The Tour de France could be facing a new public relations challenge in the form of ‘motorised doping’ - at least, that’s the latest whisper doing the rounds of the professional cycling sphere.

It may sound like a joke, but as the WSJ writes, the thought that miniscule motors might be hiding in the frames of these bicycles has got cycling’s governing body, Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), all in a fluster. Officials were worried enough to conduct checks on competitors’ bikes at this year’s Tour, as well as at the Giro d’Italia.

Thus far, nobody’s been found guilty. Although crazier things have been done (blood doping anyone?), the idea of an entrant enlisting such easily-detectable artificial assistance still seems a little off the mark. But while we’re not sure there’ll be any dodgy discoveries of this nature any time soon, so the saying goes, there’s no smoke without fire.

Your very own Tour de France – on an e-bike

Indeed, using a concealed motor to help you up a hill in the most important cycling race in the world is definitely NOT okay. But concerns over this potential cheat tell another story – with the e-bike market steadily growing among us ordinary folk, their popularity is bound to cause some spillover into the professional sphere. And if you’re just a regular guy or gal, an e-bike can be a lifesaver when you’re tackling a difficult hill.

One of the key benefits of an e-bike is that it provides you with a backup when your energy levels fall flat. Carrying heavy bags or strapping a destabilising pannier onto your bike rack can weigh it down, meaning that it takes extra effort to cycle. A little motor power offers a refreshing boost and a break from pedalling.

JIVR Bike offers even more than this. It’s foldable, making it handy on busy public transport and in hotels, and doesn’t use a chain, so you won’t encounter any mechanical issues or get oil on your clothes. You’ll also get a good 30 miles out of the motor before the battery goes, so it’s ideal for long rides.

Touring with JIVR isn’t about doing physical exercise. It’s quite the opposite, in fact: with an e-bike you can go further, faster, and retain more energy. It allows you to breeze along and still drink in the glorious countryside on your own Tour, wherever that might be – and you wouldn’t even be cheating.

Main image via Dan Atrill at Flickr Creative Commons

Hello JIVR | Bike fans. This week has been a relatively quiet one in the world of cycling news, maybe it’s because we’re now on the cusp of the warm weather and once that kicks in for good (not just for 48 hours), we’ll all feel much more relaxed and ready to get out there on our bikes and start making headlines! 

Until then, here are some of our favourite cycling stories from the past week, have a great weekend everyone! 

First up, Copenhagenize published a list of the most cycling-friendly cities in Europe. According to the design team at Copenhagenize, the list was created by assessing European cities based on a number of criteria, which all focus on whether the local councils and governments have made efforts towards re-establishing the bicycle as the best way to get around. Unsurprisingly, at the top of the list we have Copenhagen in Denmark and Amsterdam and Utrecht in the Netherlands. You can click the link above to check out the list for yourself. 

Earlier in the week, Cycling Weekly published a funny photo round-up all about the horror of cycling tan lines. Do you think they look ridiculous? Or just prove you had a great time cycling in the sunshine? Go on take a look, it is Friday after all! 

Here’s another interesting piece from Quartz about how the #ebike revolution is really taking off around Europe. Like a few similar stories in recent weeks, the focus is on how the rich and famous of our continent are the biggest fans! 

One of the most interesting (and insightful) kinds of articles we read here at JIVR | Bike are about people trying out #ebikes for the first time - it’s so interesting for us to read what they think about ebikes, the things they love and the things they hate. That’s why we wanted to flag up this piece in the Falkirk Herald which takes a look at ebikes through a different lens.

This week the Department of Transport revealed that it’s going to start long-awaited work on its Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy this summer, meaning London (and a bunch of other UK cities) could make the Copenhagenize list next year! Okay, maybe the year after.

The awesome design and cycling specialists at Copenhagenize have launched a new index today to celebrate the most cycle-friendly cities in Europe. 

According to the team, the list was created by assessing locations based on a number of criteria, including which cities have made efforts towards re-establishing the bicycle as a way to get around - whether that means improved cycle routes or raising awareness with new marketing campaigns.

