Review: Infinite Machine Olto

This is a 176-pound ebike, so you’re not going to carry it up your walk-up to keep it safe. Instead, you’ll have to live with the fact that you have to park the Olto on the curb or street; you can lock it up just like any other bike.

But you don’t need to secure it, as there’s a lock for the motor and steering that’s automatically activated when the bike is turned off. There’s also a very sensitive alarm that roars to life if someone tries to tamper with the bike (it could stand to be louder), with a backup battery that can run for weeks, keeping the Olto’s GPS and alarm alive. If someone does manage to haul it away, you can track its location via the app. (This backup battery recharges itself when you pop the main battery back under the seat, but if you leave the Olto unattended long enough and it dies, you won’t be able to track the vehicle’s location.)

I did a mix of both. I locked the Olto to public bike racks, but I also left it freestanding between parked cars several times (usually for two to three hours). One time, I got an alert in the app that someone had triggered the alarm, but I checked the location and the bike hadn’t moved. I suspect someone may have touched it, heard the alarm, and freaked out. I took a deep breath and went about my day, and thankfully, when I came back to the Olto a few hours later, it was there.

I am fortunate to have a backyard in Brooklyn, New York, with access to a security gate, which allows me to keep the Olto in a safe spot overnight. That greatly helped with my anxiety about someone stealing or vandalizing it, but it’s also far from the norm. You will have to trust in Infinite Machine’s GPS, alarm system, and your favorite bike lock, and hope for the best when you park it outside your apartment. (Maybe get it in black, which stands out less.)

Edge Runner

Photograph: Julian Chokkattu

I am a sucker for old-world charm—I drive a Fiat 500 and desperately want to own a Maeving RM2—but I don’t have a motorcycle license yet, so the Olto fills in that gap. It feels more robust than a normal ebike but isn’t as powerful as a motorcycle. Truly, even if it goes for the cool-toned, sleek, and monolithic industrial look, I can’t help feel like I’m on the Amalfi Coast about to hop on a Vespa when I don my open-face helmet.