The Model B bike made headlines last year when a Seattle-based industrial designer produced pre-production images of the unconventional pedal free e-bike.
Kendall Toerner included Tesla logos throughout the personal project, though he did not work for Tesla. The design theory went viral, and now its creator is launching the Micro Bike based on those early designs.
The bikes are being sold off via an NFT (non-fungible token) auction, a concept we saw Colnago dabble with last week. However, Toerner says that all successful bidders will receive a physical Micro Bike as well as the digital NFT.
The 16 bikes - called the ‘Genesis Editions’ - will be plated in gold, red copper and storm white. They'll be named the Sun Edition, Mars Edition and Moon Edition respectively. There is only one Sun Edition bike available, five Mars options and 10 Moon models.
According to Toerner the bikes will be more broadly released via full production at a later date, with delivery anticipated for 2022.
The designer says that creation has been made possible following backing from a team of “prominent investors” who came on board following the coverage of the Model-B bike.
What else do we know about the bikes? Well, they don’t come with pedals - so perhaps are more closely aligned with an electric scooter. There’s room to seat two people, and of course, they’re electric.
Other details are sparse. Asked for the weight, Toerner said: "it's light enough to carry, and lightweight is core to the design ethos," he also added that the "battery is easily removable for charging."
The Model-B bike shared similarities with the 'Micro Bike'
(Image credit: Kendall Toerner)
In this design, the front wheel turned independently based on handlebar pressure and sensor input data - which could present a problem should you run out of power - as would the lack of pedals and drivetrain.
The Model-B bike also came with dual drive hub motors in both the front and rear wheel, and if images are to be the guiding information driver at this point, it looks like these have been carried into the design.
The initial concept design included three-strut suspension wheels, though these appear to have been abandoned at this point.
Michelle Arthurs-Brennan the Editor of Cycling Weekly website. An NCTJ qualified traditional journalist by trade, Michelle began her career working for local newspapers. She's worked within the cycling industry since 2012, and joined the Cycling Weekly team in 2017, having previously been Editor at Total Women's Cycling. Prior to welcoming her daughter in 2022, Michelle raced on the road, track, and in time trials, and still rides as much as she can - albeit a fair proportion indoors, for now.
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