Stark Drive economical folding electric bike for only $ 399

Stark Drive is a company with base of operations in Stockholm and according to their claims they could produce electric bicycles in a massive way (in a foldable offer) for a value of 1,000 euros, while through a campaign for co-financing they could deliver the first 150 units (to donors) for only $ 399.

The economical foldable electric bicycle from Stark Drive seeks to be a quality offer, without complicating budgets. How to get the economical folding electric bicycle Stark Drive
But, just to recap if you did not recognize the brand, after having attracted the attention of media such as Forbes (having mainly coverage on the website, where the owner - Oscar Stark - is compared to Henry Ford and the Model T ), today the launch of the Stark Drive electric bicycle is being prepared, starting in February, through Indiegogo.

In particular, Stark intends to launch several models; however, the one that will be your flagship model offers very interesting features. However, instead of offering a rigid approach to an e-bike (as some competitors in the market offer), the Stark Drike production (which is made in China) comes with double suspension, 21 mechanical disc changes and brakes . Inclusive, the buyers will have the possibility to update the standard motor (36v 250w) and add options such as a computer for cycling, shelves for loading and locking system to prevent theft.

Now, from the beginning in Stark have always argued for a folding design, commenting that in Europe (as in most major cities) one of the main details to consider is space. Thus, with the ability to bend the machine can be moved by public transport (including boarding in small elevators without disturbing anyone) or place in vehicles like the Tesla with relative ease.

In addition, the possibility of folding also allows the bicycle to be easier to secure. Therefore, when folding, both wheels and the frame can be locked to a tough and resistant urban structure, protecting the bicycle against the possibility of a theft in a better way than any other bicycle that is not folding.

The main convenient to solve in Stark Drive to reduce costs
Finally, Stark is an engineer specialized in the field of renewable energies, and the reason for launching his project, was that most machines of this type (electric bicycles) were very expensive, and now his main objective is to offer them for sale direct In this way, they have had to overcome several problems such as finding a factory that adapts to production and quality standards; while it has sought to reduce the value of some fundamental components (such is the case of the battery pack), where they have tried to locate battery manufacturing companies that provide high quality kits with a recognized history in the market.

And while it is true that all the problems raised above have taken time for their best resolution, today they already have the necessary means to deliver what they want. Also, they may be problematic as direct sales from China, but despite everything in Stark say that the value for an electric bike of these characteristics is a bargain compared to other similar offers (particularly compared to electric bicycles Premium Sondors). For more information you can access the official Stark Drive website.

Indoor cycle bike Vixxon SXM 1-Pro

In many occasions, mainly to be able to carry out training during the week, many do not have enough time to go out with the bicycle to roll to the street, either for work, schedule, family matters, etc. Therefore, a very good option to train and get a good match to training at home are indoor cycle bicycles. 

Mind you, it has nothing to do with a stationary bike with an indoor cycle bike or spining. Training on a cycle bike is much more effective.
In this article we are going to review the indoor cycle bike Vixxon SXM 1-Pro. This bike is intended for intensive use, so it will endure very demanding workouts without any problem.
As for the flywheel, it weighs 23kg. The greater the weight of the flywheel, the greater the force that must be applied to maintain the pedaling cadence of the cycle bike. Taking into account that the flywheels of inertia are usually between 14 and 25 kg of weight, this Vixxon has a steering wheel of 23Kg, therefore more than enough to perform quality training.
The braking system that this cycle bike carries is magnetic, that is to say by means of magnets, so we will not have a brake shoe and we will not have to change the shoe due to wear. This magnetic resistance system is only found on high-end cycle bikes.
The transmission is strap. The other type that exists is the chain of all life. Both systems work very well, but the belt has a fundamental advantage over the chain, the noise. Bicycles that move on leashes are much quieter, so if you are going to do the sessions on one floor and the noise can bother your neighbors or your own family, the ideal is that the transmission is on a leash.
This Vixxon also has a digital console on the handlebar, which will allow us to control the time of the session, the calories we consume, the speed and also the pulse. As for the pulse carries some sensors on the handlebar to measure it.
The pedals included are mixed, carry platform and rastrales. Although if we want to put some automatic pedals there will be no problem, the system is the same as in any bicycle.
As for the weight of the bicycle, it is 55kg, although it is a parameter that only has to worry us when moving it from one place to another, for which it also has wheels of displacement.
The maximum weight of the user that can support this bicycle is 130kg, that is, practically all are suitable to be able to use it.
Its chassis is reinforced steel, and it is also noteworthy that both the handlebar and the saddle are regulated vertically and horizontally, so finding the ideal position of pedaling will not be difficult.
Finally we are going to talk about the price of this Vixxon. Surely seeing all the characteristics of this bike you are thinking that its price is exorbitant. Well, nothing is further from reality, since this indoor cycle bike can be found for around 500-600 euros. It really has a very interesting quality-price ratio.

