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Ride in comfort to the office each the morning, then get in your workout while trapped in gridlock on the way home, and pocket the time and fees spent on that gym membership. The experience of bike commuting, previously reserved for the most dedicated sub-culture of cyclist is now open to the rest of us who have a hard time riding in the rain, cold, dark, and snow.

The Rahtmobile, or Raht Racer, is an affordable electric vehicle fused with an enclosed recumbent exercise cycle. The carbon-fiber body provides protection from the elements while this three-wheeled vehicle travels up to highway speeds powered by an in-wheel hub motor with sufficient range to reach the office and home. Recharge is by standard household AC current, plus contribution from the integrated exercise pedals. Finally, an Android-based mobile platform with GPS navigation links exercise profiles selected by the user to pedal resistance, simulating the hills and course of any length of road in the world, even while stuck in traffic. The Raht™ is a motorized, high-speed velomobile and is inspired by European designs.

Puzzlebox is proud to have assisted project leader Rich Kronfeld and the rest of a growing team from early designs in January 2011 through the first fully-functional prototype. Our contribution has centered around its patent-pending human-powered recharging system, world-class fitness profile capabilities, and the integrated heads-up-display dashboard software. The project ties us back to our original roots as a full-service R&D and rapid prototyping firm.

Press: The Winonan

• Wednesday, January 30th, 2013

http://thewinonan.winonastateu.com/its-a-car-its-a-bike-its-the-rahtmobile/

It’s a car, it’s a bike—it’s the Rahtmobile

“The Rahtmobile is a biker’s dream: a highway pedal bike that keeps out the cold and can run at 70 to 80 miles per hour.” “Inside, the Rahtmobile shines with the electric glow of two monitors on the rider’s front and side. On one of them is a fuel gage, keeping track of the rider’s remaining power as he or she speeds along, and on the other, a workout profile.”