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Let the fun begin: Faradays are here!

Posted on April 15, 2015 by Adam Vollmer | 0 Comments

Hello and happy Spring!

It’s been a bit since we updated you on the goings on about Faraday, and for good reason. We’ve been busy putting the finishing touches on our first official production run of Porteurs and overcoming obstacles like the West Coast port closures to get those brand new bikes out to shops and riders across the country.

To celebrate their arrival, we met up with a few new Faraday riders at The New Wheel in the Bernal Heights neighborhood of San Francisco for a Saturday morning coffee ride.

It was a perfect morning to tour a couple of great neighborhoods and stop by for a coffee at Four Barrel in the Mission. Most importantly, it was a thrill to see the smiles on the faces of our new Faraday riders.

The other milestone we’ve reached with this run of bikes is that it marks the first time Porteurs are available and ready to ship without having to pre order (though only a limited number are left). So if you’re thinking about joining in on the Faraday fun (or know someone who might be interested) we definitely suggest hopping in the saddle soon.

Want to kick the tires first? In addition to our test ride program for folks here in the San Francisco Bay Area, you can now visit one of the fine shops below to give the Porteur a closer look and see what you think. Just make sure to give them a call before to guarantee your size in stock. Once you’ve given it a try, we’d love to hear from you.

You can always reach us at riders@faradaybikes.com, or just tweet to us @FaradayBikes.

Happy riding!

Northern California:

• The New Wheel (San Francisco)
• Huckleberry Bikes (San Francisco)
• Palo Alto Bicycles (Palo Alto, CA)
• Beeline Bikes (San Carlos, CA)

Southern California:

• Ebikezzz (Santa Barbara, CA)
• Ebikeszzz (Dana Point, CA)
• Bike Attack Electric (Santa Monica, CA)
• Two Wheels One Planet (Costa Mesa, CA)

Northwest:

• Clever Cycles (Portland, OR)
• Electric & Folding NW (Seattle, WA)
• G&O Family Cyclery (Seattle, WA)

Colorado:

• Small Planet EV (Longmont, CO)

Texas:

• Rocket Electric (Austin, TX)

East Coast:

• Bicycle Space (Washington DC)
• Propel Bikes (Brooklyn, NY)
• The eBicycle Store (Greenville, SC)

A year in the Life of a Bike Brand

Posted on January 13, 2015 by Bridget Duffy | 3 Comments

Sometimes start-up life can feel like a whirlwind. Days pass like hours and weeks vanish in a heartbeat, but somehow the beginning feels like a lifetime ago. When we look back at 2014 it's exciting to see how far we have come in 12 short months. In short, our young brand is growing up.

January

For a two wheeled vehicle, the Faraday Porteur racked up an impressive number of frequent flyer miles in 2014. We gave the production Porteur its official unveiling in January at CES (Consumer Electronic Show) in Vegas, and from there the Porteur traveled across the country multiple times for tradeshows, press events, special guest rides and even a TEDx conference. While a number of events were held across the city, the Porteur’s international debut at Eurobike in the summer was a definite highlight.

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April

We delivered bikes!!! Without a doubt, this was the biggest day (yet) in our young company's history. On April 7th we delivered the very first Faradays to a handful of local Kickstarter backers and official beta testers. Like sending your kids to their first day of school, the handoffs were made with great pride, big smiles and a few nervous moments as the bikes rolled out of sight for the very first time. Happily, no incidents ensued - just very happy customers. The delivery date was also met with an official “shaving party” as the gentlemen of Faraday had agreed not to shave throughout the 6-month production process. Good bye knarly beards, hello official Faraday owners.

May

2014 was happily the year of the test rides. We had a blast giving a few thousand riders their very first Faraday experience. From curious onlookers we met on the streets to some famous faces, the post-ride smile was the same. Even our customers got in on the action, as we heard repeatedly that these eye-catching new bikes were Tesla-esque in their ability to capture the interest and imagination of friends, neighbors, and total strangers. In early May we even had the pleasure to give Sir Richard Branson himself a ride through San Francisco - consider us star-struck.

July

By the middle of summer we had fulfilled the majority of our Bay Area orders and started to ship bikes across the country. Trying to coordinate packing, shipping logistics, run firmware tests and stage 20+ bikes in a 800 square engineering space meant things were getting a “bit” cramped. So after a marathon month of bike tetris, we moved from the windowless loft of a machine shop that used to be home to our own 2000 square foot light-filled work space/machine shop/ mini showroom. We quickly settled into our own office space just a few short blocks from our previous home at Mission Motors.

