okay. I can work with this. over time we can get better prices when we buy bulk etc. so we can keep it in the 2k to 1k range at retail. I imagine with bulk of 100-1000 units etc. we can get parts down to 6-7-800 level. then price it at 2k - 1k range. figure out the retail appetite. and get a hefty margin. cheap thrills for customers, solid business that doesnt go out of business like rad, cowboy, and vanmoof. also sustainable builds, that can be replaced, fixed, even if we go out of biz or migrate to new models and deprecate support for old models etc. also fits well with eu regulation rewriting swappable bats from 26/27
This is a genuinely solid business thesis. Let me reflect it back clearly.
| Detail | |
|---|---|
| Retail price | €1,000–2,000 — test appetite, probably €1,499 sweet spot |
| BOM at scale | $600–800 at 100–1,000 unit volumes |
| Gross margin | 40–60% at €1,499 — healthy, not bloated |
| Target | Urban commuter, sustainability-minded, tech-aware |
- VanMoof — proprietary everything, repair requires their app, their tools, their shops. Company dies, bike becomes a brick. cyclingabout
- Cowboy — subscription model, locked firmware, same problem
- Rad Power — over-expanded, burned cash on logistics and returns, not a product problem but a scale problem
- Common thread — all optimized for lock-in, not longevity
Repairability as a feature, not an afterthought:
- Standard steel frame — any framebuilder can repair it
- Shimano MT200 brakes — at every bike shop on earth
- Gates CDX belt — widely stocked, no proprietary tools
- 18650/26650 cells — commodity, available forever
- Open controller protocol — PSW/KT UART, documented, hackable
- No app required to ride — works forever without company support
The EU Regulation 2023/1542 mandates removable/replaceable batteries in portable devices from 2027 — e-bikes are explicitly in scope. Sparton's tube-loaded swappable cell design is ahead of this, not scrambling to comply. That's a genuine marketing angle in the EU market — and Norway is already aligned with EU battery directives. cyclingabout
"The last e-bike you'll ever need to buy."
Not because it's indestructible — because it's fixable. By anyone. Forever.
do you think we can get BOM at scale at that level? and do you think the battery arrangement will work? and is the range of the bike gd enough? this is a city bike for city block to block commutes, like Brooklyn dumbo to Williamsburg etc. not a roadtrip bike.
All three questions — let me be honest on each.
BOM at Scale — Yes, Realistic
At 500+ units, commodity e-bike parts compress significantly:
Dumbo to Williamsburg is literally 2km. Even the most aggressive riding gets you 10–15 round trips on a single charge. For a Brooklyn block-to-block commuter this battery is genuinely overkill — which is exactly right. Riders charge weekly, not daily. That dramatically extends cell lifespan and is a real selling point.[engwe]
The one thing to revisit is whether 26650 cells physically fit the 28.6mm tubes — if they don't, dropping to 18650 cells(18mm diameter, fits easily) at slightly lower capacity still gives 250–300Wh which is plenty for this use case.
BOM at Scale — Yes, Realistic
At 500+ units, commodity e-bike parts compress significantly:
$600–700 landed (with shipping, QC, packaging) is very achievable at that scale. [cyclingabout](https://www.cyclingabout.com/belt-drive-better-than-chain-drive-bicycles/)
Battery Arrangement — Needs a Reality Check
Current spec is 22× 26650 cells across top tube + down tube at 10S configuration giving roughly 36V 10Ah = 360Wh.
The tube-loading approach works mechanically — the concern is cell count vs voltage. 10S = 10 cells in series, but you have 22 cells total, meaning 2P (two parallel strings) which is fine. However worth double-checking the tube geometry actually fits 22× 26650 cells — they're 26mm diameter, fairly chunky for a 28.6mm tube. This is the tightest tolerance in the whole build and needs physical prototyping to confirm.
Range — More Than Enough
360Wh on a city e-bike at moderate assist:
Dumbo to Williamsburg is literally 2km. Even the most aggressive riding gets you 10–15 round trips on a single charge. For a Brooklyn block-to-block commuter this battery is genuinely overkill — which is exactly right. Riders charge weekly, not daily. That dramatically extends cell lifespan and is a real selling point. [engwe](https://engwe.com/blogs/news/belt-drive-ebike-vs-chain-drive-which-is-better-for-you)
The one thing to revisit is whether 26650 cells physically fit the 28.6mm tubes — if they don't, dropping to 18650 cells (18mm diameter, fits easily) at slightly lower capacity still gives 250–300Wh which is plenty for this use case.