Unsurprisingly, at the top of the list we have Copenhagen in Denmark and Amsterdam and Utrecht in the Netherlands. It’s a little disappointing that London didn’t make the top 20, but let’s hope it’ll just about manage it next year when plans to make cycling easier and safer in the city are in full swing.

Hello JIVR | Bike friends! It’s been a very interesting few months for electric bikes and for what the future of transportation looks like generally. No longer are #ebikes quirky, futuristic contraptions. Each week we see that they’re becoming more mainstream, with local councils bringing them in to support bike-sharing and hiring schemes, big companies introducing them to get employees to ditch public transport and plenty of individuals giving ebikes a chance after feeling sceptical for so long.

Here’s our weekly news round-up, full of the most interesting cycling stories as well as all kinds of exciting new ebike news.

We don’t think we could have even dreamed up the first post in our round-up this week. According to The Guardian, not to mention a whole bunch of delighted fans, Arnold Schwarzenegger was spotted cycling around London on a Boris Bike last week, taking in the popular tourist sites and stopping for a selfie or two.

We’re big fans of Cycling Weekly, but this article all about the ways cyclists can kid Strava into thinking they’ve achieved more was brilliant. It was funny. And, if you’re a starve user yourself, pretty damn useful for those days when you just don’t have the energy to go full force! 

CNN Money took a look at the ways the super rich of Europe are investing in ebikes. There’s no mention of JIVR | Bike specifically, but it’s great to see ebikes getting a lot of attention and press regardless! 

We’ve come across a fair few councils introducing ebike sharing schemes over the past few months, but now Google apparently wants in on the action too. According to this piece from SERoundtable, the tech giant has introduced a new #ebike programme for its employees! 

And finally, if you’ve been keeping up to date with the JIVR | Bike blog already this week, you’ll know that we’ve been featured in a great roundup on Strategy Eye. The article is all about top Polish startups that are set to put the country on the map. And we couldn’t be more delighted that we were included.

We’re delighted to wake up to the news that JIVR | Bike has been featured in Strategy Eye as one of four startups putting Poland on the map - what a great feature to be included in! 

Here’s a great chunk of the feature to give you a flavour of what Strategy Eye thinks of the JIVR | Bike.

“Jivr sells a premium bike that deals with many of the everyday hassles of cycling. Peddling is optional as the bike come with a battery with a range of 20 miles. It’s chainless so there’s no danger of users getting oil over their clothes and despite costing GBP1,499 (USD2,386) theft shouldn’t be a big problem as the bike can be folded quickly to bring inside. Finally, in a nice modern touch the bike comes with a dock for a smartphone.”

Happy Monday cycling fans! Here’s our roundup of all the best, most interesting and inspiring cycling and ebike news from the past seven days...

Well, it looks like the government’s decision to start cutting the cycling and transportation budget is facing harsh criticism. According to Cycling Weekly, Cambridge MP Daniel Zeichner has told the press that he believes that the Conservatives have “no interest” in the “cycling revolution.” Back in March, Cambridge was promised a huge sum of money by Nick Clegg to ramp up its cycling initiatives as part of Cycling Ambition Cities. But now it seems the Conservatives have decide to redistribute the budget, meaning cycling gets £23m less than it was promised.

The Isle of Man TT Series of bike races has a new category: electric bikes. According to this article in The Verge, John McGuinness won the electric bike race and averaged 119.3mph around a 37 mile course. A great day for ebikes, that’s for sure!

Last week the BBC revealed that a number of takeaway companies could soon be delivering food with ebikes instead of regular cycles, scooters or cars. Rumour has it that both Deliveroo and Nandos are looking to deliver their meals with the help of electric cycles.

According to Cities Today, Milan is one of the first cities to offer a new bike-sharing scheme with a huge selection of regular bikes AND ebikes. This is a great way to get those who wouldn’t usually trial an ebike to try one out, no strings attached.

Very interesting news from Road.cc last week about a rise in the number of female cyclists. According to the popular fitness tracking app Strava, more women than ever are getting on their bikes and cycling as a form of fitness. British females now account for a whole fifth of global mileage!