Super-Simple Cowboy 4 Ebike Slices Through City Streets, But Always Knows Where It Is

Light-weight, single-speed, flat-handlebar, stripped-down bicycles have change into a fixture in lots of city areas, as they’re virtually unbeatable for scything by way of site visitors on the tight confines of metropolis streets. Bringing them into the realm of ebikes has been a problem, as including in a motor, battery and different tech {hardware} provides weight, complexity and value – all of that are opposite to the usually home-brewed (or indie store brewed) creations beloved by their city riders.

Nonetheless, there are those who love the super-simple fixie and freewheel codecs but in addition need to make them viable ebikes, and these days, manufacturers have stepped up, with manufacturers like VanMoof from Amsterdam and even Aventon providing pared-down, low-profile designs coupled with a little bit of enhance. One other current modern mannequin I sampled was the Urtopia by New City out of China. A newcomer to the social gathering is Cowboy, and when you may count on such a model to name the U.S. residence, the bikes are literally from Belgium. They’re now coming to the U.S., and I lately hung out aboard their flagship providing, the $2,999 Cowboy 4.

Cowboy 4 Tech

The Cowboy 4 seems to be a easy design primarily based on an everyday pedal bicycle however as regular, appears to be like are deceiving in the case of ebikes. Whereas the Cowboy 4’s body structure appears to be like typical, Cowboy has innovated by making the battery slide down and mate with the bike’s heart spar relatively than being caught within the body’s decrease areas. The battery removes simply with a flip of a key for charging or safety. As soon as the battery is in place, it’s powerful to inform the Cowboy 4 is even an ebike. The battery can also be fitted a vivid crimson LED tail mild. Serving to aesthetic issues is the virtually invisible rear hub motor, which supplies 250 Watts of pedal help relying on quite a few components, together with how a lot effort the rider is including in by way of a torque sensor. On a full cost, Cowboy says the battery will present about 43 miles of vary, and this appeared correct in my driving take a look at.

The Cowboy 4 dispenses with a digital show in favor of an app in your smartphone, which supplies riders high-quality management over the bike’s energy help techniques, consists of GPS maps and extra, and the mounting area may even wirelessly cost suitable handsets with a $40 optionally available accent. In any other case, the bike makes use of a Quad-Lock mount that you just’ll want to seek out to suit your handset. If in case you have most any iPhone or well-liked Android telephone, you’ll be all set. The bike will work sans a mounted telephone (equivalent to if it’s in your pocket or bag) and a small row of LEDs exhibits on the handlebar stems exhibits the extent of cost. The Cowboy 4 additionally has the flexibility to be tracked by way of GPS in case it’s stolen.

In any other case, the Cowboy 4 makes do with a single-speed drive practice linked by a silent, clear belt drive. There is no such thing as a suspension entrance or rear, and the Cowboy 4 is blissfully freed from wiring runs save for small sections of brake line. The Cowboy rolls on reasonably large tires and braking is by hydraulic discs. A entrance white LED mild behind a small diffusion panel makes for an excellent marker mild, however will not be essentially a headlight within the regular sense. Geared up with fenders as normal, the Cowboy 4 weighed in at 42 kilos on my bike scale.

Journey Time

As soon as I had charged and put in the battery, downloaded the Cowboy app, arrange the Quad-Lock telephone holder and adjusted the seat, the Cowboy was able to journey. Being a single velocity bike, beginning out within the tall single gear requires some effort, however the hub motor kicks in rapidly and eases you in your means.

The Cowboy 4 is a pure city ebike. Within the flat, it whistles alongside in close to silence, the usual fashion driving posture is barely ahead and the flat bars make including in some cranking leverage easy and straightforward. Whereas I’m a big rider, I discovered I match excellent on the Cowboy with the seat raised a bit. Bars and brake levers fell to my palms naturally and the bike is straightforward and enjoyable to journey. It doesn’t have any “journey modes” or gears, so there’s not a lot to distract from the driving expertise. I ran some errands utilizing a backpack, rolled across the neighborhood and put in some miles on Portland’s many bikeways.

The telephone mount system labored nicely, monitoring rides and different metrics, and exhibiting GPS instructions as wanted. Nonetheless, as I descended one steep hill, the Quad-Lock telephone case got here free from its mounting and my new iPhone 13 went skittering down the hill. Fortuitously, it was not broken. I re-attached the case mount and didn’t have any extra issues with it. I could have hooked up it incorrectly at first, resulting in the failure, so riders ought to verify their telephone mounts rigorously.

The Cowboy felt sporty and lightweight, with that further bit kick coming in as wanted from the again wheel. When buddies noticed me on it, I received a little bit of ribbing for driving a “common” bike till I identified the Cowboy 4 was certainly an ebike. A number of buddies took it for a take a look at spin and had constructive reactions, the commonest being how they like the way it appeared and labored like an everyday bike however had some great benefits of an ebike. A number of folks mistook it for a VanMoof ebike, which is comprehensible because it was matte black and has an identical kind issue.

Conclusions

Cowboy, primarily based in Belgium, has created an efficient, enjoyable ebike within the Cowboy 4. For these dwelling in cities, it’s an effective way to get round rapidly and quietly. The bike is straightforward to journey, comfy, very fashionable and if riders want it may be additional outfitted with racks, panniers and so forth. The battery system is modern and efficient, and has first rate vary. The one gear limits effectiveness on steeper hills however the motor enhance helps out on smaller grades. The phone-centric strategy is smart in our trendy world however no less than you’ll be able to put it in your pocket when you simply need to pedal round with out it on the handlebars. I’d wish to see Cowboy enhance the entrance mild or add a devoted headlight as it is a matte black bike (no less than my evaluation bike was) and after-dark visibility is vital. In any other case, the Cowboy 4 is an modern, enjoyable, well-made ebike that has a easy strategy to aesthetics and makes good use of know-how.