FRANKFURT, Germany (BRAIN) — Tern's new HSD is a compact e-bike that can carry cargo and is designed for everybody.
"Many e-bikes on the market look like standard bikes with motor systems and batteries wedged in," said Josh Hon, Tern's team captain. "We started the HSD project with the goal of designing a better, more useful, e-bike. That meant wiping away preconceived notions for things like frame design, riding geometry, and wheel size. The result is the HSD, a small bike that is just much more useful."
At 170 cm long, the HSD is shorter than a regular bike. It flips up for vertical parking and elevator rides, and can be flat-folded in seconds to go into bus racks and SUVs.
The bike has a maximum gross vehicle weight of 170 kg (374 pounds) and an XL-sized rack. It also has a dedicated trailer hitch mount.
The included Atlas H Rack is rated to 60 kg (132 pounds) and compatible with many different child seat brands, including Thule Yepp and Bobike. An upcoming Passenger Kit from Tern will allow riders to continue carrying their kids as they grow older.
The HSD resizes in seconds to fit riders from 150 to 195 cm (4'11" — 6'5"). The new Easy-Step frame design offers a comfortable upright riding position. It has an adjustable stem and seatpost, a suspension fork, and balloon tires.
The HSD is equipped with safety features including integrated front and rear lights, hydraulic disc brakes, puncture-resistant tires, and reflective decals.
The HSD is powered by Bosch's Performance Line or Active Line Plus motors. Different HSD models feature Gates belt drives, Abus keyed-alike frame locks, and Cane Creek Thudbuster suspension seatposts. The top of the line S+ model has automatic shifting.
"In the last two years, we created the Vektron and the GSD, both of which excel in their categories," said Eric Lin, Tern's director of product development. "But there's this third category, an e-bike designed not for the niche but for almost everybody. It doesn't fold to a tiny size or carry 200 kg, but simply does the standard stuff better. Finally, there's a bike that you and I will want to use daily, a companion for greener transportation. The HSD is the future of urban e-bikes, now."
The HSD lineup includes the HSD P9 starting at $3099, HSD S8i starting at $3699, and HSD S+ starting at $4999. Bikes will be in shops in the first quarter of 2020. The HSD will make its first appearance at the Urban Mobility Media Days on July 10-11 in Frankfurt and follow at Eurobike in September.
For more information, visit: ternbicycles.com/hsd.
