Rivian’s E-Bike spinoff ALSO wants to replace your car – sort of

Yu has extensive cycling experience.

He told me he raced competitively in college and continued to do so throughout his years at Specialized Bicycle Components, a bicycle manufacturer, where he spent more than 10 years and led the company as director of product and technology.

Yu doesn’t do much shopping these days, but he still rides his bike often with his son.

Yu said he would take his son to school on the back of his bike, one of the use cases ALSO kept in mind for the development of the TM-B. Father and son are intimately aware of the issues surrounding e-bikes.

“All the other bikes we used when we hit potholes and the speed bump in his school parking lot, he always got bounced, and he always thought that was the norm,” Yu said.

“The payload capacity to carry a 75-pound child on your back doesn’t exist,” he added.

Yu said the TM-B was designed with a universal approach. He said one of the first issues for consumers is deciding what type of electric bike to buy first.

“We wanted to pack as much personality, utility and capability into a single platform as possible to eliminate that kind of initial friction and hassle,” Yu said.

I had the opportunity to try out the Launch Edition, which has a starting price of $4,500. The base edition will start at less than $4,000. ALSO plans to launch in 2026.

The TM-B stands out from most electric bikes on the market thanks to its pedal-by-wire system. This means that the pedals are not mechanically linked to a chain that moves the tires. Instead, the pedals are connected to a generator, which provides the power needed to move you forward.

This also means that there is no gear shifting in the traditional sense. There’s a manual mode where you can “shift” gears, and you’ll feel haptic feedback on the pedals that indicates when you’re changing gears.

I found that this propulsion system made it possible to climb a hill without problem. The bike didn’t require much more pedaling effort when going up a hill.

The TM-B is a Class 3 bike, offering a pedal assist speed of up to 28 mph and a throttle that assists the rider up to 20 mph.

A standard battery provides up to 60 miles of range. The large battery provides up to 100 miles of range.

The regenerative braking system can extend the range by around 25%, according to the company.

Cyclists can also use the battery as a portable charger for their electronic devices.

Much like a Rivian, a rider can approach the TM-B to turn on the bike since it is connected to the user’s phone.

It’s a “software-defined” bike, Yu said, which allows for over-the-air updates and a simple user experience right out of the box.

Weighing around 70 pounds, the TM-B is not a traditional bike that a rider would lug up several floors of their building.

Yu said the company envisions riders treating the bike more like a car you might leave comfortable in a parking structure.

Kelly Veit, vice president of software, said the bike is equipped with Wi-Fi, LTE and GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) connectivity for location tracking and anti-theft protection.

If the bike detects movement, the owner is alerted on their phone. If the bike is stolen, the owner can track its location and “brick” it, making it virtually impossible to ride.

ALSO executives showed me three accessories: one for the solo rider, one that allows carrying up to 75 pounds of payload, including a small child or groceries, and a “bench” for a more comfortable ride.

All modular seat attachments are equipped with lights on the rear that also serve as turn signals.

For motorcyclists, this means no longer having to extend their arm to indicate that they are about to take a turn.

The headlight serves as a daytime running light and indicator.

Yu said the LED can also indicate battery charge status and show the progress of live updates.

The TM-B’s throttle is set to a maximum speed of 20 mph, per federal e-bike regulations, allowing the bike to reach that speed without pedaling.

Saul Leiken, product line manager, said the motorcycle was designed to accelerate “basically as fast as a car can come out of a stop sign.”

“I’m not talking about zero to 60,” he said, “but if you’re a little late for work, it allows you to ride with traffic instead of being in traffic.”

Yu said the throttle is useful for quickly exiting intersections.

Due to fewer moving parts, Yu said the maintenance frequency of the T-MB should be much lower than that of traditional bicycles.

The president said ALSO was working on several ways for cyclists to bring their bikes: a “small physical footprint across the country,” a fleet of mobile services and a network of approved service providers.

Additionally, ALSO can notify users via telemetry if there is a problem with the bike, he said.