Electric bikes tagged in 90 things to watch in 2009

Advertising agency JWT have published their list of 90 things that they expect to become hot over the next 12 months. In amongst them, our favourite things, electric bikes! Now if they'd included Yakkay helmets as well, they'd really show they have their finger on the radical cycling pulse.

"Our list points to the broader trends we're seeing, showing the ways in which these shifts will manifest in our everyday lives," says Ann Mack, director of trendspotting at JWT.

Among these shifts, the recession will make the biggest impact, says Mack. "A lot of what to watch in 2009 relates to consumers' adaptation to the economic situation, from 'affordable nutrition' to 'more under one roof,'" notes Mack.

JWT's list of 90 Things to Watch in 2009 (unranked and in alphabetical order):

1. 21st-Century Networking
2. Affordable Nutrition
3. Amy Poehler
4. Apatow-esque Humor
5. Bruno
6. Building a Beauty Arsenal
7. Buraka Som Sistema
8. Career Reinvention and Extension
9. Chat-Avoidance Services
10. The Cleveland Show
11. Cloud Computing
12. The Collective Consciousness
13. Creativity in the Informal Economy
14. Credit Card Dieting
15. Crowdfunding
16. The Decline of E-Mail
17. Distraction as Entertainment
18. DIY Repairs and Renovations
19. Doha
20. Dragonball
21. EarthRoamer
22. Electric Bikes
23. Elizabeth Banks
24. Emma Stone
25. The Energy Race
26. Environmental Exercise
27. Family-Friendly TV
28. Freebies
29. Gerard Butler
30. Girl Talk
31. Giving Circles
32. Gluten-Free
33. Good Old-Fashioned Cooking
34. Graphic Novels Hit Hyperdrive
35. The Green-Collar Class
36. hi5
37. Holographic Projection
38. Home as Castle
39. HomeAway
40. Homemade Beauty Treatments
41. How to Talk to Girls
42. Incognito luxury
43. Inconspicuous Travel
44. Innocent Cosmetics
45. Lady GaGa
46. Lala.com
47. Lance Armstrong
48. Lykke Li
49. Maria Pinto
50. Marketing with Aromas
51. Michelle Obama
52. Microfinancing’s Second Wave
53. Mobile Phones Get Personal
54. More Under One Roof
55. NASA’s Kepler Telescope
56. Netbooks
57. Noor
58. No “Paper” in Newspapers
59. Nutrition Replaces Dieting
60. Obama-speak
61. ODO7
62. Online TV Network Crackle
63. Online Video Ads
64. Outliers (as a term)
65. Palin’s Grandson
66. Personalized Travel Guides
67. Pisco Sours
68. Presidential Sightseeing
69. Prince William Wedding Watch
70. Product Source Tags
71. Radical Transparency Meets Genomics
72. Readers + Social Media = Revenue?
73. Residential Market for Solar Power
74. Ricky Rubio
75. Russell Brand
76. Safe-keeping
77. The Small Movement
78. Smart Garages
79. South Africa
80. Stuart Karten
81. Sustainable Fishery
82. T. Boone Pickens
83. Telepresence
84. Touch Screens
85. Twitter Copycats
86. Virtual Reality Therapy
87. Virtual Socializing
88. Widgets
89. Wikileaks
90. Xbox Streaming

Spread the cost of ownership with 50cycles finance options

At 50cycles, we understand that none of our customers are the same. You each purchase different products, with different needs in mind and of course prefer to pay in different ways. Because of this, we've put together special finance deals that provide customers who prefer not to pay by credit or debit card with an easy and attractive alternative. Finance is the convenient way to get your hands on the electric bike and accessories you want today without breaking the bank! In short, our finance options give you the ability to spread the cost of the products you want now, over a time frame that suits your budget. Read on for more information, including specific examples and your questions answered. Please note that online finance is only an option and should you prefer to pay outright you can checkout in the normal way and pay in full by credit card or debit card. Which finance product is right for you? We currently offer two options (detailed in the table below), both of which are available on orders between £1,000 and £25,000. More information on our website: Electric bike finance options from 50cycles 12 months Interest free credit 3 year finance 23.9% APR 2009 Pro Connect S £2,195 £150 deposit then £170.42 per month How to apply £150 deposit then £77.70 per month How to apply 2009 Pro Connect £1,795 £150 deposit then £137.08 per month How to apply £150 deposit then £62.50 per month How to apply 2009 Tasman £1,695 £150 deposit then £128.75 per month How to apply £150 deposit then £58.70 per month How to apply 2009 Agattu F £1,425 £150 deposit then £106.25 per month How to apply £150 deposit then £48.44 per month How to apply 2009 Agattu C £1,395 £150 deposit then £103.75 per month How to apply £150 deposit then £47.31 per month How to apply 2008 Agattu £1295 £150 deposit then £95.42 per month How to apply £150 deposit then £43.51 per month How to apply

Electric bike hire comes to Stretton Climate Centre

Four of our excellent Agattus have just entered service as electric bikes for hire at Stretton Climate Care in Shropshire. Here's their announcement:

After months of planning and negotiation Stretton Climate Care has announced the first electric bike hire scheme for the Strettons. Funded by a grant from South Shropshire District Council we have purchased four Kalkhoff Agattu electric bikes which are available for hire from Central Garage, adjacent to the railway station

The purpose of the initiative is to encourage greater use of bicycles as a mode of local transport and thus reduce carbon emissions.

With steep hills in the area, electric bikes seemed the ideal way to encourage both residents and tourists to leave the car behind when shopping or exploring the Long Mynd and surrounding countryside. Most residents who use their car to come shopping travel less then two miles, are often the sole occupant and on street parking can be a problem. Short journeys are more polluting too as the engine does not get warm.

By making four bikes available we hope to encourage local residents to try one out for a few days to see if they might go back to a bike. The bikes are light weight, with Lithium Manganese batteries giving an excellent range – some 30+ miles of average cycling for just a few pence recharging. They come complete with panniers, safety jacket, padlock and helmet. The technology is peddle assist so they are easy to ride, just like an ordinary bike, yet the powerful motor takes the strain.

Anyone over the age of 14 can legally ride an electric bike, there is no road tax, no parking fees and running coats are negligible.
We are delighted to form this partnership with John Mackenzie at Central Garage and hope this initiative will encourage more to hop on a bike for all those local journeys. As a further incentive to encourage this low carbon form of transport, The National Trust are offering for a limited period a voucher for free refreshment for anyone arriving at the Pavilion Tea Rooms on one of the bikes.

For further information and details of advance booking pick up a leaflet at the Central Garage (01694 723939), the Library or other paces where our free Home Energy Checkup cards can be found.

Stretton Climate Care website

Electric bike unboxing video - getting started with your Kalkhoff