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Kickstarter Project Will Make Citi Bike Riding As Lazy As Possible
By
Max Rivlin-Nadler
Published Mar 4, 2014
Modified Mar 4, 2014
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By
Max Rivlin-Nadler
Published Mar 4, 2014
Modified Mar 4, 2014
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When Citi Bike launched last spring, even bike enthusiasts were worried about the possibility for accidents—with lax regulation of motor vehicles in the city, and driver's widespread disregard for bicyclists, it seemed like we could be in for a bloodbath. But when the bikes finally hit the stations, one thing became immediately clear: you cannot go very fast on these things. By design, Citi Bikes are made to discourage bicyclists from running that red, shooting that gap or racing that car. But one ingenious inventor wants to change all that...
::cue Kickstarter::
Meet the ShareRoller, inventor Jeff Guida's electric motor that will speed up Citi Bike travel to over 20 mph (like a car!) by simply attaching a briefcase-like machine to the front of your Citi Bike wheel. It can easily be attached and detached from a Citi Bike, as well as work on your scooter. Guida is looking for $100,000 to make his dream a reality, and to give consumers the opportunity to buy the ShareRoller for $1,195.
Of course, electric bicycles are banned in New York City, but Guida is hoping that his invention skirts the law by making users pedal for it to start moving. Whether it actually skirts that law (it probably won't), there's almost no way that Citi Bike will allow anyone to modify the bikes to go faster then their intended speeds. (We asked a Citi Bike spokesperson anyway, and we'll update if we hear back.)
However, if you would like to spend money helping this gentleman create an expensive, almost certainly illegal toy, you can donate here.
Tagged
citi bike
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electric bicycle
kickstarter
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Max Rivlin-Nadler
Max Rivlin-Nadler has been a contributor to Gothamist since 2013. He has also reported for the New York Times, NPR, and The Intercept. His years-long investigation into New York City's arcane civil forfeiture laws led to a series of reforms which altered a practice that had been taking millions from poor communities for decades. Recently, he brought back a surfing habit from a few years on the west coast, and would love to see you all out in the Rockaways.
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