Getting what you pay for? A spin on the design-focused electric bike

Enlarge (credit: Civilized Cycles)

The pricing on bicycles has always been a bit insane. While it's easy to find deals on bikes for under $1,000, it's also possible to spend over $10,000 on a high-end road bike. Electric bikes, while not quite as extreme, have a broad spread. At the low end, they're pretty much commoditized, with lots of companies offering similar options that provide basic e-bike functionality. The differentiation really happens at the high end, where prices can easily clear $5,000.

We recently got a chance to test-ride a new offering from a company called Civilized Cycles, a new company based in the Brooklyn Navy Yard. Its launch model, intended for availability late this year, aims squarely at the high end, with plenty of carefully thought-out features and a clear sense of design. You get quite a bit that's not available from commoditized alternatives, but the price for the extras is going to be $5,500.

Getting civilized

Ars met with Civilized Cycles founder Zach Schieffelin in the Navy Yard. That's when we talked about what informed the Model 1's design, which ranged from his own experience as a cyclist to his ownership of a Vespa scooter dealership. Overall, that's led to an e-bike that's positioned somewhere between the two.

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