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And on that note, while the Stokemonkey really shines in assist with cargo bikes, it's not confined to that role. Paul Brodie recently built a sporty suspenion bike using the Stokemonkey motor mounted mid-frame along with a THUN torque sensor for throttle-free control. If you want to see a metal craftsman at work, have a look at the build sequence CycleEXIF website.

We mentioned the 2nd generation Stokemonkey motor last year thinking it would just be a short while before getting the remaining hardware piece sorted out with CleverCycles in order to re-release the kit. But then something unexpected happened. Partway through this process we worked out an elegant use of the motor on a right-hand drive with a Patterson crankset in a way that doesn't force the cranks to turn. Here it is on one of the Edgerunner prototypes:

So the complete Stokemonkey kit is now getting a hardware redesign in order to accommodate both classic left side AND freewheeling right side installations. We don't expect the full package to be ready until late March or early April now, but we have listed the motors only for sale for people either making a DIY mount or replacing the motor on an existing Stokemonkey setup.

After a successful design rollout with the Edgerunner bikes, we're now making a universal version of the clever 'twist' battery rail concept that will allow you to attach the eZee flat battery to almost any bike rack or structure.

Anne-Sophie has handled all of our admin and accounting for the past 3 years in addition to running the little unishop here. However, last month she took off for what will surely be the adventure of a lifetime, attempting to ride a custom-made touring unicycleacross South America, from the tip of Patagonia heading north to Santiago, Chili, and possibly beyond.

It’s no secret that there are a lot of things that can (and do) go wrong with electric bicycles. In fact, we spend considerably more time helping people troubleshoot and solve problems than we do selling or making stuff. Adam has been busy summarizing some of the more frequent issues with a series of formal troubleshooting guides that can help identify common failures and do basic repair work. Have a look, from motor hall replacement to identifying shorted controller mosfets, plus DIY connector pinout guides and crimping instructions.

While on the subject of lights, we've got a pile load of our popular rear LED lights with various cosmetic defects that have accumulated over the years. Some have residue of the silicone mold stuck to the surface, others have visible air bubbles in the casting, others have too much or not enough die in the resin, and others are the result of us playing around with new manufacturing techniques. These are all perfectly functional with a lifetime guarantee, bright but not blinding, the perfect tail light for your 24V, 48V, 72V, or even 96V ebike. We’re selling them for $20 apiece, maximum 2 per person.

We've also retooled the Cycle Lumenator lights with a new lens that provides a sharper beam focus, helping to project the light further down the road while reducing the amount of beam glare above the horizon and into oncoming traffic. Both the standard and multi-mode Lumenator lights have been updated with the new lens standard and are available now.

We acquired a large CNC milling center for our shop this summer, and now that we know how to use it a whole world of possibilities has opened up. Among the first things we tackled was a redesign of our front LED array light molds, now renamed the Grin ElectroLights. The new model is still rugged, waterproof, and capable of running from 15-100V, but now uses a proper mounting bracket rather than zip ties for attachment, looks better, and is $10 cheaper as well.

The first production batches are hot off the press, (or epoxy curing oven, to be more precise) in time for your holiday wish list.

Along with the shipment of Edgerunner bikes came a resupply of the 36V 9Ah LiFePO4 and 48V 10Ah LiMn batteries, carrier racks, and other kits (like 700c rear) that were out of stock. For the batteries, we're committed enough to this design that we have written a full spec sheet and user manual for each model, click on image for full details.

First and foremost is that 16 months after starting a project partnership with Naked Bikes, Xtracycle, and eZee, we have at last available for sale the Xtracycle Edgerunner electric utility bike.

The Edgerunner carries an impressive amount of cargo and passenger capacity with the Xtracycle longtail rear end, yet it still maintains an attractive and familiar bicycle aesthetic, and it handles like a regular bike too. The V2 eZee motor in the 20” rear wheel hides discretely under the saddle bags and provides ample hill climbing capability, while a high capacity 36V or 48V battery tucks neatly under the deck without resorting to a proprietary frame-mounted battery module.

We've been hesitant about dealing in turn-key ebikes in the past, but for us this one hits all the right marks and truly brings out the best of what an ebike can offer. We have the hub motor electric version available now in 3 different colour options, and are hard at work preparing a Stokemonkey variant with a Nuvinci rear hub for release in early 2013. They're listed here, on a new section of our store site.