[walkon]

The motor assistance feature looks interesting. Aren't bikes supposed to be light? I would guess that the benefit of having a motor and batteries that can provide worthwhile assistance would be counteracted by the fact that there's that much more weight to move around all the time.

[jrockway]

Bikes don't need to be light, the bike + rider combo needs to be light. If you are 200 pounds, the difference between a 20 pound and 30 pound bike is a rounding error.

Anecdote: I don't notice much change in bike handling even when I have 40 pounds of groceries on the back. I do notice the difference between my 22-pound utility bike and 18-pound racing bike, though. Not because of the weight, but because of the very different geometry. (I think this is why people think light bikes are fast - racing bikes do feel faster. But it's not their weight, it's the very tight geometry that would be unsuitable for a touring bike.)