The Current Landscape
As the way people move around cities evolves, ebikes have emerged as a game-changer. With growing concerns about pollution and congestion, so many people have turned to ebikes as a sustainable and efficient way to get around that they now outsell electric cars.
Electric bikes that can also fold to store securely or take on public transport give people even more options.
Company Birth Story
FLIT was born out of both a passion for design and a commitment to giving people better choices for how they move around.
The company' co-founders, Dave Henderson and Alex Murray both loved cycling around the cities they had lived in and wanted to make a bike that would help others to unlock the city.
Their journey began when they won grant funding from the UK’s Department for Transport and embarked on a mission to create their first folding ebike: the FLIT-16.
The Solution
The FLIT-16 launched with a successful Kickstarter campaign that raised over 5x its target. Small enough to fit in a train luggage rack, light enough to take up to a third floor apartment, and stiff enough to feel like you’re riding a full size bike, the FLIT-16 changed the way its riders moved around their cities.
Not wanting to sit still, FLIT moved straight onto their second ebike: the FLIT M2. An all- round improvement on the FLIT-16, the M2 is 25% smaller when folded, 1kg lighter, and has a host of upgraded components like disc brakes.
It achieves this by using a unique manufacturing process that combines incredibly precise machining with a bonding process borrowed from the aerospace industry to eliminate the frame distortions caused by traditional welding. FLIT’s engineering excellence has been recognised through prizes and grants from the Royal Academy of Engineers and the Design Council amongst others.
The Team Culture
FLIT's team share a love for cycling and a commitment to improving their communities. Dave and Alex are known for their hands-on approach and willingness to experiment. The team values expertise, innovation, and approachability. They often take inspiration from their own experiences cycling around Cambridge to inspire improvements - a team that certainly practice what they preach.
A founder quote
In the words of Alex Murray, one of FLIT's co-founders, “We’re basically a bunch of cycling nerds who got annoyed with traffic jams. We firmly believe that if you give people the right options they’ll make choices that are better for themselves and their communities. By applying advances in batteries, materials, and manufacturing to folding ebikes, and adding our own design twist, we’re on a mission to help people unlock their cities.”
Check it out : https://flit.bike/
Follow on social:
Comments