Zike
Sinclair Research, 1992

Modestly promoted as "the greatest invention since the bicycle," the Zike is an ultra-light electric bicycle (weighing less than 11kg) with an electric motor hidden inside the frame. It has a top speed of 15kph (about 10mph) and recharges itself when ridden down slopes. Launched in 1992, it was only available through mail order and cost £499.99.

The Zike unfortunately went the same way as the C5, perhaps because people still had vivid memories of that fiasco. In sales terms, it was actually less successful than the C5. It sold only about 2,000 units, compared to 17,000 C5s, and production - originally intended to be 10,000 a month - was wound up after only six months. Zikes are today extremely rare items and are not often seen on the market.

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© Chris Owen 1994-2003