We get some strange phone calls and emails here at A to B. Many are from inventors, usually claiming to have invented (or more disappointingly imported) the lightest, fastest, smallest electric and/or folding bicycle known to modern science. We’re always polite, because amongst the also-rans, there are bound to be a few gems. And you never know… a surprising amount of today’s mainstream technology started a decade ago with some lone nutcase metal-bashing in his bedroom.
Usually, the phone call is the last we hear, because the invention only really existed on the back of a beermat brought home from the Rose & Crown, but on this occasion, the inventor arrived a few days later, carrying a beautifully-finished prototype that really was smaller and lighter, etc, etc. Obviously, we sat up and took notice.
Adrian Walker is a young man with a mission. As a member of the post-dotcom generation, he was looking for the next big thing and like many with experience of city commuting, he decided that alternative transport might be worth pursuing.The result is a battery/motor system designed to fit scooters and bicycles.
The Spingo system has a number of clever features. Superficially, it’s a cross between the sadly defunct Zap friction-drive motor and the Sinclair Zeta bicycle drive. If that doesn’t sound very promising, don’t worry, because Adrian has refined the technology to produce something that appears to be both practical and stylish.
The battery pack is NiMH. Instead of a plastic case, the individual cells are sewn into a fabric ‘wrap-pack’ that simply wraps around a scooter stem, bicycle frame tube, or even your waist.That doesn’t sound like rocket-science, but it’s a practical solution to a long- standing problem.The only disadvantage is that the batteries look remarkably like a roll of explosives. In a world where terrorists have no qualms about blowing themselves up, security forces are inclined to shoot first and ask questions later… Mind you, if you’re the sort of bod who finds urban terror-wear chic, you’ll no doubt view the prospect of becoming collateral damage in the war against terrorism a small price to pay. Battery packs will be available in Black, Khaki, Camouflage or Urban Camo (yes, really).
How it works
The drive unit is small and extremely light. At its heart is a Maxon RE40 motor, not dissimilar, we’re told, to the motors that drove that funny little tea tray across the dusty plains of Mars.These tiny Swiss motors are credited with efficiency of up to 98%… something that’s a bit difficult to verify.
Drive is transferred by a toothed belt to a neat friction roller, drilled like a Swiss cheese.The whole unit is spring-loaded against the wheel, but can be retracted and locked out of use when required. Control is via a little drum that clips to the handlebars, offering speed control and two power modes. Like many such machines, power is set to come in at above 1mph or so, protecting the motor from overload and acting as a safety cut-out when stationary.
Weight and size are perhaps the key selling points here – the motor/drive unit weighs about 1kg, and with switchgear, wiring and batteries, you’re looking at all-up weight of 4.5kg (10lb).That’s about the same as the Sinclair Zeta, but much lighter than the more comparable Zap, which weighed 8.6kg. On a typical micro-scooter, gross weight comes out at 8.5kg (19lb), which is noticeably lighter than the 10kg Xootr eX3 we tested back in October 2001. On a lightweight folding bike, you’d be looking at 15kg, or about 35lb, which would put it in a class of its own, some 5kg lighter than anything else we’ve tested.
OK, it weighs less than your average touring bike in power-assist trim, but how does it go? We only had the chance to ride the scooter option, but we can confirm that speed topped out at about 14mph. Fitted to a scooter, the range is claimed to be up to 20 miles, although this was achieved in the much slower ‘economy’ mode, and on a smooth warehouse floor.
With our experience of such things, we’d suggest that the 192Wh pack might propel a scooter for 12 to 15 miles, and a bicycle for 20 or more, assuming a ‘typical’ pedal input from the rider. If that sort of mileage can be achieved, a Spingo scooter would give four times the range of the Xootr and three times that of the Zappy, at a comparable speed.
Practical?
Powered scooters are, of course, illegal in the UK. But this one is relatively civilised: quiet, controllable, light and compact. However, we’re more interested in the bicycle application, because power-assist kits are rare and something this small – provided it offers reasonable performance – would suit the sort of user looking for modest power with complete anonymity.
Price is expected to be in the region of £350-£500 for a kit, but production is still some way off, and dependent on Adrian and his engineering colleague finding backers. Not necessarily financial – business and technical help would be welcome. Any takers?
Adrian Walker
Aphid Designs Ltd
Unit 8d Chalford Industrial Estate
Stroud
GL6 8NT
Tel: 01453 886366
mail: info@aphiddesigns web: www.aphiddesigns
