We took a newly-launched, innovatively designed electric cycle for a test drive in Bandra East. Here’s our report card on whether it will impress the city’s cycling community
The speeding cars around the circle made it slightly difficult to ride the cycle on the first attempt
On Saturday noon, this writer, an avid cyclist, was introduced to an electric bicycle in Bandra East. Apart from the unusually huge basket attached to its front, it resembled a typical bicycle, owing to its pedals. But instead of pedalling, we used the accelerator to move forward, much like a scooter. For the next 20 minutes, we gave India’s new electric cycle a workout in the Kalanagar neighbourhood, much to the curiosity of onlookers.
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A short while before our experimental drive that began near Ambedkar Udyan circle, we met Amartya Raj, founder of RevolGo, the electric cycle. He was accompanied by a delivery boy from a nearby grocery store that was the owner of a newly purchased bike. Soon, we attempted to mount the electric cycle that is a common means of transport in Europe. We were forewarned by cyclist Vijay Malhotra, who also accompanied us, about its weight, due to the container attached to the front, which had two bags — our daily one-shouldered tote bag, and a haversack. The container had space for more such bags.
The cycle, which consumes as much space as a regular scooty, can only be used if you insert its key. GPS trackers and multiple locks can be installed to secure the vehicle from being stolen or misused
As soon as we mounted the bike, we realised that our height would be an impediment, and lost our balance almost immediately. While we did not feel the weight of the front basket, it made the handlebar unstable. One needs a steady grip and practice to get used to it. The seat was adjusted as per our height, but it was still high. We moved the cycle to a quieter bylane to get acquainted with the new bike. After losing our balance a few more times, we finally got a hang of it. The key is to take control of the handle immediately after mounting the bike. After the early stutter, it was a smooth, hassle-free ride.
We made two practice rounds before taking it for a spin around the neighbourhood. The ride resumed from the circle, past the mid-day office, towards Guru Nanak Hospital and into the bylanes of Gandhi Nagar.
The cycle comes with five variations of detachable baskets. Ours was a waterproof metal box which could easily fit at least three regular-sized haversacks. Pics/Aishwarya Deodhar
Malhotra, who likes to explore several countries on his cycle, shared how it is a common means of transport for civilians to go about their daily chores and showed us pictures from The Netherlands, where locals use their electric cycles to carry groceries, work bags, and even pets and children in the attached baskets. Raj added that this cycle could become a boon in India. “Given the boom in the delivery sector in the past few years, our target audience is the big delivery companies. But it surprised us that individuals across the city haveshown interest in these bikes,” he revealed.
Amartya Raj
The speed limit is 25 km (per hour), meaning that no prior licensing is required to acquire or ride it. The battery size is that of a Bluetooth speaker, which takes a little over three hours to charge, and lasts all day (30 to 50 km). A major challenge is its height. The average height of most Indian women is 5 ft. This writer, despite being 5’3, found it difficult to control it at traffic signals because her feet were dangling in the air. We would also prefer a more woman-friendly, step-through frame. Apart from these challenges, the bike holds promise for being convenient, eco-friendly and pocket-friendly for short trips. With its primary target consumers being the delivery sector, it’s bound to interest small business owners. However, it requires a few vital design tweaks to get regular cyclists hooked on to it.
Log on to: revolgo.in
Cost: Rs 55,000 onwards
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