Photo: Kettler
German bicycle and pedelec manufacturer Kettler announces new features for some of their 2016 model year pedelecs. By far, the most important thing is the extended use of carbon fiber belts for the new generation of bikes.
Kettler announced that some of the 2016 bikes will be manufactured with the new-generation belt drives supplied by carbon specialist Gates. These belt drives come with zero-maintenance and never need to be lubricated. This translates into two major pluses, one being the fact that you'll never need to think about drive maintenance and you'll no longer get your trousers or legs dirty. And if you're a regular cyclist then you know how important this is...
Even more, Kettler says that the gates belt drives are also quieter and more energy-efficient than traditional chain drives.
The 2016 Inspire E Breeze is equipped with a 10-gear Shimano SLX derailleur, which can also be spotted on the top-of-the-line Kettler City HDE Comfort urban cruiser. The HDE Comfort is also equipped with Suntour NCX forks, a suspension-cushioned seat and a Trelock chain lock.
These three bikes come with a mid-mounted Bosch ActiveLine motor, with the exception of the HDE Explorer version which will have a PerformanceLine "heart". Juice will come from a 400 Wh Panasonic battery, but that is about all Kettler shared with the media.
Kettler's Inspire E pedelecs are expected to arrive in stores in November, with the carbon drive version retailing for €2,799 ($3,135), while its chain-driven counterpart being €100 ($112) cheaper. No price was mentioned for the HDE bikes, but we can guesstimate they will be over €3,000 ($3,360).
Even more, Kettler says that the gates belt drives are also quieter and more energy-efficient than traditional chain drives.
A cool pedelec under the 20 kg (44 lb) bar
Even though the gates carbon drive units will be only used for now in the Kettler Inspire E Beltdrive, we can expect to see more of the German bikes adopting it in the future. Thanks to the new Bosch motor, this Inspire E pedelec weighs less than 20 kg (44 lb), and this makes is a very recommendable option, as pedaling the extra mile after the battery goes dead.The 2016 Inspire E Breeze is equipped with a 10-gear Shimano SLX derailleur, which can also be spotted on the top-of-the-line Kettler City HDE Comfort urban cruiser. The HDE Comfort is also equipped with Suntour NCX forks, a suspension-cushioned seat and a Trelock chain lock.
These three bikes come with a mid-mounted Bosch ActiveLine motor, with the exception of the HDE Explorer version which will have a PerformanceLine "heart". Juice will come from a 400 Wh Panasonic battery, but that is about all Kettler shared with the media.
Kettler's Inspire E pedelecs are expected to arrive in stores in November, with the carbon drive version retailing for €2,799 ($3,135), while its chain-driven counterpart being €100 ($112) cheaper. No price was mentioned for the HDE bikes, but we can guesstimate they will be over €3,000 ($3,360).
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