Copenhagen Wheel is Shipping, Really
“Four years after lighting up the switches on all the design blogs, the Copenhagen Wheel is coming to market…” I posted that in 2013 when the Copenhagen Wheel announced an official launch.
Three years after that, my friend Jeppe just posted this to Facebook
OMG! 3 years, 2 months, and 21 days after pre-ordering, my Copenhagen Wheel has finally shipped. Screw you, hills of San Francisco.
How a startup survives an 8-year to market cycle is the most interesting story about the Copenhagen Wheel. FlyKly, who got to market first, doesn’t seem to be rocking this niche of the market so well with grumbling comments from customers on social media. While, Copenhagen Wheel continues to make news; including, last week. The company that makes the wheel must have very patient investors.
If you haven’t heard of this long-running urban mobility story, the Copenhagen Wheel is a bolt-on motor for your bike that ships inside a wheel. It’s got a fancy app, a grand vision, and so on. What it’s really about is what Jeppe said above, a boost when you need it. And, as controversial as e-bikes are in the performance community, I support the pedal assist even after being skeptical.
Jeppe told me he write a review once he’s ridden his bike with the powered wheel for a while. I’ll share that hopefully in less than 8 years from now.