Pretty neat but not at the price they are asking.
Sorry I just don't see this as a real solution. I have owned an ebike for little over a month now and can tell in my environment, lots of hills, this little thing wouldn't cut it.
I just sent them a message via their contact form and the they said they're definitely still in business but are having in-stock issues recently. They've also had some email issues lately and have missed a few inquiries. They're a small company with a small team. Please send them a message through their website contact us form if you have any questions.
I use this on my Bike Friday and live in the Bay Area - and climb SF hills no problem. It has incredible torque and power. I can go up to 28mph but I've never pushed it beyond around 18mph as that feels plenty fast on 16" wheels, lol.
We all have different needs. I have to carry my bike up 3 flights of stairs so that 4.5lb system is a winner. I also have more than one bike and being able to swap the motor onto one of the other bikes in less than a minute is a winner. Imagine the cost if I had to buy hub systems for all 3 of my bikes? Definitely more than the OM kit.
I live in NorCal, and while we are having a drought, I did ride in the rain last year. The motor auto-adjusts the tension if there is water causing slippage. It's a little disturbing the first time it happens as you feel the motor grab and release a few times but then it digs in and does not slip. Would I ride it in a torrential downpour? Maybe not but I wouldn't ride my unmotorized bike in that weather either, lol. The idea that friction drives don't work well in the wet is based on older systems, not systems with modern software and algorithms. The OM has a computer inside it, it's not a dumb friction drive.
