You may not have heard of UK-based Avaris but they are looking to carve a reasonably-priced niche in an area where premium priced products are the norm - electric road bikes.
Avaris announced the upgraded version of what was previously their sole product in succinct fashion:
'The newly-launched 3.6 Road eBike is the latest version of Avaris eBikes' signature product, which features multiple upgrades for a smoother and sleeker riding experience than ever before. The move is part of the company’s ongoing mission to produce the best road e-bike possible for the most reasonable price (£1,549.99-£1,599.99).'
The Avaris 3.6 boasts higher-spec components than the previous model, the Avaris 2.3. New features include a Shimano 2x8 gear setup, Tektro Aries mechanical disc brakes and an enhanced display. Braking and gearshifting are integrated into single units. It comes in four frame sizes and you have the option of full length mudguards. Claimed weight is an okayish-for-the-price 19kg.
The heart of the system is reasonably small looking Bafang rear hub motor and a frame-integrated 374Wh frame-integrated, removable battery with Samsung cells.
For the price it looks like a decent combination but ebiketips have been promised a test sample, so we'll let you know if the performance lives up to the paper spec.
Free Ride to Recovery initiative
Avaris also runs what it calls the Free Ride to Recovery Initiative, whereby it donates refurbished e-bikes to those with illnesses or injuries which stop them carrying out traditional cycling and other forms of exercise.
The company says they initiative is helpful for those managing long term health conditions such as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome by letting the eBike give them as little or as much support as they need.
Ex-Paralympic Silver medallist Mark Brown, 60, is using an Avaris eBike donated under the scheme to recover from major reconstruction surgery, after being diagnosed with degenerative bone disease in 2019.
The former endurance para-athlete, from Lancashire, had to learn how to stand and walk again after being in a wheelchair for four months, following his synthetic bone transplant around a year-and-a-half ago.
He had the Avaris 2.3 Road eBike adapted in order for him to use it with his prosthetic arm and hand, and said: “Using the electric bike has been a complete game changer for me. I was apprehensive at first and worried about falling off, but it’s proving to be a very powerful tool in my recovery programme."
Another beneficiary of the scheme is Cheshire teenager Reuben Mottershead, 16, who has Gitelman Syndrome, a rare genetic kidney disorder, which causes muscle spasms, muscle weakness, fatigue and vomiting - due to an imbalance in ions in the body like potassium and calcium.
A keen cyclist before the onset of the disorder, Reuben now has to take 50 tablets a day, but thanks to the Free Ride to Recovery Initiative, has been given a new-found sense of independence.
Anyone who thinks they, or a person or group they know, would benefit from the Free Ride to Recovery Initiative, can apply to it using the form on this page.