line 6343: @@
 https://www.forbes.com/sites/scottkramer/2025/08/06/why-cant-more-e-bikes-be-like-this-new-model/
+==== Vorsa FT ====
+==  The Ride1Up Vorsa FT Is a Full-Frame Fat Tire Ebike That Does It All ==
+Friday June 12, 2026 - Will Sileo
+Fat tires have a way of ruining you for anything else. Once you’ve ridden them on truly rough terrain, soft sand, or the kind of potholed San Francisco streets that’ll rattle your fillings out, going back to narrower rubber can feel like a compromise.
+I’ve been riding the base-level Ride1Up Vorsa for about a year now. It’s become my go-to for grocery runs, passenger duty, and getting around the city in general. Great bike. But there was always one thing nagging at me: I missed the fat tires from when I tested the (now discontinued) Ride1Up Rift back in 2023. The Vorsa’s 2.6-inch tires are perfectly capable in most conditions, but SF’s rougher streets – and the occasional beach or trail detour – have a way of reminding you when you’re running narrower rubber.
+Enter the Vorsa FT. Same DNA as the original, same integrated rear rack that lets you haul cargo or a full-sized adult passenger (a feature that’s genuinely rare on a full-frame fat tire ebike), but now with four-inch fat tires that open the door to a lot more terrain. At $1,695, and with meaningful tech upgrades like Apple FindMy and plenty of ways to tune the ride feel, it’s a hard value proposition to argue with.
+Bottom Line: With cargo-bike-esque carrying capacity thanks to the integrated rear rack, a full-size frame, and fat tires, the Vorsa FT is ready for anything from grocery runs to hauling a full-sized adult passenger and off-road adventures.
+https://www.theinertia.com/gear/ride1up-vorsa-ft-fat-tire-electric-bike-review/