Electric bicycles have never been more popular, meaning more riders than ever are discovering the freedom and utility of riding e-bikes. But with many companies offering “one size fits most” e-bikes, women and smaller riders are often left out. That’s why Integral Electrics set out to design e-bikes that fit female riders better.
It’s no secret that women are underrepresented in the cycling industry, but many people don’t realize just how little voice women have in the industry.
At the largest bicycle trade show in the world, the Taipei Cycle Show, Integral Electrics CEO and cofounder Laura Belmar met with thousands of bike industry contacts but said that she didn’t meet a single female on the buyer/brand side.It became clear to her that “design and engineering choices for the bike industry predominantly come from a male perspective and most miss the mark when it comes to accessibility.”
That’s why she and the Integral Electrics team designed the Maven Cargo e-bike as “a vehicle designed by women that delivers an exceptional riding experience for all, breaking free from an industry traditionally tailored for men, by men.”
So what makes the Maven Cargo e-bike different?
Primarily, the design of the bike is intended to better fit shorter riders, many of which are women. The company “designed the Maven so that women and shorter riders can confidently carry cargo. Built for sharing, this cargo e-bike also meets the specifications of taller partners and veteran cyclists.”
Designing for shorter riders is key, since short-centric bikes can often still fit taller riders by adjusting the seat and handlebars, but taller rider e-bikes are rarely able to be adjusted down to a level that can fit shorter riders. In this case, the bike is designed to comfortably fit riders from 5’0″ to 6’7″ (152 to 200 cm). The use of a dropper seat post allows ever further extension as well as quick adjustments to seat height on the fly. Adjustable handlebars help dial in the height and reach for each rider.
As the company explained,
“We’ve talked to a lot of women about their experience on cargo bikes, and 9 out of 10 report feeling unstable, like they’re “not quite strong enough.” But they’re not really the problem; it’s actually just bad cargo bike design! The female center of gravity is at waist height, and so women need cargo to be well below the waist in order to feel stable.”
And that’s exactly how the Maven is designed.
The bike’s geometry is intended to better fit smaller riders by placing cargo just above the rear wheel at under 24 inches from the ground, “aligning just above the knee, and well below the average female’s center of gravity.” Integral Electrics says that this design guarantees confident and effortless riding for everyone.
Integral Electrics comparing their rack height to an older version of the RadWagon
This is of course not the only 20″ cargo e-bike out there, and you’ll find plenty of other options with this wheel size.
But Integral Electrics is trying to win riders over with more than just a lower center of gravity. The e-bike actually comes with some nice specs too.
A set of dual batteries come standard on the Maven Cargo, which the company says offers over 80 miles (130 km) of range. A long rear rack is included to fit a range of cargo accessories as well as kid carriers.
A 750W rear hub motor can be controlled by either pedal assist or a hand throttle, allowing easy take offs and efficient riding. A large headlight and tail light illuminates the way and lets cars see the bike as they approach it, while front and rear turn signals provide extra visibility. Hydraulic disc brakes are included for confident, quick stops.
Adjustable suspension in the dual crown fork offers a more stable, comfortable ride. Rear suspension is provided through a suspension seat post, which won’t offer the same handling as a rear swingarm but will at least help prevent hard bumps from being transferred immediately up through the seat and into the rider.
The Maven Cargo e-bike is priced at US $1,999 and has just launched on Kickstarter with an estimated delivery date beginning in February 2024.
We normally don’t cover crowdfunding campaigns unless we can test the product first or the company is an established brand that has demonstrated past deliveries, as this helps us weed out the fly-by-night operations. In this case, the team behind Integral Electrics has been selling e-bikes since at least 2019 and the company touts two other successful Kickstarter campaigns under its belt, showing that they “have a strong track record for delivering quality product on time.”
Electrek’s Take
As a dude, I’m not sure that me mansplaining the fact that women are usually shorter is the place where I feel most comfortable. But I’ll just say that I like the approach taken here for accessible design and I think that anything that can promote inclusivity in the cycling industry is great to see. Regardless of your sex, electric bikes are an amazing way to get around town and replace car usage. Helping more people take part is a great way forward.
Considering my wife can sometimes save money on shoes by buying on the larger end of child’s sizes, I know a thing or two about seeing a small woman struggle to ride a taller e-bike. I’ve watched my wife try several models that she ultimately decided just made her feel uncomfortable due to the size.
On a recent trip we took to the Netherlands, a country of tall Dutch bikes and taller Dutch people, she struggled on most of the taller Gazelle bikes we rode. The best bike she found was a model that was actually designed for elderly riders (seen below on the right). It had smaller wheels, a lower saddle and a pedal-forward geometry that let riders comfortably rest their feet on the ground at stops while still sitting in the saddle. The difference in her confidence while riding on the two different styles of bikes was incredible to see. So while I can’t claim to know what it’s like to be a female cyclist seeking that confidence from a comfortably sized bike, I can at least empathize.
My wife struggled on taller Dutch bikes (L) but felt much more comfortable on lower Dutch bikes (R)
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The sun has set on a frantic day of scrutineering at this year’s Electrek Formula Sun Grand Prix (FSGP), as teams scramble to qualify for a spot on the starting line tomorrow morning. Electrek FSGP 2025 is shaping up to be one of the event’s most attended ever, thanks to a strong showing of first-time and returning schools. But that also means new and unproven vehicles on the track.