Is getting fit with an electric bicycle possible?

Sport is an activity that should be practiced all year round, not only to keep you in shape, but also because of the amount of benefits it brings to the body. It is not time to stop eating and start practicing sports suddenly hoping to be fit in summer. The sport must be practiced every day.

Cycling, in particular, is a very complete activity, which helps strengthen the immune system, strengthens the heart, releases hormones of happiness, and keeps the body active. Cycling daily, or, at least on a regular basis, is perfect to have an iron health, keep your body in shape and free the mind . Without forgetting that it is a means of ecological transport, with which you can move around your town without polluting, comfortably.

The electric bicycles are an extraordinary invention to move, since they allow to make more comfortable journeys, without having to fatigue, and to be able to opt for assisted pedaling at any time that is needed, so as not to have to make an effort. This way on steeper slopes, for example, it is possible to climb effortlessly , and also allows you to pedal for a very long time without tiring. That is to say, with a static bicycle you can consider longer distances in distance and prolonged in time, since they do not suppose an effort as with the conventional ones.

Electric bicycles are the future , and are very advantageous for cities, since they favor the help to the environment and encourages people to throw themselves to use the bike as a means of transport. However, if you want to use the bicycle as a tool for sports, you will have to eliminate this option of electric and pedal as if it were a normal bike. It is very suitable for those who have recently started riding a bike on a regular basis and have done it directly with an electric bicycle. In these cases, when the body has become accustomed to not have to strain, it can be done gradually. So that it is introduced minutes of intense physical exercise to activate the metabolism and little by little it will lengthen in time. On slopes, when still not accustomed, the electric mode can be installed. It is important to know that it is preferable to pedal for a longer time at a lower intensity , since the body burns the fat once the body has consumed the fluids with the heat of the body when exercising. In addition, you will hold better if the exercises are performed at a moderate intensity.

The mountain bike, annual review

We should also take it into account in the case of a road bike, but on a mountain bike it is perhaps more necessary. Many fans of mountain biking do not take into account that the bike needs more or less regular maintenance . Obviously, this maintenance must be done depending on the use and type of bicycle we have. If we use the bike to go once a week on a flat track with the rest of the family and little else, then surely we will not need an annual review; It will be enough to pay attention to the rust of the chain, keep it well lubricated and clean and go over the inflation of the wheels and the condition of the brakes from time to time.

If instead we give our BTT a little cane, with more sporty routes once or twice a week (descents, climbs, small jumps trialeras, mud, water ...), then an annual review is necessary. The mountain bikes are more delicate than the road, basically for two reasons: they suffer a much more aggressive driving over the ground and have pivot points and components more delicate (shock absorbers, ball joints turn in the box, disc brakes, etc.).

In principle, you do not have to be a space engineer to do bicycle maintenance, especially in regard to the transmission, brakes, cleaning and lubrication of the different parts. Any user could learn and check their bike with some ease. Another thing is to review the suspensions (fork and rear shock absorber). That maybe it's better to leave it in the hands of professionals: changing seals, oil levels, etc.

In short, with a bike ready and well cared for you will enjoy more of our sport , so we recommend an annual review of your bike, so that you do a review. It is also necessary to take into account in cycling that a more or less periodic control of the different components can serve to save us money , since often a lack of care in some component can cause other damages that increase the repair bill.

Recumbent Bicycles Recumbent Bikes

For some years now we have been betting on recumbent bicycles (recumbent bike in English). The name comes basically from being bicycles or tricycles where the cyclist takes a more reclined position on the bicycle, providing this much comfort and aerodynamics. The saddle becomes a much larger seat that supports the cyclist's back and back. They are a type of rare bicycles here, but due to their great advantages we believe they are a very interesting option and that we should promote and make known.

On the one hand, there are several types of bicycles and tricycles reclined to adapt to the different types of cycling that we want to do. It is not the same to travel by city than by road or mountain, or for short trips or long cyclist trips. We can do it alone, or accompanied by reclining or even half-reclined tandems, with one cyclist reclined and the other not. The variety is very big and interesting. There are short and long models, lower or higher, suitable for different types of use.

On the other hand, going on these types of bicycles or tricycles is relatively easy but requires some learning. Driving, maneuverability, position, balance, starting, muscles to use, etc. It is very different from a normal bike and therefore requires a period of adaptation. This does not mean that they are difficult to use, you just have to practice and learn, a very interesting point for those who believed they had learned everything from the world of cycling.