August

After delivering the last bikes to the inaugural fleet of Faraday riders we were excited to introduce the Faraday Porteur to the next generation of electric bike converts. We had a number of stores who have given years of support and encouragement to Faraday and it was finally time to deliver our first dealer bikes. We opened our first official dealers in our backyard as well as in Faraday's unofficial birthplace, Portland, OR. Early 2015 we will have over 20 dealers across North America. For those of you itching to go for a ride, the wait is almost over - we will be coming to a bike shop near you SOON!

October

Fall in the Bay Area is always glorious and we took advantage of the long sunny days with the launch of our Bay Area demo program. We always love taking folks out on a ride from the office but riders who want the full Faraday experience can now take the bike home for a week, completely free of charge. The program has proved to be a smashing success and we look forward to expanding it in 2015. We met some amazing people through the program and the hardest part of the week is always breaking the news the news that yes, the bikes do have to be returned at the end. Happily, delivery of the next batch of Porteurs is right around the corner.

December

After 2 years, California finally got some rain. In between soggy rides and fender testing there were a number of product milestones. We finished testing on our highly-requested rear rack, opened our online accessories store, started manufacturing on the second round of bikes and were deep in design on new models and accessories. We celebrated the season with featured spots in the gift guides of Anthropologie, Engadget, Outside, and Vanity Fair, proving that whether you're a sophisticated lady, a technology-lover, or an outdoor gear-head, a Faraday could be the transportation upgrade you've been looking for.

It feels like so much more happened in 2014 ... needless to say, the year marked a milestone for Faraday in terms of delivering on (and exceeding) the high expectations of our customers, broadening our reach, and establishing our brand. In 2015, we're setting the bar even higher. If 2014 was the year Faraday arrived, 2015 will be the year we expand our reach, increase our impact, and broaden our vision. If you received a Faraday in 2014, test rode one, shared us with your community, or placed an order, thank you. If you haven't, yet, we invite you to do so in 2015 - come be a part of Faraday's NEW best year ever. Happy 2015.

The most unexpected of places

Posted on January 07, 2015 by Adam Vollmer | 0 Comments

No one is a more fervent e-bike evangelist than a brand new, first-time e-bike customer. Sometimes you meet them in the most unexpected places.

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I have a love-hate relationship with my car. It's taken me on great adventures and it's an important part of my own personal transportation mix, yet I go out of my way to leave it parked in front of the house and go by foot or by Faraday whenever possible. More trips by e-bike equals fewer cash outlays on gas and oil changes, but more importantly, ditching my car in favor of my Faraday means I am happier, healthier, and less-stressed - and that's worth even more to me than cutting back on the estimated $5k per year that Consumer Reports tells me I'm spending on automotive upkeep.

A big chunk of that annual automotive spending bill comes from semi-regular trips to my local mechanic for upkeep on my aging Mazda. I'm lucky to have had the same car mechanic for the past 6 years ... the kind of local shop that knows me by name and knows my car even better. It's the sort of shop were you can feel good about being a customer, even when you discover that a slashed sidewall is going to set you back for a brand new set of tires.

It was on just such a trip to the automotive garage, this morning, that I spotted a shiny new e-bike in the back of the shop. I asked around and was happily surprised to learn that it belonged to none other than David, the owner of the shop. Just two weeks earlier, he'd sold the gas-guzzling oversized truck he's driven for years and upgraded to an e-bike for his ~4 mile commute to work. He loves the exercise, the opportunity to get outdoors, and the thrill of riding his speedy new bike - he couldn't be happier with his new set of wheels.

I walked home and rode by later in the morning on my Faraday, let David take it for a spin (he loved it), and chatted e-bikes for a bit. He hadn't heard of Faraday when doing his research (shame on us for the missed marketing opportunity) but loved the bike's classic lines and smooth ride. We may have missed the chance to win him as a customer, but now his wife wants an e-bike ... hopefully she has a Faraday in her future.

I rode away with a bigger-than-normal smile on my face, already thinking about this blog post. It's the greatest thing in the world to me that a guy who's lived and breathed automobiles for 30 years or more can so happily walk away from his own car (or truck) and become an electric bicycle evangelist. David's enthusiasm is contagious, and I like to hope that many more of his future customers will come in for an oil change and leave with something far more inspiring - a glimpse of a new alternative for the future of transportation, in the most unexpected of places.

