Taking a ride with FlyKly, an electric bike startup in New York City

On the 2nd floor of Projective Space, a busy coworking space in SoHo, just a stone’s throw away from popular New York startups Wanderfly and Gojee, you will find FlyKly, a small Electric Bike company that’s attempting to change the patterns of US energy consumption.

Powered by costly Lithium-Ion batteries, FlyKlys are 100% electric, zero emissions vehicles. To charge the battery, simply plug it into a standard outlet for 4 hours. Fully charged, every FlyKly battery gets you 40 miles of riding. The battery can be recharged up to 1,000 times, resulting in 40,000 miles before you need a battery change. And at less than 5 cents per charge, you can ride 1,000 miles for a dollar’s worth of electricity.

“I think our increase in sales can be linked to peoples increasing interest in vehicles that can be powered with renewable energy…As more and more of our grid shifts to solar, wind and other clean tech our FlyKlys will be there, ready to be charged up with clean energy–old gas powered cars or scooters can’t be retrofitted to run electric.”

-Niko Klansek, CEO of FlyKly

FlyKlys come in two different styles- a more modern look and a sweet vintage ride. The best thing about the FlyKly is that it’s legally a bicycle, which means you can park it on the sidewalk, ride it on bike paths and even run traffic lights (just kidding). I took it for a spin and zoomed down Canal Street in Chinatown, wobbled up the cobble streets of SoHo and took a few easy corners back on Broadway. Overall it was an incredibly smooth ride and the thing stops on a dime.

Unfortunately, the bike isn’t light enough for me to pick up and move on high curbed sidewalks. Also, unlike other electric bikes I’ve taken for a spin, it’s a pain to pedal should you find yourself out of battery. At the end of the day, it’s really a very cool electric scooter that doesn’t yet have to adhere to scooter laws. I imagine this will be a hot selling item at next spring’s SXSWi in Austin, Texas. The bikes cost $1,990 with free shipping, a 1-year warranty and a 15-day free trial. If you want to take your lady for a spin over the Williamsburg Bridge for dinner at Isa, order yours here.