“We are now able to have pure fun we’ve experienced in the beginning of mountainbiking. But now up the hill. It surely becomes the next big thing.” What is being touted here as the next big thing is riding an ebike. Said by none other than Gary Fisher when he spoke in 2017 about Bosch’s drive system at the time. Now the mountain biking icon returns from the commentary seat to the centre of the action. He is bringing a new ebike brand and lots of unusual ideas with him. A typical Gary Fisher.
At the end of March, the first US trade press reported that Gary Fisher had been spotted at the Taipei Cycle bicycle fair in Taiwan. And this was by no means as a private individual, but on a professional mission. In the meantime, so much is known about his plans that a fairly concrete picture can be drawn of what the 72-year-old has in mind.
Concentrated knowledge from two worlds
Together with two partners, Fisher apparently founded the entirely new ebike brand Morelle in February 2023. According to his profile on Linkedin, he holds the position of chief developer. At his side are Michael Sinkula and Kevin Hays. Both belong to the US battery specialist Ionblox. Sinkula is one of the founders of Ionblonx. Hays is the chief developer responsible for the battery of an electric aircraft that takes off vertically.
Gary Fisher is starting his first adventure in the ebike industry as head developer at Morelle.
A weather-sensitive ebike
This and other information emerges from a PDF document that selected journalists have received. It also contains the first key data of the ebike, which is to be released as Morelle’s premiere. It will probably be an urban ebike for everyday use in the city. The basis is an aluminium frame. A mid-mounted motor from Bafang is integrated into it. Several media reports agree that the bike will feature high-quality equipment with electronic gears from Sram and a set of carbon wheels.
Morelle wants to build a modern bicycle that can connect to various other devices via app. Gary Fisher has announced the integration of various sensors. Tyre pressure, power, speed and stress are to be measured electronically. The equipment will probably also include a GPS module. The ebike is even supposed to be able to detect weather conditions and, with the help of a special algorithm, determine a correspondingly current range. The magazine “Bicycle Retailer and Industry News” quotes Fisher as saying: “It will be a mix of the old and the new.”
From the air to the road
Somewhere between new and revolutionary could be the battery technology that Morelle wants to use. This is where the aforementioned connection to Ionblox comes into play. Their know-how is present in the person of Michael Sinkula and Kevin Hays. Apparently, it has also been agreed that other resources may also be shared. The energy for the mid-mounted motor on the Morelle is to come from a 300 watt-hour battery. That sounds rather modest at first. However, the battery is supposed to offer twice the range of products currently on the market.
At the moment, we do not fully understand how exactly this can work. On the Ionblox website, we at least read something about an anode that is based on silicon instead of lithium. In addition, the company has probably developed its own cell design. Both together lead to an unusually high energy density. According to the magazine “Cycling Electric”, this is 350 watt hours per kilogram compared to the 150 to 200 watt hours per kilogram that have been more common up to now. With the help of this technology, Ionblox brings electric aircraft into the air. This requires high performance at the lowest possible weight. This makes such statements seem quite credible.
Morelle’s goal is to fully charge the battery within 30 minutes. After only ten minutes, 80 per cent should be reached. The number of charging cycles is expected to be 1,000 or more. Together with the battery, the complete ebike should weigh between ten and 11.5 kilograms.
There is not much happening on the Morelle website at the moment. Those who want to can subscribe to the manufacturer’s newsletter.
Renting instead of buying
In addition to the technical solution, Gary Fisher also wants to take a rather unconventional approach to earning money with Morelle. Renting instead of buying is the motto here. In order to give as broad a section of the population as possible access to such an advanced and certainly not entirely inexpensive ebike, a model is being considered in which interested parties can rent the ebike for a fee of 100 US dollars per month. The service is to include repairs as well as the delivery of a bike that is ready to ride. When it comes to charging, the founders also envision a network of publicly accessible charging stations as an alternative to their own homes – possibly in combination with battery rental stations where e-scooters can also help themselves.
Boredom out of the question
It will be some time before these plans are put into practice. Morelle does not want to present a finished ebike before 2024. From 2025, frame production using 3D printing processes could start on a larger scale near the company’s headquarters in Fremont, California.
In the meantime, Gary Fisher is already tinkering with his next project. According to his own statements, he has plans for an electric cargo bike in mind. This is to be aimed specifically at the US market. Perhaps with a very powerful motor? Certainly with a light system that would not be approved for road use in Germany because it would be too bright. There is also talk of retractable windscreens and a stand that can be operated by people who otherwise lack the strength to do so. Sounds like Gary Fisher is in his element again.
Background: Daring mountain bike pioneer
In the early 1970s, Gary Fisher was part of a group of people who converted junked bicycles into mountain bikes and rode them over the hills of Marin County, alongside scene greats like Joe Breeze and Charles Kelly. From California, this dare developed into the worldwide phenomenon of mountain biking. Like many of his companions at the time, Fisher later founded his own bicycle brand. Since 1993, it belonged to the bicycle manufacturer Trek, Gary Fisher had sold it himself and was employed by Trek as a brand ambassador. By March 2022, Fisher and Trek had parted ways.
Interview with Bosch eBike Systems 2017
Pictures: Bosch eBike Systems; Twitter @Gary_Fisher
I would like to see one of your E bikes.
Hello David,
Probably, you would like to see one of Morelle ebikes, don’t you. Unfortunately, its website still shows no progress. So, no signs of ebikes so far.
Cheers, Matthias