Berkshire-based Hurrecane has become the latest firm to offer cyclists e-bikes on a monthly subscription basis. The firm has eight different types of bike in its fleet, available from £50 a month, with the option of upgrading or swapping at any time.
Even a budget e-bike represents a fairly significant investment and there seems to be a growing acceptance in the industry that quite a lot of people fall into something of a no-man’s land when it comes to making a purchase. Many are interested in trying an e-bike but aren’t perhaps quite so interested that they’re actually willing to buy one.
Consequently, we’ve seen various firms start to offer e-bike subscriptions, typically promising something along the lines of, “all the perks of ownership, with none of the commitments.”
Late last year, Soundcloud’s founders raised €15m for Dance, which is billed as an all-inclusive "frictionless" e-bike service with maintenance and insurance included.
We’ve also seen Revel launch a $99 a month e-bike subscription service in New York, while Zoomo appears to be expanding its subscription service beyond the delivery riders it was initially targeting.
The Hurrecane system is much the same kind of thing. You provide your approximate height and weight, then say what terrain you’ll be riding on. They then put together an e-bike for you and deliver it to your door.
As well as the monthly fee – which ranges from £50 to £150 – you’ll also have to pay a deposit, which varies according to your age and which bike you’ve selected (the cheapest one’s £160).
Hurrecane says it’ll cover the costs of, “all non-accident or misuse repairs, services, tyres, brakes, batteries, motors etc,” but you’ll have to get your own insurance if you don’t want to cover the cost of a replacement should the bike gets nicked.
The e-bikes on offer are relatively varied, spanning various hybrids, a folding bike and a couple of fat bikes.
You can find more details on the Hurrecane website.
