Nearly four years ago, we reported that electric vehicle manufacturer Rivian was considering entering the e-bike market. A trademark site showed almost 50 trademark applications (I’m sure there have been more since then) for the brand. Several applications referenced Rivian’s name in connection with the bike and e-bike world.
We noted that the applications could have just been Rivian protecting their namesake within the e-bike space. However, it seems that the brand wasn’t just playing it safe, as they’ve just announced a new e-bike. Well, ALSO. has. Yes, that’s a bit confusing, but that’s because ALSO. is the name of the spinoff brand that was “incubated at Rivian.” Now it seems that ALSO. is a separate but sibling company to the electric auto manufacturer, and ALSO. is announcing their first bike.
Introducing the ALSO. TM-B.
The Rivian ALSO. TM-B’s Modularity
Rivian’s jump into the e-bike space has been years in the making. While they aren’t the first vehicle manufacturer to dip a toe in the bicycle space, theirs may be the most unique – and it’s actually quite well designed. This is not that surprising when you consider that Chris Yu moved from Specialized to ALSO. to serve as the company’s president.
ALSO. boasts its TM-B as three bikes in one, thanks to its modular design. Well, sort of three bikes. The modular design originates from ALSO.’s top frame design, which is essentially a glorified seat tube/seatpost assembly. This beefed-up seatpost section can be swapped out to change the character and intention of the TM-B.
First is what ALSO. has dubbed the “Solo.” Essentially, it is just a normal saddle, and the standard option for the ALSO. TM-B. The Solo comes in two sizes — small and large — allowing ALSO. to accommodate a significant (claimed) size range of 4’ 11” to 6’ 8”.
The size small Solo top frame is for rides between 4’ 11” and 5’ 8”, while the large top frame stretches from 5’ 5” to 6’ 8”. It is unclear whether the Solo top frame seatposts are dropper posts or adjustable in any way. However, based on the imagery and the fact that they offer two different lengths, my guess would be that there is a limited range of adjustment of each size due to the limitations of seatpost extension through the bottom of the assembly.
A second top frame option is the “Utility.” This option has a fixed seat position with a large cargo rack behind it. This is pretty exciting as you can mount a child seat to the rack, and then swap it out when you don’t need to tote your kid around, or carry additional cargo.
The third option is the “Bench.” ALSO.’s bench top frame looks to sit relatively low and is perhaps best suited for throttle use.
A Very Unique E-Bike
Rivian and ALSO. designed an incredibly unique drive unit for the TM-B. Typically, a chain or belt (in this case, a belt) connects to a front sprocket, which is then directly connected (via the chain or belt) to a rear sprocket or cogs. This isn’t the case with the ALSO. TM-B.
Rather than the cranks directly driving the bike forward, they connect to a generator within the bike. Rivian and ALSO. calls this their DreamRide. The generator powers a battery, which in turn powers a motor, driving the bike forward.
To be clear, it seems that the pedaling motion only powers the motor that drives the bike forward, and doesn’t appear to add watt-hours to the battery. However, we can envision an e-bike in the future that does just that.
The ALSO. TM-B battery was built to Rivian standards and comes in two options: Standard and Large. The standard can go up to 60 miles on a charge, while the Large battery can last 100 miles. Both deliver 240 watts and take around two hours to charge fully using a USB-C cable.
ALSO.’s battery is easily removable and doubles as a charging bank. And by easily removable, they mean twisting a handle and pulling. No tools, or even time, required.
The DreamRide delivers a massive 180Nm of torque and allows for a top speed of 28 MPH. This would place the ALSO. TM-B in the Class 3 e-bike category. However, it also has throttle assist, which doesn’t gel with Class-2’s 20 MPH speed limit.
However, when using the ALSO. TM-B’s throttle, its speed is capped at the required 20 MPH. So, is it a Class 2 or a Class 3 e-bike? The answer: Yes.
Other Features
The ALSO. is designed with 120mm suspension, front and rear. While a Kashima-like color is noticed on the stanchions in photos, it is unclear if Rivian partnered with a suspension manufacturer or if the fork and shock are in-house.
A control display is located on the top of the steerer tube with a rather large circular screen. Similar to the Rivian vehicles, the display activates automatically. It also has integrated lights and an integrated locking feature.
ALSO. equips the TM-B with 24-inch wheels. Its standard tires are slick for the road, but it also offers an off-road option (for an additional cost) if desired. Similarly, wider “sport” handlebars are also an option.
All of these options are available at ALSO.’s website.
“It’s a utility bike, it’s a commuting bike, it’s a trail bike, it’s a recreation bike, all in one bike,” Chris Yu, President of ALSO., said in their launch video.
Currently, the ALSO. TM-B is available for pre-order. Considering everything the ALSO. TM-B offers, the price is also surprisingly reasonable. Their “Launch Edition” has a listed price of $4,500 and is estimated to launch in Spring 2026. Other models will follow later that year.
This is one ebike from a car brand that we can’t wait to ride ourselves.
