Better Bike a pedal electric vehicle

No more problem with rain and cold.

The PEBL is a new and exciting type of zero emissions vehicle that combines the comfort and utility of a small car with the benefits of a bike. Designed for four season use, the PEBL is a three wheeled, fully enclosed bike that utilizes a combination of pedal and electric drive with a body made from plants. You can pedal as much or as little as you want all year round. It is the world’s most comfortable and functional velomobile, bridging the gap between a car and a bike.

We are a father and son company from western Massachusetts called better.bike and have been developing the PEBL since 2013. When we began to design the PEBL, one of our goals was to not only make a vehicle that was low emissions and healthy to use, but to also be sure that the body was made out of materials that are easy on the planet, low or no VOC (volatile organic compounds), non-toxic and from resourced and/or recycled materials whenever possible. Traditional fiberglassing uses very toxic resins that off-gas a tremendous amount of VOC's, which are known carcinogens and significant contributors to air pollution and the glass cloth can also be hazardous to work with. To avoid that, we spent hundreds of hours experimenting with different materials. The result is an incredibly strong, lightweight, and very forgiving body made from 100% hemp cloth and an epoxy resin made from resourced plant oils. The body sits on a corrosion resistant aluminum “tadpole” style frame that is the most stable three wheel configuration, good for rain, snow and dirt roads.

Using a combination of pedal and electric drive, the PEBL is legally considered a bicycle, due to its top speed of 20 mph, 25km/h, and 3 wheeled design, but it has many features you’d find on a small car. Designed for year round use in the challenging New England weather, the PEBL can be ridden fully enclosed in the cold and rain or with the doors rolled up and the flooring under the pedals removed to create a breezy and open ride in the warmer months. There’s even an optional heater powered by the lithium batteries! The PEBL also comes standard with reverse, cruise control, regenerative braking, full lighting, horn an 8 speed internally geared rear hub, suspension, a comfortable and quiet cloth interior like you’d find in a car, a dashboard with a voltmeter, power key, USB charger and lots of cargo space. It can hold up to 8 bags of groceries and has room for two adults or an adult and two small kids and has a carrying capacity of up to 350 lbs. The PEBL offers many other options besides the heater, including a solar roof charger, and comes in a rainbow of colors.

The PEBL comes standard with one lithium battery that can take it 25 miles, 40 km, without pedaling (farther with pedaling) on a charge and can be recharged in 2-3 hours. It can hold enough additional batteries to go over 100 miles. 150 km, on a charge! You can pedal as much or as little as you want, so if you don’t want to work up a sweat on your way to work, then don’t, but if you want to get some exercise on the way home, then you can. The PEBL is also a great way for people with limited fitness and/or health issues to be able to ride and get some fun exercise. The PEBL fits easily into any bike lane and is suitable for urban, suburban and rural environments. Whether it’s commuting to work, bringing the kids to school, getting groceries, running errands or just getting out and having fun, the PEBL has you covered.