Photo: Instagram/GDesign
Today, cyclists can choose from thousands of options of e-bikes, according to budget, intended use, and other preferences. Comparatively, back in the day, things were much simpler and way more insane.
Board track racing was incredibly popular in the early 1900s, peaking in the 1920s. Pedal-powered bikes that were easy to build were used to race on circular tracks made of wooden planks, much to the delight of spectators. Sanity eventually prevailed, and board trackers faded away, but they remain an integral part of the history of two-wheelers.
Italian moto custom shop GDesign (Giacomo Design) has created an electric bike that pays tribute to the insane days of board trackers while infusing it with modern features and an electric soul. It’s called Elettracker, and it is a one-off that was officially unveiled on social media earlier this month.
According to GDesign, the Elettracker was built from scratch, albeit using a broken-down frame as a starting point. Everything about it is heavily retro and decidedly elegant, with the builder saying the goal behind the project was to build an e-bike that would have “the soul of a board tracker, the green spirit, and the technology of today.”
The Elettracker comes with a custom Truss-style fork and cylindrical battery housings that mimic the V-Twin engines found on the early board trackers. In keeping with the spirit of a tribute, it comes with a front number board, fake patinated racing livery by Lake Design, braced tractor-style seat with leather saddle, and retro while tires. The brakes are modern (disc brakes front and rear), as is the unspecified motor hidden carefully from sight. Other specs of the Elettracker were not made public; neither was the price for this one-off.
GDesign is not the first to draw inspiration from board trackers or other retro two-wheelers in designing a very modern e-bike. But, if you’re into rankings, you’ll probably agree this is the most elegant retro-styled e-bike to come out in the past couple of years.
Italian moto custom shop GDesign (Giacomo Design) has created an electric bike that pays tribute to the insane days of board trackers while infusing it with modern features and an electric soul. It’s called Elettracker, and it is a one-off that was officially unveiled on social media earlier this month.
According to GDesign, the Elettracker was built from scratch, albeit using a broken-down frame as a starting point. Everything about it is heavily retro and decidedly elegant, with the builder saying the goal behind the project was to build an e-bike that would have “the soul of a board tracker, the green spirit, and the technology of today.”
The Elettracker comes with a custom Truss-style fork and cylindrical battery housings that mimic the V-Twin engines found on the early board trackers. In keeping with the spirit of a tribute, it comes with a front number board, fake patinated racing livery by Lake Design, braced tractor-style seat with leather saddle, and retro while tires. The brakes are modern (disc brakes front and rear), as is the unspecified motor hidden carefully from sight. Other specs of the Elettracker were not made public; neither was the price for this one-off.
GDesign is not the first to draw inspiration from board trackers or other retro two-wheelers in designing a very modern e-bike. But, if you’re into rankings, you’ll probably agree this is the most elegant retro-styled e-bike to come out in the past couple of years.
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