There is a myth about these bikes, which we believe is 90% myth and 10% reality, and that is: climbing costs more and you go slower. We believe that this is true, for example, in short and explosive climbs, where at one point you stand on a normal bike and provide an additional effort of acceleration and power to overcome the obstacle. In a recumbent, you must continue sitting, and continue to do strength with the legs and pushing with the back plus the seat. Now, in mountain pass type climbs, where there is a steep slope to overcome in a constant way and for several kilometers, to keep a constant cadence and also with a better breathing, very important point because it allows a much faster recovery, allows climbing in a faster and more rested way. To this we can add, that once at the top,

Advantages of recumbent bicycles

- Minimize or eliminate many pains that ordinary bike users complain about. Back, cervical, neck, back, arms, wrists, hands, fingers, feet are pains that usually disappear completely with the use of these bicycles. Speaking with a user of 75 years, he told us that after a long day of 75 kilometers, the only thing he had tired and sore, were the legs, which seems certainly logical. The arms and wrists can not support the weight of the body, they only have to guide the bicycle without additional overexertion. 

- The indicated in the previous point, allows to avoid many muscular injuries, and allows to go by bike to many people who have stopped going with a conventional bike due to back or neck problems or wrists.

- Better breathing and recovery during practice, because we are not closed on ourselves. 

- Perfect frontal and lateral vision, without needing to have the head raised constantly. There is even the option to use headrest. You do not have to raise your head like a normal bike. This minimizes the overexertion of the neck, and the pain that this entails. This frontal view is also perfect for urban use. Through a rearview mirror we also get the posterior vision and lateral dead angles. 

- Possibility of carrying more luggage on long trips.

- Better aerodynamics, which makes them fast machines in plain and downhill. By having your back in contact with the seat, it is possible to be more efficient in pedaling, concentrating a lot of strength. 

- Saddles or very comfortable seats that allow you to pedal with total comfort. There are no concentrated pressures on the butt, joints, prostate, etc. 

- The comfort lies in the fact that the bike and seat adapt to the body of the cyclist, and not the other way around, which is what happens in traditional bicycles.

- There are high handlebars and low handlebars, that is, that the handlebar is in front of you and you have to take your hands a little high on the highs, and the low ones under the seat where the arms keep them sideways to the body and a lot more comfortable and rested. The basses allow total rest of the arms, while the seconds allow more aerodynamics, losing a bit the total comfort of the basses although they still do not have to put up with the weight of the body on them. Adapting to the seconds is surely easier, although with practice, both are excellent options. 

- Safer against falls, it is difficult to get fired ahead. Many of the falls are usually lateral. We are closer to the ground and taking off our feet quickly we have them on the mainland.

- Temperature. In summer, we do not have back with direct contact with the sun, although being on the seat, we are not 100% ventilated. The areas affected by the sun's rays are areas always ventilated by the air produced by the circulation itself. In winter the back is perfectly protected, being more aerodynamic there is less frontal incidence of cold air, and the sun affects much of the body to be more stretched and not make us shade ourselves. There is also the option of using screens for front winds.

- Elevated models (which are usually the shortest recumbent lengths) look the same as normal bikes, and tricycles or low models (which are usually longer), it is advisable to use a pennant for cars or other users of the way, see our vehicle perfectly. 

- There are urban, mountain, road or cycle tourism models. Models of 2 wheels or of three (Trikes). The 3-wheel models are usually more stable and low. The two-wheelers tend to be higher than the ambiguities of 20 "to 29" or 700, although there are quite a few low models.

- Some recumbent tricycles are easy and practical to use by older people with stability or balance problems, and they are also easy to get on and off bikes, because they are quite low. Ideal for urban trips for example, or also a little longer.

Disadvantages of recumbent bicycles

- They tend to be heavier than normal bicycle equivalents, although there are already very light models, with high-end components. Being larger and longer paintings, they tend to weigh more. The seats also weigh more, although materials such as carbon makes for very light options. Even so, when it comes to using them, the weight is not as noticeable as in the normal ones. The position and the type of pedaling allow that the weight is not the most important and the most differential point. If we also use them for a recreational and traveling use, and not for competition, the weight stops being an inconvenience.

- Being larger are more difficult to transport, especially in public transport or air. Still, it is true that there are several folding or demountable models. Having to climb stairs or unevenness is also more costly. To carry them in the car, there are longer roof rack carriers to be able to carry them without problems, as you would take for example a tandem. 

- Mobility: Slower acceleration and more complicated starting, although with practice and a long march, it starts perfectly. 

- More difficult to control in trialeras, abrupt roads or climbs for complicated terrain. On the slopes with poor track terrain, you should also be more careful and learn to have more control of the wheels. The front wheel can not be lifted.

- Looking back costs more, because of the position and the seat. That's why most models allow the installation of rear-view mirrors, or use a helmet or glasses. 

- Do not see with direct vision where the front wheel passes, with what you must intuit and learn to see how to overcome the obstacles before the moment they actually reach the wheel.

