Lime tests two new e-bikes you don’t have to pedal

Lime is testing two new e-bikes designed to make bike-sharing accessible to a wider range of riders. Alongside throttles that mean you don’t have to pedal to move, the LimeBike and the LimeGlider both offer 20-inch wheels with fat tires for better traction, step-through frames to make getting on and off easier, and lower centers of gravity for more stability.

The LimeBike is meant to “complement” the pedal-assist Gen4 e-bike that Lime launched in 2022. It comes with pedals as well as a handlebar throttle, allowing riders to either pedal with electric assist or move with electric power only. Its seatpost has a quick-adjust clamp to make it easier to move up or down, among other improvements.

The LimeGlider, on the other hand, swaps the pedals for footrests and is throttle-only. It also has a larger padded seat that’s lower to the ground, making for a more comfortable ride than the company’s e-bikes or the seated e-scooter Lime launched last year.

Both the LimeGlider and LimeBike offer larger baskets and better phone holders than the company’s existing models. “The LimeGlider and LimeBike offer a glimpse at the future of micromobility, designed with a wider rider audience in mind to help us draw closer to our mission of building a future where transportation is shared, affordable and carbon-free,” Lime CEO Wayne Ting says in a press release.

For now, Lime is testing the LimeBike in Atlanta and Zurich, while the LimeGlider will be available as a pilot in Seattle in mid-August and Zurich later this summer.