We’ve always wished our bikes could do more; whether it’s helping us with groceries or carrying a child. Convercycle is the first convertible electric bike that satisfies this craving for more without losing the feel of a regular bike. It seamlessly combines the features of an electric city bike and a cargo bike, essentially giving you the best of both worlds.
The motivation
Congestion and pollution are major threats to the quality of life of city dwellers. Bikes are among the most popular mobility solutions that facilitate the movement of people from one place to another. Bikes occupy much less space and are more environmentally friendly. However, regular bikes fail to cater for the movement of bigger objects such as grocery bags and parcels. Cargo bikes attempt to solve the problem but they could prove difficult to maneuver and park.
The Flip advantage
The fold-ability of Convercycle ensures it doesn’t take any more space than a common bike. This offers an obvious advantage when it comes to parking. Regular cargo bikes cannot fit into usual bike racks due to the extra space they occupy when parked. Consequently, the rider has to look for extra space to park the bike. There is no such problem when riding the Convercycle due to its unique design.
Design and Features
Asides the arguably more pleasing aesthetics, Convercycle Bike doesn’t look any different from a regular bike in its folded position. It boasts impressive compactness and a sturdy look that assures you that you’re getting a durable bike. However, you notice an obvious distinction when the bike is ’flipped’. Simply lifting the bike around the rear wheel spontaneously turns it into a cargo bike. The space created could prove useful for routine shopping, sports equipment, and even child seats.
Folding Mechanism
Convercycle comes with a patented folding mechanism, which has a unique design for safety and comfort. When folding, the rear wheel moves into position and the auxiliary chain on the rear aligns with the main chain. The rear wheel is interlocked in its new position and the rider is able to enjoy the safe and smooth riding experience you would expect from a regular bike.
Other advantages
Comfortable handle and seat: The bike’s handlebar, grip, and seat are designed with careful attention to ergonomics. They afford a pleasant ride that is free of any soreness or joint pain.
Big basket: The basket is big enough to accommodate two big crates of water. The positioning and design does not compromise the balance of the bike.
Custom made to suit the riders: Convercycle can come with different saddle rails bicycle stem sizes. You have the luxury of choosing the size before bike delivery.
Removable battery: The battery can be removed and charged without hassle.
Pricing info
UPDATE 28th Apr 2020: The Convercycle Bike “Standard” is priced at €1,999 EUR while the Convercycle E-Bike “Electric” costs €3,199 EUR. You can purchase them from the company’s official website. The delivery time is currently 6 months from receipt of the order.
Startup
A startup or start-up is a company or project undertaken by an entrepreneur to seek, develop, and validate a scalable business model. While entrepreneurship refers to all new businesses, including self-employment and businesses that never intend to become registered, startups refer to new businesses that intend to grow large beyond the solo founder. At the beginning, startups face high uncertainty and have high rates of failure, but a minority of them do go on to be successful and influential. Some startups become unicorns; that is privately held startup companies valued at over US$1 billion.
Actions
Startups typically begin by a founder (solo-founder) or co-founders who have a way to solve a problem. The founder of a startup will begin market validation by problem interview, solution interview, and building a minimum viable product (MVP), i.e. a prototype, to develop and validate their business models. The startup process can take a long period of time (by some estimates, three years or longer), and hence sustaining effort is required. Over the long term, sustaining effort is especially challenging because of the high failure rates and uncertain outcomes. Having a business plan in place outlines what to do and how to plan and achieve an idea in the future. Typically, these plans outline the first 3 to 5 years of your business strategy.
Design principles
Models behind startups presenting as ventures are usually associated with design science. Design science uses design principles considered to be a coherent set of normative ideas and propositions to design and construct the company's backbone. For example, one of the initial design principles is "affordable loss".
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