Ｗａｙｎｅ：This is my life in technicolor！

What transport is silent, faster than a Segway, cheaper than the Tube and greener than an electric car? This new X-6 electric bicycle from Powabyke. A six-speed bike, its one of three new models promising to ditch electric cycling's dowdy image and get you to work without becoming the Incredible Sweat. I've just returned from a test ride, so here's the lowdown.

On many electric bikes, the battery is an ugly silver rectangle strapped onto the frame. One thing I liked about the X-6 and its companion 24-speed (X-24) and low-step (X-6LS) siblings, however, is that the battery is ingeniously disguised as a water bottle (see photo below). The size is a result of Powabyke switching from lead acid to lithium ion batteries, the type you'd usually find in a laptop.

The weakness of some electric bikes is they're excessively heavy because of the motor, battery and circuitboard, but the X-6 is relatively light at 22kg. While not as featherweight as one of the most popular electric bikes, Giant's 21kg Lafree pedelec, it's a huge improvement on Powabyke's previous models, which weighed 39kg.

So what's the ride like? Until you kick in the electric motor, it's a very average-feeling hybrid town bike. It's hardly sexy to look at -- even my budget Genesis Day 01 turns more heads -- but I found the ride comfortable and nippy enough. The fun begins when you pull back the handlebar throttle and start the electric motor. Head-winds suddenly ceased to be a problem, and I sped off from traffic lights even when I'd stopped in top gear.

Top speed is officially 15mph -- the legal requirement -- and the battery range is 15 miles without pedalling. The battery takes five hours to recharge and you can buy spare ones for £185. Since they're the size of a water bottle, you can detach them from the bike frame and charge indoors without lugging the bike in too.

Purists might sniff at the notion of electric bikes, but they're worth a look if you're a lapsed or newbie cyclist. You can arrive at work without sweating, hills suddenly become a lot easier and you could even cut your commute by pedalling and hitting 25mph and up.

There is a downside, and it's in the price. Electric bikes don't come cheap, and this trio of Powabykes is no exception -- the X-6 and X-6LS cost £750 and the X-24 will set you back £900. All three models are due on sale mid-September at Evans Cycles and other UK dealers.

The battery's disguised as a water bottle -- a cute touch

The discreet motor on the front wheel