Analysis and Opinion Ultrasport f Bike 200B

With a static bike you will be able to enjoy all the benefits of the gym at home, either to keep you active and fit to train and strengthen muscles. You can be in good physical condition in the comfort of your home. Among the best and one of the most sought after in the market is the Ultrasport F Bike 200B , this is the favorite for most and it is due to its multiple functions and advantages offered to each of the users.

It has been designed with a practicality, attractiveness and comfort, adding that it is foldable as well as an innumerable list of important features. Therefore, below we will explain in more detail the peculiarities of the bike Ultrasport F Bike 200B.

Pros

✅Commodity
✅Plegable.
.

Cons

✖ High price.

General characteristics
Folding
Each of the static bikes has its differences and different functions that separate them, as well as their size, among other things. But this feature stands out among the others, the Ultrasport FBike 200B bike is folding , its most striking and interesting feature.

Levels of resistance
A true quality static bike must guarantee its users diversity in intensity levels to test the resistance and, in this way, increase the difficulty, either to increase cardiovascular resistance or increase muscle mass. In either case, a dynamic, fun workout is guaranteed to strengthen muscles or to work only on the cardiovascular system.

LCD screen
The Ultrasport F Bike 200B static bike is a sophisticated machine that offers its users an LCD monitor to visualize the training parameters; as well as perform other functions while you train. This data shows: time, distance traveled, speed, cardiovascular resistance through the measurement of pulses, calories, among others.

Practicality
This bike has been designed to be light and practical , thus avoiding complications when storing and transporting it. Also, thanks to its practicality and easy handling make it one of the most attractive and most sought after in the market of static bikes.

Magnetic resistance
This is a great advantage that makes the Ultasport F Bike 200B a favorite among expert users and novices . Its silent and smooth pedaling characterizes this model of static bike. All thanks to its magnetic resistance. In the same way, you will be able to enjoy other additional activities while you train, watch TV channels, listen to music, watch videos or talk with a phone call.

Seat
Designed in the most ergonomic way possible and with a backrest , which guarantees an adequate position to avoid discomfort and injuries. In the same way, it is possible to adjust them for the correct height.

Most training routines are not good for everyone, they can cause some damage or injury. But with the Ultrasport F Bike 200B static bike it is possible to customize the training , because, thanks to the inclusion of the pulse sensors that are hidden in the handlebar. This will take an automatic record of each user's beats, sending them to the screen. In this way, intensity levels can be modified according to our body's resistance levels.

Bicycle maintenance: the wear of the chain

Today we are going to explain one of the most unknown details for the inexperienced cyclist: what is the wear and tear of the chain and what consequences it has. Read what follows, and you will save a lot of money on bicycle maintenance. Go for it:

How the chain wears?

What is it that transmits the force from the pedals and plates to the pinions of the rear wheel, thus propelling the bicycle? Yes, the chain, and it does so by acquiring tension. Every time you pedal you are pulling the chain (as in the WC more or less), which inevitably causes it to stretch gradually over time. As it is used, a bicycle chain lengthens.

And how much varies the length?

In fact, no: it is a minimum percentage, but since the components of the transmission are designed with great precision, a small variation in their shape makes the operation much worse.

What problem do stretched chains have?

Several things:

- When the chain is stretched, it weakens and there is a greater risk of breakage.

- The fit with plates and pinions is worse, so that the circulation of the chain is less soft and noisier.

- Since they work by fitting, a stretched chain in turn deforms the teeth of plates and pinions, whereby the initial deterioration of a component is transmitted to the rest that work together.

So, should I change my chain periodically?

Absolutely, YES.

How often should I change my chain? Weather? Kilometers?

The durability of a chain depends on its quality, the use of the gears and the type of pedaling of each cyclist, although 5,000 km can be a good reference. To know exactly, there are the wear meters of chains, which are a kind of rule that is able to indicate two circumstances: when the chain has stretched more than 0.75% of its original length; and when the chain has stretched more than 1%.

Normally, when a chain passes 0.75% elongation, it also starts to wear on the teeth of plates and pinions. When it exceeds 1%, the wear of the other components is already significant and irreversible.

Therefore, when replacing a chain that had already stretched more than 1%, pedaling "jumps" on the same pinion because it does not fit correctly, producing an unsatisfactory operation. Thus, the chain must change when it reaches 0.75%. If you pass 1%, it will not be enough to change the chain: you will have to replace pine nuts, and most likely the dishes. Which, of course, raises the cost greatly.

And where do I buy a wear meter for my chain?

Well, if you want we can sell you one, but we do not think you need to measure your chain so often. We recommend that you come to Clínica de la Bicicleta to have it measured at least once a year, so we tell you when you need to change it and you save replacing the entire transmission. You can save a lot!

You should also know that the durability of a chain varies greatly according to its quality, and that the wear of the pinions is greatly reduced using different speeds. Using the gear change is good for your legs and good for your bike.