Ultima Unveils Modular Multipath E-Bike Platform Made Up of Recycled Plastic and Alloy

Folks, the two characters above are debating one of the cycling industry's newest machines to pop up, the Multipath. If you read the text above, you've picked up on why this bugger is so important. It's built out of only recycled plastics, polymers, and metals, all wrapped up into one neat and functional city-destined design. In short, you'll be riding around on the plastic bottles you used up in the past. But how did we get here?

Well, a new name has popped up on the French cycling scene dubbed Ultima Mobility. As you can expect, they're all about finding optimized and alternative solutions to moving humans around towns without cars. But, their ultimate aim is to raise the bar with nothing more than the greenest and most energy-efficient methods around. That's how we arrive at the Multipath, their recycled, modular, and electrified two-wheeling solution.

Now, Ultima needed help to achieve these results. They shook hands with countless industry players to give rise to a machine that uses the best and freshest tech. But, the most important partner is ProtoForm Bourgogne. This crew specialized in composite molding and injection processes, used to shape everything from thermoplastics to hybrid composite blends. But they also mill molds for their clients using CNC machines. As for why you won't see any welds whatsoever on the Multipath is because everything is welded vibrationally. Plus, it's plastic; what could you weld?

But to create a bicycle that isn't welded but offers strength and compliance based on its shape, there has to be a whole lot of engineering poured in, and there clearly is. What I found amazing about the Multipath is the way it calls upon architectural knowledge to create solid seat stays, a frame that won't break at the first curb, and a fork worthy of off-road riding. I'm talking about those structural ridges and ribs tattered all over the frame. I'd like to know what the interior of the downtube looks like. Oh, and all of that is just one solid piece of melted-down and injected plastic and alloy, a monocoque frame, as it is known.

Now, the Multipath carries the name it does for a reason. Ultima aimed to create a framework that is as modular as the building material will allow. Suppose you ever decide to drop at least €3,450 ($3,800 at current exchange rates) on one of these greener two-wheelers. In that case, you can choose from five different variations, each tuned with the right gear to achieve everything from carrying your kids to school, picking up groceries, and even rocking it around some gravel roads. The most expensive, decked-out, and powerful version is the Long Range Family Cargo variation, coming in with a bank-account-shattering €4,950 ($5,500).

Like any e-bike, two major systems are also added to the framework, a motor, and a battery. What I particularly enjoyed about the Multipath is that Ultima decided to add a mid-mounted motor to this two-wheeler, proving they've done the market research as to what makes a solid bike. Here, we can find the freshest Valeo e-bike system, providing up to 130 Nm (96 lb-ft) of torque and the possibility to climb up to 36% hill grades. Quite the powerhouse if you ask me, and more power than you'll ever need in a city setting. I'm not a big fan of how this system is just jutting out of the frame. Some protection could be incorporated into the design, especially since you'll be riding gravel too. Nothing much, just a little cap or fender-like component.

However, the Valeo system has been chosen for several reasons. Aside from being one of the freshest drivetrains currently on the market, they also come to the game with a "predictive" or "adaptive" experience. Software and hardware working in unison, this drivetrain will shift for you when it senses changes in terrain and rider behavior. Just seven speeds will be accessed, but if it's as good as they say - I still need to test this drivetrain - it should be more than enough for our cycling needs.

Regarding range, here, too, Ultima offers some wiggle room. You can either grab a 500 Wh standard battery pack or a 630 Wh one. According to Ultima, the former offers up to 80 km (50 mi) of range in Eco mode, and the latter a whopping 105 km (65 mi). This means more than enough juice to have you charging once every two to three days.

While the Multipath isn't the first bicycle to showcase such tech, there's the mtrl.bike too, but it does offer us a glimpse into the future of things. In short, more and more crews are hitting the market with all kinds of greener tech. Recycling the massive waste we've come to create is a step in the right direction. I feel we'll be seeing more and more "recycled" machines as time moves forward.