Monopole's 01 "Toolbike" Is Undoubtedly the Weirdest Machine in Town: Costs Over $8K

Folks, the e-bike you see in the gallery has been dubbed the No 01 by its creators, Monopole, a Swiss crew based in Zurich born out of a passion for taking the bicycle and elevating it to new urban heights. However, let me point out that this thing is a bit different than any other modern bicycle I've seen so far, mainly because of its steer-by-belt system, the way that frame is shaped, and based on the fact that it can replace your car for some daily urban activities.

Now, take a good long look at the 01 and really let it sink into your visual cortex. Right from the start, the first discerning feature is the way that frame is designed: Monopole has thrown out the idea of a frame triangle and has built a frame square! What's the purpose of this move? I honestly have no idea; I've yet to contact them. But, if we use our grey matter just a little bit, we can understand a bit about what's going on.

For example, the 01 is a cargo bike; no doubt about that. Even Monopole pushes this idea into their marketing, and because of this, a bicycle's geometry is bound to change, especially if you're trying to hit the market with something fresh. However, because of the way Monopole integrates the cargo-carrying functionality into the 01 is really what defines the bike as a whole.

You may have noticed that the cargo basket on the front is actually sitting on top of part of the bike's tubing, but in doing so, Monopole has disrupted an essential portion of a bicycle's construction, the head tube and steering column. In doing so, they created a problem; they had to figure out a new way to steer the 01.

Since the handlebar no longer turns the fork directly, Monopole had to think of a way to transfer left/right movements directly into a fork stem that's about 15 to 20 cm (7.8 in) away. So, to achieve this, a Gates carbon belt is thrown in, connecting two cogs, one at the bottom of that elongated head tube and another at the top of the fork. Steer-by-belt? you betcha!

Why do something like this? Well, if we think about it, it has a whole lot to do with safety and balance while carrying larger loads. Even the front tire of the 01 is smaller than the rear, helping drop cargo low to the ground for added stability. If you've ever seen a Bullitt cargo bike, it's a similar idea.

With the defining aspect of the 01 out of the way, it's time to take a closer look at the rest of this trinket. I mentioned that it's electric, and if you're planning on carrying pounds of cargo around town, you're going to need a bit of help. This time around, it's in the shape of a Mahle X35 e-bike system.

You may have heard me talk about this setup several times over the years as I've tested it myself, and honestly, for an urban setting, it's more than enough. Overall, the C35 is limited to just 25 kph (15.5 mph), the speed limit in Europe, and with 40 Nm (29.5 ft-lb) of torque, you should be able to make light work of the 150 kg (331 lbs with rider, bike, and cargo) payload, the 01 can handle.

This, however, brings us to the battery. The catch with this component is that it's integrated into the 01's frame and cannot be removed in any way for charging. This means that you'll have to lug around all 22 kg (48.5 lbs) of chromoly tubing up flights of stairs or into elevators, assuming it fits. As for range, it's a bit difficult to gauge just how much you can squeeze out, but I've been able to attain at least 60 km of range with the X35 system I've tested.

The final aspect of the 01 that needs some attention is the bottom bracket (BB). I'll be honest; if I hadn't known that the X35 is a rear-hub mounted system, I would have thought that the component we see at the BB, the Pinion C.1 gearbox, is actually a motor. Alas, it's an internal gearbox built out of magnesium with six speeds. Pinion also makes this system with nine or 12 speeds.

Wrapped around this component is yet another Gates carbon belt, ensuring a clean and maintenance-free riding experience. Once fenders, SRAM brakes, and a few other bells and whistles are thrown in, we're looking at a rather ready EV to replace the car, if only for a few activities.

Now, I could find one major issue with the 01, its price tag. At this time, Monopole is showing the 01 as being up for preorder, but for no less than 7,460 Swiss Francs, which is roughly $8,600 (at current exchange rates), with a platform rack add-on. This alone may be a reason why we won't be seeing a whole bunch of 01s on our city streets. Maybe a test ride would change my mind, but I have to make it to Zurich for that.