Rivian Spinoff ALSO Finally Ships Its Unconventional TM-B E-Bike to First Riders

After a long stretch of missed delivery targets and mounting frustration among reservation holders, Rivian’s e-bike spinoff ALSO has started handing over its TM-B model to real customers. The first Launch Edition units, priced at $4,500, are now reaching doorsteps, and several new owners have shared their initial impressions on social media. The early word is mostly encouraging, though a closer look at real-world range figures offers a sobering counterpoint to some of the company’s bolder marketing claims.

The TM-B stands apart from the crowded e-bike field largely because of its drivetrain. Rather than a mechanical chain linking pedals to the rear wheel, ALSO’s proprietary DreamRide setup uses a pedal-by-wire arrangement: the rider’s pedaling generates an electronic signal that drives the motor, with tuning handled mostly through software. The bike also features swappable top frames and a thumb control that behaves unlike a conventional throttle. As one Launch Edition owner described it, pressing the control while coasting does nothing, but while pedaling it temporarily pushes assistance to its maximum, producing a dramatic surge of acceleration. For that rider, the setup felt responsive and satisfying without mimicking a motorcycle-style throttle.

Another early owner kept expectations modest, noting it was their first e-bike, but still called the experience a home run. That enthusiasm may help offset the sting of a drawn-out launch. ALSO had originally planned to have bikes in customers’ hands far sooner, only to attribute repeated setbacks to hardware changes tied to component supply and regulatory hurdles around the battery and high-power USB-C charging system.

Real-world range is where early feedback gets more complicated. One rider deliberately ran a worst-case test: starting from a full charge, they managed 30 miles before dropping to 4 percent battery, a ride that involved heavy pedal assist throughout, steep hills and strong headwinds. The bike also appears to progressively cap its top assistance as the battery drains, stepping down from its highest 10x setting at 40 percent charge until only 2x remained at 6 percent, at which point it felt closer to an unassisted bicycle. The 30-mile result falls well short of the advertised 100-mile figure, though this is a familiar story across the e-bike industry, where range claims typically assume gentle assistance and favorable conditions.

With hundreds of TM-Bs now heading to customers, more quirks and first-generation issues are likely to surface, and far more testing at lower assist levels will be needed before anyone can say how realistic the top-end range claims are. Still, for a product defined by its long waiting period, the sight of Launch Edition bikes under actual owners rather than company representatives may be the milestone that matters most.