Today, I walked through a couple of bays and talked with a few of the teams able to spare a minute; almost all of them were debuting completely new cars that were years in the making. Building a solar car is no easy feat. It’s not just the engineering and technical know-how that’s often a hurdle for them; it’s more often monetary. However, one of the things that makes this event so special is the camaraderie and collaboration that happen behind the scenes.
Northwestern University is back with a completely new car this season, its eighth since the team’s original inception in 1997 during the GM Sunrayce days. Its motor controller, which is responsible for managing the flow of power from the batteries to the motor, was given to them by the Stanford team. Stanford had extras and could spare one for Northwestern, which needed a replacement. It doesn’t stop there. Two members of the Northwestern team (Shannon and Fiona) told me four other teams helped them with a serious tire replacement around 1 a.m. Wednesday morning, saving them from missing important parts of scrutineering.
This is also an exciting year for the West Virginia team, which is celebrating its 35th anniversary as a solar car team, making them one of the oldest teams on the track. With age comes wisdom though: WV is competing again this year with its single-occupant vehicle, Sunseeker. The team ran into issues after last year’s American Solar Challenge (ASC) cross-country event when the vehicle’s control arm, an important part of the suspension that connects the wheels to the chassis, broke. They tell me this year they’re back with a completely redesigned control arm made of both aluminum and steel. Thank you, Hayley, John, and Izzy, for taking the time to talk.
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We’re also seeing new builds this year from the University of Florida, the University of Puerto Rico, NC State, and UC Irvine. Believe it or not, the latter team has never competed in an American Solar Challenge/Formula Sun Grand Prix. This is their first year. UC Irvine doesn’t expect to be on the starting line tomorrow but hopes to be on the track soon after.
University of Puerto RicoUniversity of California Irvine
On the other hand, we have tried-and-proven cars like my personal favorite, Polytechnique Montréal’s Esteban, which undergoes minor improvements each year. I talked a little bit with this team today, and they told me the car’s motor was dropped, disassembled, and cleaned in preparation for the event. Polytechnique Montréal has passed scrutineering and will appear on the starting line tomorrow.
Polytechnique Montréal
Teams that haven’t wrapped up scrutineering in the last three days can still complete it, though doing so will eat into time on track.
You can learn more about the different classes and the specific rules here.
I’ll continue to post more updates as the event continues!
2025 Electrek FSGP schedule
The 2025 Electrek FSGP will again be held at the National Corvette Museum Motorsports Park in Bowling Green, Kentucky, which, interestingly enough, General Motors occasionally uses for Corvette testing and development. A bit of a full-circle moment being so close to the company that started it all.
The event is open to the public and FREE to attend. Come see the solar car race up close!
Racing starts on July 3 from 10am to 6pm CT and continues through July 5 from 9am to 5pm CT.
Featured image via Cora Kennedy for Electrek FSGP/ASC.
Note: The Formula Sun Grand Prix is not in any way associated or affiliated with the Formula 1 companies, FORMULA 1 racing, or the FIA Formula One World Championship.
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Tesla’s Q2 results are in, and they are way, way down from Q2 of 2024. At the same time, Nissan seems to be in serious trouble and the first-ever all-electric Dodge muscle car is getting recalled because its dumb engine noises are the wrong kind of dumb engine noises. All this and more on today’s deeply troubled episode of Quick Charge!
We’ve also got an awesome article from Micah Toll about a hitherto unexplored genre of electric lawn equipment, a $440 million mining equipment deal, and a list of incompetent, corrupt, and stupid politicians who voted away their constituents’ futures to line their pockets.
New episodes of Quick Charge are recorded, usually, Monday through Thursday (and sometimes Sunday). We’ll be posting bonus audio content from time to time as well, so be sure to follow and subscribe so you don’t miss a minute of Electrek’s high-voltage daily news.
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Got news? Let us know! Drop us a line at tips@electrek.co. You can also rate us on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, or recommend us in Overcast to help more people discover the show.
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“These ‘OpenAI tokens’ are not OpenAI equity,” OpenAI wrote on X. “We did not partner with Robinhood, were not involved in this, and do not endorse it.”
The company said that “any transfer of OpenAI equity requires our approval — we did not approve any transfer,” and warned users to “please be careful.”
Robinhood announced the launch Monday from Cannes, France, as part of a broader product showcase focused on tokenized equities, staking, and a new blockchain infrastructure play. The company’s stock surged above $100 to hit a new all-time high following the news.
“These tokens give retail investors indirect exposure to private markets, opening up access, and are enabled by Robinhood’s ownership stake in a special purpose vehicle,” a Robinhood spokesperson said in response to the OpenAI post.
Read more CNBC tech news
Robinhood offered 5 euros worth of OpenAI and SpaceX tokens to eligible EU users who signed up to trade stock tokens by July 7. The assets are issued under the EU’s looser investor restrictions via Robinhood’s crypto platform.
“This is about expanding access,” said Johann Kerbrat, Robinhood’s SVP and GM of crypto. “The goal with tokenization is to let anyone participate in this economy.”
The episode highlights the dynamic between crypto platforms seeking to democratize access to financial products and the companies whose names and equity are being represented on-chain
U.S. users cannot access these tokens due to regulatory restrictions.