Electric bikes are cool and there are some very clever people doing some fun stuff in the sector. One such brand making a fleet of pretty sleek machines is Swedish bike builder Cake, which made a name for itself with some industrial-inspired electric motorbikes and mopeds. But now, the company has unveiled its first pedal-assist e-bike.
The new Cake bike was unveiled at CES in Las Vegas this week, and it looks like a monster. Called the Åik, the new bike is part of Cake’s :Work series of models, which are designed for hauling stuff around town all day.
As such, the Åik can cover up to 224 miles on a single charge and can carry up to 360 pounds of luggage across storage racks on the front and back. Impressive stuff.
The bike is designed around a modular aluminum frame that keeps the familiar styling of Cake’s other models, like the Makka work bike.
To power the Åik, Cake installed a 100 Nm center motor that can gives it a top speed of 20mph. Out the box, the bike is fitted with a 750 Wh battery pack, but it has the capacity to carry up to two more packs to give it a total of 2,250 Wh to give it that impressive range.
The Åik also has belt drive that runs through a gearbox mounted to the rear wheel. And, it’s fitted with front and rear hydraulic disc brakes that can bring you to a complete stop.
It’s a pretty neat package, that’s all finished off in Cake’s signature blue shade. Lovely stuff.
I’ve been a fan of Cake’s bikes for a while now. But, because I don’t have any kind of motorbike license, they’ve been the forbidden fruit of the e-bike world. Thankfully, the Åik is Cake’s first pedal-assist model, which means that it’s a Class 2 e-bike that you don’t need a license to ride it here in America.
Sadly, the price of all that pedal-assist loveliness might prove to be the next hurdle I have to overcome.
The Åik will start shipping in May, when prices will start at $6,470. If you want the full 200-mile spec, that price jumps to $9,140, but you also get extra luggage racks and a set of lights.