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The Pendler e-bike by LAYER Is a Compact Cycle for Commuting

08.02.22 | By
The Pendler e-bike by LAYER Is a Compact Cycle for Commuting

The urban commuter’s dilemma: you want to ride a bike to work, but storing a bike easily and safely can feel like a job unto itself. Benjamin Hubert’s creative agency LAYER designed the Pendler urban e-bike concept with the entire experience and needs of riders from a holistic perspective, not just while in motion. The result is an e-bike that looks different because it was conceived differently.

Sideview of Pendler ebike with shadowed background.

The Pendler’s U-shaped frame is the bike’s most dramatic detail. Looking somewhat like an enormous smile (or a slack piece of pasta, as one friend noted), the open design allows easy and direct step-while mounting/dismounting, regardless of outfit worn. It’s a thoughtful recognition of the purpose-built ethos serving commuters, one echoed by the e-bike’s name itself: “pendler” is the Danish word for “commuting.” A compact wheelbase paired with detachable front and rear 20-inch wheels, alongside folding pedals and handles to simplify storage once the rider has reached their destination reveals a holistic approach to designing a bike.

Top view of Pendler ebike against cream background.

Rear view of Pendler ebike against cream background showing front and rear baskets.

The e-bike’s 45Nm rear hub motor and a removable 250Wh battery is more than sufficient to aid commuters to and fro for 70 kilometers/43 miles on a single charge at up to 25 kilometer per hour (in keeping with UK/EU speed guidelines). Don’t expect to win the Tour de France riding the Pendler, but expect to arrive without breaking a sweat, a much appreciated aspect of traveling by e-bike versus a traditional pedal pusher.

Handlebar view of Pendler ebike with iPhone situated for navigation between handlebars.

We believe easy, everyday travel should be for everybody – and our aim with Pendler was to envisage a safer, more convenient and effortless mode of personal transport to enable independence for commuting in the city. The result is an intelligently designed e-bike that is inclusive, easy to store in compact urban spaces, and balances high performance with a desirable, crafted aesthetic.

– Benjamin Hubert – Founder, LAYER

Shadowed detail of Pendler's handlebars with dark diagonal shadow in the background.

Pendler ebike leaning up against a concrete wall with front and rear baskets hanging to the right.

Currently the modular urban Pendler e-bike exists only as a concept, but with fuel prices and traffic only expected to continue to worsen, mobility solutions that think out of the box (or bike lane) certainly will have more and more possibility of adoption within urban environments.

Gregory Han is a Senior Editor at Design Milk. A Los Angeles native with a profound love and curiosity for design, hiking, tide pools, and road trips, a selection of his adventures and musings can be found at gregoryhan.com.