Steps Anyone Can Take Now
(such as conserving energy or starting a carbon neutral business)
by Larry Lagarde

With world leaders now meeting in Copenhagen to craft a global carbon emissions accord, it should be noted that people around the world are not waiting for politicians to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

As awareness continues to grow of the consequences of global climate change, individuals are finding ways to cut their own fossil fuel use. Some are conserving - turning down thermostats on heaters, turning off lights when they leave a room or swapping inefficient technologies for something better (like replacing incandescent light bulbs with compact flourescents). Others are taking bigger steps that reduce more than just their own carbon footprint. Case in point: Jake's e-bike rentals.

Jake is a cyclist - entrepreneur in Australia who believes that electric drive assisted pedal bicycles (e-bikes) could be an ideal form of transportation. To test the idea, Jake is starting an e-bike rental operation with a twist.

When a customer books a rental, Jake will deliver the e-bike by riding it to his customer's location. Once he's delivered the e-bike to his customer, Jake will ride a 16" folding bike back to his office, getting some exercise, promoting his business and reducing his carbon emissions as much as possible. In fact, by providing e-bikes as transportation, Jake is giving others the opportunity to substantially cut their own emissions too.

If you're wondering how Jake intends to use a folding bicycle to deliver an e-bike, it's actually quite simple. The folding bike folds compactly, fitting within an oversized messenger style bag. The combination is light enough for Jake to sling it over his shoulder for the trip to the customer's location.

Given Jake's 6'2" build, he's likely to get some double takes from motorists as he rides the little folding bike around town. Hopefully, it will also cause these same motorists to give thought to small things they can do to reduce their own carbon footprints.

By the way, I learned about Jake's new startup when he consulted me regarding a folding bike. He purchased the Kent 6 speed folding bike because its low gears make it easier to pedal over the hills around his city.

Labels: bike-rentals, e-bike, Kent-folding-bikes

by Larry Lagarde

New Kent 6 Speed Folding Bike En Route For Review
Any day now, I will be receiving the first of the new 2009 Kent 6 speed folding bikes for a review.

Similar in appearance to the wonderful but no longer available 16" Aerlite folding bike (photo right), the riding position on this bike will definitely be better than that of the Kent diecast magnesium folding bikes because the bottom bracket is further forward.

Being that this new Kent folding bike is aluminum, it will be a bit heavier (26-27 lbs incl accessories versus 22.5 lbs for the magnesium Kent Superlite folding bike) and the ride will be more rigid than Kent's diecast magnesium folding bikes. Happily, this 16" folding bike is said to have better components than those on the previous Kent Ultralite 6 speed. Kent hasn't announced the price but it's probably going to be @ $229.

New Kent Nexus 3 Speed Folding Bike
By popular demand, Kent has agreed to produce a limited run of these aluminum folding bikes with the Shimano Nexus 3 speed internal hub. Just 150 Nexus 3 speeds are being made so they'll probably go quickly.

The specs on the new Kent Nexus 3 spd will not be finalized until next week but it will have a rear coaster brake. A factory prototype should be ready next Friday and production models will be available in October for the holiday season. As with the previous Nexus 3 speed, a carry rack and other useful accessories will come as standard equipment. Again, final pricing is not yet available but I'm expecting it to be @ $259 and certainly no higher than $289, shipping included.

Labels: Kent-folding-bikes