First look: Also's upcoming e-bike disconnects the pedals and wheels

Chris Yu, Also’s president, said the idea took shape during conversations with people at Rivian. In an electric vehicle, he noted, software ultimately determines the vehicle’s behavior, as it sits between the driver’s inputs and the hardware that carries them out. Also was founded on the premise that other forms of transportation could benefit from the same approach. To a large extent, yes. Once you find the right combination of settings and cadence, cruising down the street feels just like it does on any other bike. It’s impossible to tell that all your legs are doing is driving a generator and sending signals to a sensor or two. But it didn’t take much to uncover behavior that felt very different. On a normal bike, a sudden mash on the pedals can often produce a short burst of acceleration followed by a spinout while shifting. On the TM-B, the software adjusts the resistance from the generator nearly instantly so it becomes much harder to pedal, all while boosting power to the motor.