Much like the auto market saw the rise of the supercar, the electric bicycle market is seeing the rise of the super e-bike. The super e-bike is far removed from the average electric bicycle and is essentially a motorcycle hiding inside a lighter, simpler bicycle body. The new Trefecta DRT bike doesn't even hide it that well as its military-spec aluminum frame is as much motorcycle as bicycle. That's okay, because this folding super e-bike aims to "create the game, not change it."
When the designer of the world's most powerful electric supercar got involved in the electric bike game with the Greyp G-12, it was very clear that the electric bicycle was destined to be more than just a pedal-assist commuter shuttling urban-dwelling industrial designers and tech consultants to and from the office each day.
To be fair, the movement started years before that, but having a player like Mate Rimac, whose battery technology can also be seen in the world's most advanced hybrid supercar, in the game definitely helped strengthen the segment. With zero-pedal, full-throttle modes, and speeds exceeding 40 mph (64 km/h), these bikes are in a category all their own. On the road, they're not quite electric bicycles and not quite motorcycles, and on the trail, they're not quite mountain bikes, not quite dirt bikes.
So Trefecta Mobility, which describes itself as a "an international team of Dutch, German and Swiss engineers," doesn't really create the game or a new category of vehicle. It just plays the game for a more affluent audience with a really nice piece of high-tech, fast-but-rugged equipment.
The 20-in Trefecta DRT frame is crafted from 7075 aluminum, which takes the form of aluminum blocks instead of familiar tubing. The beefy design, which was developed with military specifications in mind, is meant to ensure that the fast, powerful bike holds up to any angry elements thrown at it. The frame also protects the internal cables and components. For the wheels, Trefecta capitalizes on the weight and strength advantages of carbon fiber, using a six-spoke, 26-in design.
In terms of its electric drive, the DRT packs a 4-kW motor, a 14-speed Rohlof Speedhub and a SmeshGear transmission. At low speeds, motor output is managed by a pedelec system aimed at maintaining an ideal blend of pedal assistance and battery usage. You won't necessarily want to be pedaling when gunning for the top speed of 43.5 mph (70 km/h), so there's also a right-handlebar throttle for cranking up motor power alone. The motor can send up to 184 lb-ft (250 Nm) of torque to the rear wheel.
The rider controls ride mode and other settings by way of the Trefecta-designed CAN-bus fly-by-wire computer mounted at the center of the handlebars. They can also use the computer to choose between automatic gear shifting and electronic gear selection and to control the settings of both the suspension fork and the rear shock. The computer also delivers the usual trip functions, showing speed, battery life, distance and other important data.
The computer system includes Wi-Fi and Bluetooth for connecting with the accompanying Trefecta iOS app, as well as using other iPhone navigation and fitness apps. A built-in waterproof dock in the upper frame provides a convenient, visible place for mounting one's iPhone.
In terms of battery power, the Trefecta is powered by a 60-volt lithium-ion unit stored inside a lockable compartment in the upper front the frame. Trefecta estimates the battery can provide enough juice for up to 62 miles (100 km) of range without any pedaling. And since price will be of no object to DRT buyers, there's no reason they shouldn't buy extra batteries and take advantage of the quick-swapping system. The battery charges in about three hours when plugged in, and a regenerative braking system adds some charging on the move.
Other DRT components include a big upside-down fork with up to 180 mm (7 in) of travel, a dropper seat post with up to 125 mm (4.9 in) of travel, Ergon grips and saddle, Schwalbe mountain bike tires and Hope disc brakes. The rear shock offers up to 200 mm (7.8 in) of travel.
