Executive summary
A consolidated view of what happened, what Houston found, and what remains unresolved.
Cost ceiling shapes choices
The room worked toward a buildable e-bike configuration within a fixed budget cap, starting 130 euros short after efficient-motor and aero upgrades. A key move emerged: swapping steel for aluminum to shed weight, which offsets the extra mass of a cheaper standard battery and brings the numbers back inside budget while addressing cost, weight, and range together. After pressure-testing cycle life (2000 cycles judged sufficient for a commuter-class bike), the group realized the prices underpinning the whole calculation were unconfirmed, volume-dependent, and possibly split across suppliers. Late in the session a lead surfaced two suppliers reportedly 10% below market, reopening whether some previously excluded upgrades might now fit.
How the conversation came together
Recurring themes drawn from the published session summary.