- Adam

Posted in commuting, electric bicycle market, testimonials

2014 Faraday's Guide to Living Well on a Bicycle

Posted on December 19, 2014 by Bridget Duffy | 1 Comment

The holiday spirit has been overflowing at Faraday HQ this year. We were delighted to be featured in a variety of holiday gift guides and we had a jolly time pouring over the latest in high tech gadgets, outdoor gear and fashion. While it may be a a bit late in the shopping game, it got us thinking…what is the ultimate wish list for a Faraday rider? So we polled the office, and without further ado we bring you our cycling chic wish list. From the casual cruiser to the fervent commuter, we think we found a little something for everyone.

For the Stocking Stuffer - Adam/ Founder & CEO/ Portland Native

This is what happens when your company's founder is from Portland, OR. Adam couldn't help but include The Athletic's classic PDX airport sock. So bad, it's good.

For the Coffee Enthusiast - Jim / Electrical Engineer / Resident coffee expert

Coffee lovers? Who are we kidding, what real cyclist doesn’t love coffee. This single origin coffee package from Heart Roasters in Portland, OR has everything you need to impress even the the most discerning coffee enthusiasts.

For the Serious Rider-Hugo / Mechanical Engineer/ Man of many tools

No cyclist worth her salt should be without a tool kit - and this compact steel version by Brooks England is top notch. Containing several Allen keys, a wrench and screw drivers, it is ideal for on-the-move repairs. Wrapped neatly in leather, this set can be stowed in your backpack or a jacket pocket without snaring or adding weight

For the City Bike Commuter - Peter / Operations/ Newly minted road riding enthusiast

Fashionable enough to wear into the office but built for performance, Rapha never disappoints with great looking & functional cycling gear. The track jacket is designed to keep you toasty on the bike so you can ride in style year round.

For the Casual Commuter - Victor/ Customer Experience Manager/ Resident SF city riding expert

In the land of ‘California casual’ a good pair of jeans are worth their weight in gold. Add some spandex to help increase mobility and reflective accents, now you have a daily staple. True to the name, the Betabrand Bike to Work denim is the perfect choice for logging some miles on the way to the office.

For the Night Rider- staff pick

Our friends at RevoLights have officially launched their award winning lighting system designed to fit our 26” wheels perfectly. For commuters braving the season of darkness or frequent night riders, there is no safer way to ride than with Revo Lights. You will be the envy of the bike lane.

For the Shoe Lover - Victor / Battery Engineer / Office organizational guru

Leave it to the dutch to design the perfect cycling shoe. They know how to perfectly orchestrate a morning commute so there is no surprise that their riding shoes go perfectly with your Brooks' leather saddle.

For those Needing a Sunny Getaway - staff pick

We are suckers for accessories that scream handmade in California. Not only are the sunglasses made from real wood, they inspire you to head to a warm climate asap.

For the Faraday Lover- staff pick

There's no better gift for the Faraday enthusiast than our limited edition Faraday bag from Rickshaw Bagworks. Handmade in San Francisco, this classic backpack is the perfect compliment to the Porteur. Our favorite details include the laptop sleeve, custom Faraday print lining, splash-proof zippers & sneaky side zipper access to all your goodies.

Hope you enjoyed our holiday wish list from rainy San Francisco. Let us know if there is anything we missed! You can write us at info@faradaybikes.com or find us on social @faradaybikes . Thanks for reading & happy holidays!

Posted in gift guides, holidays

Celebrating the Holidays with Anthropologie

Posted on December 15, 2014 by Bridget Duffy | 0 Comments

'Tis the season for celebrating and this year we have plenty to celebrate. While an electric bike may be a little tough to hide under the tree we are delighted to see the Faraday Porteur on a number of holiday wish lists. From high tech to high fashion, electric bikes even top the list for professional athletes! It warms our heart to think that even the fittest of human beings need a little "boost mode" every once in a while.

Now it is our turn to spread the holiday cheer. To celebrate our first catalog appearance we will be raffling off a $300 shopping spree to our favorite whimsical retailer, Anthropologie. Just sign up for the Faraday newsletter between now and January 15th and you are entered to win. The winner will be notified via e-mail & announced online on January 15th, 2015.

Happy happy holidays and happy riding to all!

*Don’t worry, we are too busy building bikes to spam you. Winner will be drawn January 15, 2015, please see complete rules.

Posted in anthropologie, gift guides, give-away, holidays, press