Read more:
Trefecta DRT: The $25K high-tech, military-grade electric super bike
- New Microsoft Ads Take Aim at Mac Pricing - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Adobe Flash Comes to TV - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Microsoft Introduces Windows 7 Starter Edition - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Mac Viruses and Trojans Becoming More Prevalent - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Apple ‘Customer Experience’ Continues to Trounce PCs - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Seagate Introduces ‘Replica’ Drive to Backup Entire PC - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Still Love XP? Run it on Windows 7! - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Is Microsoft Ditching Vista? - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- The Kindle DX: Not Exactly a Textbook Killer - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- The Smart Shopper’s Guide to Buying a Wireless Router - May 19th, 2010 [May 19th, 2010]
- iTunes 10: So Long, Ringtone Creator - Thanks for the Memories - October 17th, 2010 [October 17th, 2010]
- iTunes 10: So Long, Ringtone Creator – Thanks for the Memories - February 14th, 2011 [February 14th, 2011]
- How to Make Your Laptop Last Longer - February 14th, 2011 [February 14th, 2011]
- Client Build 5 UPDATE: Personal Super Computer 2011 (SR-2 X5690 OCZ Vertex 3 GTX590 Nvidia Tesla) - Video - March 29th, 2012 [March 29th, 2012]
- Super Micro Computer, Inc. Announces 3rd Quarter 2012 Financial Results - April 25th, 2012 [April 25th, 2012]
- Super Micro Computer Q3 Profit Slips - Quick Facts - April 25th, 2012 [April 25th, 2012]
- Super Computer Maker Cray and Intel strike Partnership - April 25th, 2012 [April 25th, 2012]
- Super Micro Computer Q3 12 Earnings Conference Call At 5:00 PM ET - April 25th, 2012 [April 25th, 2012]
- Herd mentallity and the information super highway - Video - April 25th, 2012 [April 25th, 2012]
- Brain vs. Computer - Video - May 4th, 2012 [May 4th, 2012]
- Minecraft World First - Most wanted redstone device - Video - May 4th, 2012 [May 4th, 2012]
- PS3 Jailbreak Tutorial 4.11 WORKING - Video - May 4th, 2012 [May 4th, 2012]
- China's Tianhe-1 supercomputer begins operations - Video - May 4th, 2012 [May 4th, 2012]
- June 2011 TOP500 Review looks at Japan's K Supercomputer - Video - May 4th, 2012 [May 4th, 2012]
- Super Vision for Soldiers - May 5th, 2012 [May 5th, 2012]
- The Super Sonic Show Episode 0-Computer Help - Video - May 7th, 2012 [May 7th, 2012]
- Why Super Micro Computer's Earnings May Be Less Than Awesome - May 10th, 2012 [May 10th, 2012]
- Magnetic bacteria may help build computer hard drives - May 10th, 2012 [May 10th, 2012]
- SUPER WHY! Around the World Adventure Kicks off PBS KIDS Summer Learning Initiative This June - May 10th, 2012 [May 10th, 2012]
- Tutorial SUPER COMPUTER girl 3750 sylvia Vs fem game 4 (3550) - Video - May 10th, 2012 [May 10th, 2012]
- SUPER COMPUTER Wii best 3750 sylvia Vs learn chess 4 (3550) - Video - May 10th, 2012 [May 10th, 2012]
- SUPER COMPUTER girls city 3750 sylvia Vs RYBKA 4 (3550) - Video - May 10th, 2012 [May 10th, 2012]
- John Laban - Open University Super Computer Room - Video - May 10th, 2012 [May 10th, 2012]
- Can A Super Computer Save Banking? Part 2 of 2 - Video - May 10th, 2012 [May 10th, 2012]
- Supermicro® Launches Widest Range of UP Server Platforms Supporting Intel® Xeon® E3-1200 v2 - May 16th, 2012 [May 16th, 2012]
- Supermicro® Debuts New X9 DP and 4-Way MP Platforms - May 16th, 2012 [May 16th, 2012]
- Supermicro® Launches Widest Range of Server Platforms Supporting Intel® Xeon® E3-1200 v2 - May 16th, 2012 [May 16th, 2012]
- Invention kit for banana pianos, alphabet soup keyboards - May 16th, 2012 [May 16th, 2012]
- A few errors could be key to super-efficient computer chips - May 20th, 2012 [May 20th, 2012]
