Over the years, the Porsche name has been associated with a number of different bicycles—from e-bikes carrying the brand name to one-off customs meant to honor production vehicles. Now, Porsche Digital has partnered with performance German bike builder STORCK to deliver a new line of commuter e-bikes and coin a new brand: Cyklaer. The unusual frame design with the forward-mounted seat stays catches the eye, and a handy app gives riders access to a rear-view mirror, among other functions. Component manufacturers SRAM and Fazua also influenced the build.
The interesting frame is Storck’s design and is their idea of “e-Gravel meets Urban Racer.” Characteristically, it and the fork are full carbon fiber. The frame design is said to increase stiffness while maintaining rider comfort by pushing the seat stays forward and using a “free standing” axle. Their thought seems to be that the extended axle and seat tube will increase compliance while the smaller frame triangles will boost stiffness at the bottom bracket.
A Digital Rear View Mirror?
But far and away, the brands are most excited about the bike’s digital features. Tired of rear view mirrors that are hard to see, and worrying that every upcoming car is getting a little too close? The Cyklaer has integrated front and rear cameras, which integrate with their app. That gives you the option to use the rear camera as a real-time rear view mirror. Those cameras are also able to capture video and still images of your ride.
The rear camera is a cool touch, and the new collaborative brand delivers other convenience and safety features like an inductive charging pad, navigation and a other digital features.
“With Cyklær, we jointly developed an attractive e-bike that really utilizes the possibilities offered by digitization. It is sporty and light and, thanks to its e-drive, also ensures a comfortable ride to work,” said Markus Storck, founder and general manager of STORCK Bicycle.
STORCK Porsche Cyklaer bike build
Fazua delivers the drive with their removable Ride 50 Evation system. The Ride 50 Evation cranks out 250 watts of max output at 55 nm (40 ft.-lbs) of torque. But if you get the urge for an unencumbered cruise, you can fully remove it and the battery from the Cyklaer, which makes for a fully functional drivetrain without any of the e-bike resistance.
The hydraulic disc brakes and electronic shifting come from the top-of-the-line SRAM Force AXS kit. The wheels and tires are gravel- or road-ready: Schwalbe G-One tubeless multi-surface tires mount on 25mm DT Swiss G 1800 aluminum wheels.
Cyklaer App Connectivity and Capability
From there, it’s all about digitization. The app makes your phone the bike’s de facto head unit. It’s a pretty basic setup, without the option for a power meter or any apparent performance feedback as of this writing. However, app capability will continue to expand according to user input. Porsche Digital sees the app as a trend in a growing market and says users “will have the opportunity” to influence which new services become available.
“In the future, we will offer further digital services to enhance the cycling experience, and these will be combined into one platform,” said Florian Rothfuss, Head of Customer Innovation at Porsche Digital.
It’s unclear whether that platform will arrive on a classic bike computer or simply as a series of updates to the Cyklaer app. For now, you can use the app to access Apple Health and Apple Music. In a handy touch, the iPhone mount from SP Connect charges your phone inductively while you’re riding. Currently, Android users are out of luck. If Cyklaer has plans to fold them in, it hasn’t said anything about it.
Built-in lighting from Busch & Müller and multiple options for mudguards and luggage racks finish out the STORCK Porsche feature set.
MSRP, Options and Delivery
The brand offers three variants, which keep the same main components but display narrow differences between included extras. MSRP ranges from $8,300-$8,650. Each is available in one of three colors, and delivery starts in January 2022. Check out the brand’s website for further details.
