Pedal pushing

Bullish predictions have already been made about its future. Experts say it will tempt a lot of people. It's the Powabyke. Costing $818, the electric mountain bike weighs some 40 kilogrammes with a speed limit of 24 km per hour without additional pedal power. The removable battery pack, mounted on the diagonal crossbar, has a range of about 32 km and can be recharged wherever there is an ordinary mains power socket. Nick Child, chief executive of the Bath, Britain-based Powabyke company, believes that the machine will be such a success in Britain that they will easily exceed the government's target of doubling cycle use by 2001 and again by 2006 ( Green Futures , No 19).