Faraday out of San Francisco is having some good success with their Porteur line of bikes, which were one of our favorite e-bikes to ride because it still felt like a regular bike when not using the motor. While enjoying the Porteur’s success, they determined a step-through design would be the bee’s knees, but why stop there?
Check out the new Cortland and Cortland S models and some of the new options that may have you wanting to ride more!
The Faraday Cortland takes a lot of cues from the Porteur we first saw a few years ago, but in a step-through design with some smoother lines. Step through frames aren’t just easier for wearing a skirt, but make it a ton easier getting on and off the bike when toting a child carrier or loaded down after a grocery run. To get the Cortland off on the ground, Faraday is once again crowdfunding the project through a KICKSTARTER campaign but letting you add some pretty neat options and packages allowing you to customize it to your needs at a pretty legit savings.
On the screen, Faraday’s bikes look nice. The little details seem to bring it all together to keep it looking and riding like a regular bike. The Cortland has built in front and rear lights that are powered by the removable battery pack which sits nicely tucked into the bike’s tubing. You’ll never be left in the dark as the lights run off of the e-bike’s battery leaving you to only have one battery to charge for everything.
Also new is their Auxiliary battery pack, ($449). Modeled after a stylish saddle bag so it blends right in, the auxiliary battery simply plugs into the bike’s control unit doubling the bike’s range from approximately 20 miles to 40 miles. Each battery takes only about 2 hours to charge which is nice in case you short-charged yourself, making a little pitstop at the local coffee/recharge shop worth while.
There is also an app that will enable you to do a few cool things. Of course, it will track your ride like any decent app should do, but also allows you to adjust your boost, (anybody else thinking an e-bike version of Fast & Furious?). It lets you control the lights, turning them on or off while riding, and if you spring for the $449 GPS tracking device, you can track your bike wherever it is.
The Cortland will be available in two base models. The standard higher end Cortland comes equipped with hydraulic disc brakes, an internal 8-speed Shimano Alfine hub driven by a Gates belt drive system, and stylish bamboo fenders. Early birds can get the Cortland for $2,999 which is $800 off the standard pricing.
Pictured above is a computer generated version of the Cortland in Sting-ray Blue.
The lesser expensive Cortland S comes with a standard chain driven 8-speed derailleur, mechanical disc brakes, and metal fenders. Early birds get this one for $1,999 which is $800 off of the retail price.
The Faraday Parent Pack gets you and your kid ready for adventure. It includes the more elite Cortland and comes with a Faraday rear rack, Bern kids helmet, and Yepp Maxi Child Seat. Altogether it’s a $4,000 value for $3,499.
Also for $3,499, the Faraday Timbuk2 Commuter pack gets you and your Cortland ready for commuting right out of the gate. Another $4,000 value, the commuter pack includes a Faraday rear rack, Timbuk2 Proof Messenger bag, Bern helmet, Spurcycle bell, and ABUS lock.
With the Cortland S, the $2,499 Adventure Pack is a good value coming with a Faraday front rack, Timbuk2 Femme Collection messenger bag, Bern helmet, Spurcycle bell, and ABUS lock.
According to the above schedule, if things are on schedule, early birds can expect to be riding as early as this Summer, and it may hold true since this isn’t their first rodeo. While the Kickstarter campaign for the bike just launched, it is already more than halfway to its goal of $100,000.
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/faradaybikes/faraday-cortland
