Tommy Bahama's New Electric Bike "Pedaled" In Time for the Holidays

by Ann Brenoff (RSS feed)
Sep 9th 2010 at 4:01PM

The king of palm trees, Tommy Bahama, has partnered with Pedego to produce an electric bike just in time for the holiday gift season. The product is debuting Sept. 22-24 at the Interbike International Trade Expo at the Sands Expo Center in Las Vegas.

The lightweight aluminum electric bikes comes in the classic cruiser and step-thru styles. It has a manual six-speed gear box, allowing for better grade navigation or you can simply to switch to the 36-volt lithium battery and let the bike do the work for you. The bike, which comes in vibrant orange, features custom-padded handgrips and an adjustable contoured seat. It travels at a top speed of 20 mph and gets about 40 miles per charge, depending on the rider's weight and the terrain.

The manufacturer's suggested retail price is $2,575.

Tommy Bahama, best known for its tropical living styled sportswear and home furnishings, sees this as a natural extension of its outdoor living branding. Electric bikes are being promoted as a green alternative for gas-powered transportation, a good forem of exercise and a hip style of recreation.

Tags: electric bicycle, electric bike, electric bikes, pedego, tommy bahama

Filed under: Gadgets, Holiday Guides, Luxury Shopping

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Eric Sep 9th 2010 6:21PM

While I have no particular experience with THIS particular electric bike, based on my experience with several others, I would recommend, if you are an adult, to cut the top speed in half, and the range by 3/4.

For example, I had an electric Schwinn about 1-2 years ago ... packaging indicated a top speed of 12 mph (which was close to being correct (when going downhill, lol)) and maximum range of 15 miles ... but I was lucky if I got 1-1.5 miles on a full charge. To be fair, like most people, I don't live in a perfectly flat area (which I think the manufacturer's tests are done on).

Don Sep 9th 2010 11:20PM

Battery technology has improved dramatically in the last 2 years and based on the specifications, it should easily go 20 mph and get the range it claims.

summerchaser Sep 10th 2010 2:39PM

I've had two generation electric bikes.... giant's lafree.. which are wonderful... the original i still have but dont use as abit on the heavy side...... 70 lbs

the second generation of them..... is similiar to this one....... but battery is under the seat...... actually placed better....
and even tho discontinued....... u can still get new....... and they run $1300 a MUCH BETTER DEAL......... better company ect......

i do like the way the handlebars are tho...... but that battery placement is NOT GOOD..... should be redesigned

Ray Sep 10th 2010 2:40PM

I had and E-Scooter that went that fast and long for 169.00, that is for a 150lb man you wont see me paying that much I would be attacted and someone would steal it.

trmnatr2 Sep 10th 2010 3:21PM

Its expensive because its Tommy Bahama brand.Have you ever been in a Tommy Bahama store?Its not a discount store.Ask about the stores return policy,if it doesnt perform as quoted,take it back.You should get more than 10milesfrom a charge but as the batery gets used more milage will go progressively down.

guy Sep 10th 2010 4:34PM

I say we convert everything to electric. After all, electricity is completely clean and green. HA!!! All this electric crap is just a fad. The same stuff was put up decades ago (when small cars got 40mpg-remember that?) and it didn't work then-it won't work now. It takes more power to juice up your greenmobile than it does for me to drive my Dodge Ram to work and back. Not to mention all the hyper-toxic batteries these gizmos need. What's gonna be done with those things when they go dead? I'll convert my cars, trucks, boat and airplane to alcohol before I waste any money on an electric toy.

David S. Sep 10th 2010 5:02PM

Sure, let the yuppies buy these for their kids --- instead of learning to ride a bike, they can just ride these. As if kids aren't fat enough.......

Becky Sep 10th 2010 6:23PM

Walmart has ones just as nice or nicer for $250.

amosandy Sep 10th 2010 7:20PM

sure beats the hell out of my $90 Huffy

MAGOOS Sep 10th 2010 7:56PM

My $75 Schwinn still does the job! If we had been meant to slog away on bicycles and pay fortunes for them, the good Lord would not have allowed us to create the V8!

stephen Sep 10th 2010 8:29PM

It looks ok, but way overpriced. I bought a 48 volt x-treme e-scooter/bike on ebay for $650 that looks like a real scooter w/detachable pedals. It's a lot heavier than a ebike and will carry up to a 170 lb. rider on mostly flat terrain fairly well i guess, but it won't carry me (6'3" 240lb) up a 500 ft 30 degree hill. The trick is to keep it light. Your best bet is a good lightweight bicycle and a good 36-48 volt hub motor e-bike KIT for less than 1/2 price of a good ready-made ebike.

John B. Sep 10th 2010 11:01PM

In 1960 I made a cruser bike out of an old Schwinn bike, found an old bike with a rack over the rear wheel, had an old Wizzer wheel v belt pulley that hooked on to the spokes and put a 3 HP Briggs gas lawnmower motor on the rear rack. It would run about 10 miles on a tank of gas, less than a quart and run about 20 MPH. If I could find another Wizzer pulley I'd build another one now but would have to improve on the coaster brake the first one had, never stoped very well.