And to Optibike R22 Everest could be compared to a car, it would be a supercar with absurd (but enviable) performance and within the reach of only a few. New electric bike from Optibike, one of the oldest e-bike manufacturers in the United States, is a complete waste of performance; a model that is only made to order and with a price that lives up to its name.
A name that comes with a pompous statement: its creators say that this new electric bike is capable of climbing Mount Everest with a single charge of his battery “if there was a road”. That might be a somewhat pretentious marketing claim, although the truth is that depending on where you start, other bikes could also make it to the top. In fact, many could do it if carried by a Sherpa on their back.
All kidding aside, the manufacturer claims that its new bike’s huge battery allows it to climb 7,300 meters of elevation gain (24,000 feet) on a single charge. Rolling on the flat, with a 72 kilo cyclist and at a speed of 24 km/h, the Optibike R22 Everest has 482 kilometers of range power in assisted pedaling mode. A real savagery.
This is possible thanks to a huge battery: the Optibike R22 Everest has a removable lithium-ion battery with 3.26 kWh capacity, which are actually two batteries of 1.63 kWh each. This is 5 to 8 times more capacity than most electric mountain bikes (e-MTB) currently available on the market. The battery is fixed (not hidden) in the frame of the bike, in carbon fiber, and can work with a single pack. Together, the two batteries weigh 16.3 kilos.
The electric motor is not lacking in performance either. The R22 Everest is equipped with a PowerStorm motor integrated in the hub with 1700 watts of continuous power and 2500 watts of peak powerand with some 190 Nm of staggering torque engine. The following example serves as a reference: a 1,900 cubic centimeter Harley-Davidson Fat Boy has a torque of 155 Nm. The bike has 5 power levels (or riding modes) and a 14-speed transmission; in the highest gear, it can reach a top speed of 58 km/h.
At its maximum speed, it can travel 88 kilometers continuously on a single charge. Of course, in Europe it is not legal to reach this speed with electric assistance on public roads. The bike has an accelerator in the fist, as if it were an electric motorcycle, for those who want to do without pedaling completely and let the electric motor take care of moving forward. We cannot fail to mention other key elements for mountain routes such as the double crown front fork, the 200 mm rear suspension or the 2700 lumen headlights.
All of this deployment comes at a price, and not exactly low. The Optibike R22 Everest is very expensive $18,900 (18,600 euros at the current exchange rate), almost 7 times more expensive than the Decathlon’s cheapest full-suspension electric mountain bike and 15 times more expensive than Xiaomi’s most affordable electric mountain bike. At this price, it is normal that they do not come out like hot cakes: indeed, each R22 Everest It is handmade and made to order. exclusively.