Sometimes it’s hard to believe what can be made possible. Recently debuted at Milan, Italy’s EICMA show, the new EC1 is a carbon framed e-bike made by Toronto-based company Daymak. Pushing the boundaries of affordability and light weight, the entry-level build of the EC1 comes in at 34lbs and will retail for less than two grand. Furthermore, the EC1 can be converted into a regular pedal-power bike by swapping out the drive wheel with a non-motorized wheel, which is included with the bike.
Daymak has already produced an electric scooter and an all-terrain electric bike called the Beast, but they’re now targeting the commuter crowd with the sleek new EC1. The bike’s Kickstarter campaign is already fully funded, and I’d bet the unbelievable early bird price of just $799 USD had a lot to do with its success…
The EC1’s frame is made of unidirectional carbon fiber, and is easy on the eyes with its shapely aero tubing and internal cable routing. The frame features a tapered head tube, 130mm QR rear axle, and rides on 700x38mm tires. Production models will also receive mounting bosses for carrier racks and fenders. All three builds use a 21 speed Shimano drivetrain with EZ-fire shifters and Tourney TX rear derailleurs, plus Shimano disc brakes.
As for the electronics the basic EC1 includes a 250 watt motor, powered by a removable 24v lithium ion battery pack. The Advance and Pro models come with a 36v battery, but use the same motor. The 36v battery apparently doesn’t increase the bike’s range or top speed, but Daymak does say it increases torque.
The EC1’s range varies from 25 miles without pedalling up to 50 miles when using pedal assist, which offers five modes. The bike’s top speed is 20mph (limited to 25km/h in Europe) and the battery charges in four to six hours. The maximum rider weight limit is 265lbs.
Strangely, the above photo from the EC1’s Kickstarter page suggests buyers have the option to choose between a front or rear wheel motor, but all other text only describes the bike as having a rear option, and only a rear replacement wheel is ever mentioned. Either way, swapping out the motorized wheel to the normal one provided brings the bike’s weight down considerably for human-powered riding.
Unfortunately there always seem to be factual omissions from crowdfunded bike campaigns, and Daymak has left several questions unanswered- Are the electronics waterproof or resistant? What does the LCD display show? How much travel is in the fork? Does the three-speed front derailleur actually only shift between two rings as shown? Are those hydraulic disc brakes on the Pro? I guess you’ll have to contact them to find out…
There are three different builds available- the EC1, the Advance and the Pro. The most basic EC1 build includes an aluminum suspension fork and alloy rims, handlebar, stem and seat post. The Advanced model upgrades the rims to carbon fiber, and the battery pack to a 36v unit. The Pro model gets a bit more road-specific with rigid carbon forks, plus carbon fiber drop handlebars, stem, seat and seat post.
In its basic EC1 trim, the complete bike weighs 34lbs. The Advance model drops to 32lbs, and the Pro comes in at just 28lbs (with 56cm frames). While the Kickstarter campaign has just ended, you can still order an EC1 from Daymak’s website for $1899. The Advanced model sells for $2399 and the carbon-rich Pro goes for $3499. Frames are available in sizes from 48cm to 56cm, and the first units are expected to ship out by June 2016.
