Further blurring the line between tricycle and electronic vehicle, Outrider’s pedal electric vehicles take the recumbent trike to new levels. The company was founded after Tommy felt that he needed a faster way to ride to college after getting pushed off the road on a regular bicycle. Tommy then got together with Daniel and later Jesse to pioneer the next generation of electric ultralight adventure vehicles and opened up Outrider USA in Fletcher, North Carolina.
Last year, at the Pike’s Peak Pedal Electric Hill Climb (is there anything they don’t race up Pike’s Peak?), Outrider sent all of the other electric bikes home to recharge after taking 1st and 2nd and setting a new course record of 23:32 in the process. Whatever your stance is one electric bicycles, or recumbent trikes for that matter, you have to admire the designs of their adventure vehicles with speeds up to 40mph and a range up to 165 miles.
Check out the video of the Pike’s Peak winning run after the break.
Currently, Outrider has three different models – the Transition 311 Solo, 411 Hyperlite, and 422 Alpha, with the option for custom builds as well. With each model’s number, the first number represents the motor’s continuous output – 3 for 3,000 watts, or 4 for 4,000 watts. The next number is the battery’s kilowatt-hours, or the energy capacity of the battery, so 1.1 or 2.2.
There is quite a bit of beautiful machining work built into the adventure vehicles signaling that these are no toys.
The trikes have options for Schlumpf High-Speed drive cranks that allow for effective pedaling at speeds up to 40mph. Bringing you back down from 40 mph are front disc brakes, one on each wheel that are controlled independently by their own brake levers on each bar. Seeing as how they are located in North Carolina, naturally there is an optional upgrade for Industry Nine wheels as well.
As you can see, based on the motor, battery size, and how much pedaling is done by the rider, range of the trikes will very greatly – all the way up to that impressive 165m range for the 322 or 422 trike while pedaling at 20 mph. Charging time is also fairly impressive for such a powerful battery with 11 series charging to 100% in 90 minutes and the 22 series doubling that at 180 minutes. Each trike has a programmable dashboard where various power settings can be adjusted as well as displaying ride information.
All of the trikes are hand built in the US with American made motors and drive systems, and come with a 2 year limited warranty and a free 6 month tuneup. Don’t expect all of this to come cheap however, as prices start at $6,950 and quickly reach $11,995 for the Transition 422 Alpha. But hey, at least you would have a chance at winning the Pike’s Peak Pedal Electric Hill Climb – just hope someone else doesn’t have the 422 Alpha as well.
