About a week ago, a good friend asked me for my opinion on an electric bicycle he was sent to review. As an avid American cyclist, who also commutes to work with the power of 2 wheels and some leg power, I have always shunned the idea of electric assist. The idea almost feels like cheating.

The bike comes from a Swedish company called Stark. The model I had the chance to spend some time with came with the oversized 4" wide tires option. The first impression was that the bicycle looked extremely heavy and uncomfortable, but I was willing to give it a chance.

Stark is trying to be the first company to provide an electric bicycle to the masses for under $400 (our tester was pricier at around $999). That in itself is a difficult undertaking considering a quality conventional bicycle can far exceed that price point even for a beginner bike.