INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Electric-bike maker Cowboy recently let me spend a couple of weeks with one of their e-bikes
designs e-bikes from scratch
Components feel more integrated than in a normal e-bike
And it also opens up some possibilities when it comes to connectivity and smart features.Cowboy sells its bikes directly to consumers on its
the streets of Paris to try it out
For context, riding a bike in Paris is nothing new for me
It features a seamless triangle-shaped aluminum frame, integrated lights and a low-key Cowboy logo near the saddle
The handlebar is perfectly straight like on a mountain bike
The only sign that this is an e-bike is that the frame is much larger below the saddle.The e-bike is relatively light at 16 kg (35 lbs)
Most of the weight is at the back of the Cowboy e-bike because of the battery
pedaling, accelerate or go uphill.If you usually ride on a normal bike, this feels weird at first
I constantly shift from one gear to another
With the Cowboy e-bike, you have to trust the bike and forget about gears.The electric motor kicks in a second after you start pedaling
It means that you are much faster than people using regular bikes
And you can reach a speed of 30 to 35 kmph in no time (18 to 22 mph)
Yes, this bike is fast.Fortunately, the brakes work surprisingly well
You have to be careful with them
Sure, the Cowboy e-bike is fast, but I only saved a few minutes compared to my non-electric bike
You still spend a lot of time waiting at big intersections.In fact, riding the Cowboy e-bike felt more like riding a moped-style scooter
You start your engine at a green light, ride as quickly as possible, brake aggressively at a red light and spend more time waiting at
I believe an e-bike makes more sense in larger cities with huge hills
tall to use the Cowboy e-bike
It has built-in GPS tracking and an integrated SIM card.After pairing the bike with your phone using Bluetooth, you can control it from a
In particular, you can lock and unlock the bike, turn on and off the lights and check the battery
It would have been nice to put a light sensor on the bike itself as you may forget to turn on the lights at night
According to the company, you can get up to 70 km on a single charge (43 miles)
I got less than that, but I also tried the off-road mode, which consumes more battery
battery with a key and bring it back home
This is a great feature for people living in apartments, as you can leave your bike at its normal parking spot and plug in the battery at
The battery was full after three to four hours.Cowboy battery charger; tomato for scaleOverall, the Cowboy e-bike is the perfect commuting
bike for people living in large cities
