The switched reluctance machine (SRM) has attracted increasing attentions in recent years due to its inherent simplicity, robustness, reliability and high starting torque. Meanwhile, with the aggravation of the energy dilemma and environment contamination, the research on electric vehicles is becoming the focus in a large number of counties. In China, the study on electric bicycle, which possesses high performance-price ratio and suits characteristic conditions, absolutely contains remarkable values. Here, an in-wheel three-phase 12/16 SRM-based drive system is investigated for electric bicycle. Firstly, the structure of the SRM is discussed and the prototype is designed based on finite element analysis. Then, the detailed design process of SRM is described. Also, the influence of winding configuration on the electromagnetic performance is discussed. Finally, a 350 W prototype is manufactured and the experimental test is conducted based on an ARM-based controller. The measured results verify the performance of the SRM.