- Supermicro® Highlights Latest GPU SuperServer®, SuperBlade® and ... - May 20th, 2012 [May 20th, 2012]
- Kontron HPEC Platform Chosen by Military Embedded Systems Magazine for Editor's Choice Award - May 20th, 2012 [May 20th, 2012]
- Raspberry Pi to rebirth an era of Woz-like super creativity? - May 20th, 2012 [May 20th, 2012]
- Taste and tale of success - May 20th, 2012 [May 20th, 2012]
- 1 Reason to Expect Big Things From Super Micro Computer - May 25th, 2012 [May 25th, 2012]
- Bump's Super Popular App Just Got A Million Times Cooler With Its Latest Update - May 25th, 2012 [May 25th, 2012]
- Is The Computer 'Cloud' Compromising You Privacy? - May 26th, 2012 [May 26th, 2012]
- Super MP3 Download 4.8.2.6 - May 28th, 2012 [May 28th, 2012]
- Radiohead's Kid A and OK Computer, Now in 8-Bit - May 29th, 2012 [May 29th, 2012]
- ASUS P6T7 WS Super Computer MoBo - Video - May 29th, 2012 [May 29th, 2012]
- Photonic Super Computer 2012 - Video - May 29th, 2012 [May 29th, 2012]
- Kaspersky discovers super-complex Flame malware - May 30th, 2012 [May 30th, 2012]
- Supermicro® X9 5x GPU SuperWorkstation Delivers Maximum Performance with NVIDIA Maximus Certification - May 30th, 2012 [May 30th, 2012]
- Super-virus Flame raises the cyberwar stakes - May 30th, 2012 [May 30th, 2012]
- Super-stealthy ‘Flame' computer virus spies on Iran - May 31st, 2012 [May 31st, 2012]
- Super-stealthy ‘Flame' computer virus spies on Iranians - May 31st, 2012 [May 31st, 2012]
- Was flame virus written by gamers? Code similar to apps such as Angry Birds - May 31st, 2012 [May 31st, 2012]
- Massive cyber attack on Iran came from U.S., report says - June 2nd, 2012 [June 2nd, 2012]
- Massive cyber attack on Iran came from US, report says - June 2nd, 2012 [June 2nd, 2012]
- Supermicro® Exhibits its Latest X9 Server and Storage Innovations at Computex, Taiwan - June 5th, 2012 [June 5th, 2012]
- Supermicro® Hadoop Solutions Accelerate Innovation with Launch of EMC® ... - June 5th, 2012 [June 5th, 2012]
- Super 57000 Video Game (Family Computer) - Video - June 5th, 2012 [June 5th, 2012]
- Security Cameras Turn into Super-Fast Sleuths - June 7th, 2012 [June 7th, 2012]
- Quantum computers move closer to reality, thanks to highly enriched and highly purified silicon - June 7th, 2012 [June 7th, 2012]
- Research Makes Ultrafast Quantum Computer Concept a Reality - June 9th, 2012 [June 9th, 2012]
- Supermicro's New Compact Embedded Server Appliance Supports 3rd Generation Intel® Core™ i7/i5/i3 Processors - June 11th, 2012 [June 11th, 2012]
- The PC which is truly personal: 'Computer' on a memory stick offers COMPLETE privacy for browsing and documents - June 11th, 2012 [June 11th, 2012]
- 'Purified' silicon nudges quantum computing ahead - June 11th, 2012 [June 11th, 2012]
- Apple serves up 15.4-inch MacBook Pro with Retina Display - June 11th, 2012 [June 11th, 2012]
- Apple debuts next-gen MacBook Pro, iOS 6 - June 11th, 2012 [June 11th, 2012]
- How to Invest Like the Super-Rich - June 13th, 2012 [June 13th, 2012]
- Super Computer for Sale - Video - June 13th, 2012 [June 13th, 2012]
- Supermicro® Launches FatTwin™ Architecture - June 15th, 2012 [June 15th, 2012]
- Computer Workstation utilizes NVIDIA® Maximus(TM) technology. - June 15th, 2012 [June 15th, 2012]
- Supermicro® Launches FatTwinâ„¢ Architecture - June 15th, 2012 [June 15th, 2012]
- Acer: Aspire S5, super-thin Ultrabook, coming to U.S. in late June - June 15th, 2012 [June 15th, 2012]
- Supermicro(R) Launches FatTwin(TM) Architecture - June 15th, 2012 [June 15th, 2012]
- Sheldon Adelson: 7 surprising facts about 2012's biggest donor - June 15th, 2012 [June 15th, 2012]
- lego super computer - Video - June 17th, 2012 [June 17th, 2012]
- Age of Empires: The Conqurors - vsing Duke AI 1.6 - Super computer - Video - June 17th, 2012 [June 17th, 2012]
- Supermicro® FatTwin™ Takes Center Stage at International Supercomputing Conference 2012 - June 18th, 2012 [June 18th, 2012]