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I conducted a test to see whether wearing a Hypershell exoskeleton while riding a regular bike can compare to using an e-bike. Adam Doud/CNET
I recently received a review sample of the Hypershell X Ultra S exoskeleton for testing in the Grand Canyon. What I was particularly interested in was whether Hypershell could help me, a 50-year-old, 270-pound guy, keep up with my 15-year-old competitive athlete daughter.
The device uses a 5,000-mAh battery to power its motors. The motor attaches to arms that are strapped to the user's thighs, which should help the user pump their legs so they can go farther than they would without its assistance.
But hiking is not the only tool in Hypershell's bag of tricks. While testing the exoskeleton, I noticed there was a cycling capability.
Granted, a 50-year-old, large guy isn't your typical stereotype for a cyclist, but as it happens, I've been one for the past 15 years -- that is, until e-bikes ruined me. As a technology reviewer, I come across new forms of tech all the time, and I've been testing quite a few e-bikes over the past few years that have left my Trek 7.1 bike hanging, forgotten, from the rafters of my garage. The Hypershell afforded me the opportunity to dust off the cobwebs and get back to pedaling. So I did.
The Hypershell X Ultra S exoskeleton was developed with the aim to reduce fatigue and increase endurance. Adam Doud/CNET
My three-ride test with the Hypershell and an e-bike
Since I have a lot of experience with e-bikes, I wanted to see if the Hypershell X Ultra S could give a normal bike an equivalent upgrade. This is not a small task, but if it can reasonably help, you can get a nice upgrade without having to replace your bike wholesale for a $1,999 price that sits below most midrange e-bikes and certainly below premium offerings in the category.
One particular feature of my neighborhood in the Chicago suburbs is that there is no flat ground anywhere around me. I don't live among mountains, to be sure, but you can bet that if you're biking around my area, you're climbing or descending. I got used to that over the years of cycling, but I lost that ability quickly once I started letting e-bikes do the work for me.
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