The first impression : Somehow chic, at the same time something misshapen. This is mainly due to the unusually placed battery.
That's what the manufacturer says: If it goes after the Belgian start-up cowboy, chic, reduced e-bikes are soon swarming in hundreds through the big cities. "We want to make electric bikes the main means of transport," says co-founder Adrien Roose. The company wants to persuade commuters to switch from the car to the bike. To do this, the Brussels-based company has put a dull black design e-bike on the wheels, which means the company: Cowboy. The design should help in the mission, but above all the price: At just under 2000 euros, the cowboy is a lot cheaper than most of the fellows among the style pedelecs: "We want in the mass market," says Roose.
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Single-speed e-bike Cowboy: An unethical offerAlso in the drive Cowboy relies on reduction. The input gear provides a fixed gear ratio with a large front gear, various support levels, as usual for e-bikes, there is not. "You do not have to think about anything," says Roose. Simply saddle up and go for a run - that's the motto, according to Roose.
We noticed that: Not so easy with the Losdüsen. Where does this thing just go? We are looking for aluminum frame and handlebar - and find no button to turn on the housed in the rear hub electric motor. A look at the manual reveals: To breathe life into the pedal support, the cowboy app must first be loaded onto the smartphone. A Bluetooth connection to the bike is established over her, then the cowboy can unlock it and make it strong by phone.
What works as a cumbersome tribute to the smartphone generation, is a contribution to the comparatively low price of the wheel. Because today everyone has a smartphone in their pocket anyway, a display on the bike is superfluous - that's the logic behind this "feature". The missing gearshift is a fun measure as well as the fact that no middleman with the purchase mitkassiert. The cowboy can be ordered online directly from the manufacturer's website.
Once switched on, the torque sensor is active with the first step on the pedals. According to the manufacturer, he gives the signal to the engine from a speed of 1.4 km / h to support. Even with a touch of pedal pressure the e-bike brushes. And despite the one, highly translated gear, with which one has his dear trouble with the engine off, to come from the spot.
This thrust, however, slackens on gradients abruptly. The cowboy-built 250-watt motor shares the weakness of many - even more powerful - rear-wheel drives: the steeper it goes uphill, the more they tend to overheat and, to avoid this, down regulated. Here a second course would have been helpful, but otherwise he was not missing us.
Basically, the bike moves because of the rather short wheelbase, the narrow handlebar and the rather steeply standing head tube agile, almost a bit nervous. But a stoic Reiserad the tidy city-Flitzer should not be. Not least because of the targeted usage profile, the energy content of the battery with 360 watt hours is rather low. The range is Cowboy with up to 70 kilometers, so the bike is equipped for commuter distances up to 20 kilometers per way.
The small battery has another advantage: it weighs only 2.4 kilos, the total weight of the cowboy is therefore only 16.1 kilos. Unusual and also a matter of taste is the location of the power storage: The battery is located on the seat tube under the saddle space, the wheel seems a bit clunky. The battery is unlike other designer e-bikes but not firmly installed, but removable.
You have to know that the cowboy is fully connected, says Adrien Roose. The top tube is fitted with a SIM card which can be used to locate the wheel, for example if it is stolen. The Cowboy app offers a navigation function, the battery level can be read in percent and remaining range, turn the lights on and off. However, the elegantly integrated in the frame front and rear lights do not meet the road traffic licensing regulations - which is why Cowboy attaches a German German customers a light set for attachment to the handlebar and seat tube.
The beautiful new bike also has the option of over-the-air updates. If a new software version is available, the app will respond with a message. Once confirmed, and the update is already running on mobile. On our test drives this proved to be very helpful in order to spontaneously cure a teething problem of the still young model: on the way the engine switched off without warning several times. Also, the diode array, which can estimate the state of charge of the battery on the top tube, did not work as it should. All five glow points glowed permanently - even with almost empty battery. After an update everything worked fine.
Datasheet Cowboy
Engine: hub motor in the rear, torque: up to 30 Nm, rated power 250 watts
Battery: 360 watt hours (Wh), lithium-ion
Weight: 16.1 kilos (with battery)
Range : up to 70 kilometers
Brakes: hydraulic disk brakes from Tektro, discs 160 mm each
Tires: Slick tires from Panaracer "Gravelking", 42-584
Price: from 1990 Euro
Let's get to the above-mentioned lawlessness: In the cowboy app hides under the point "Speed limit" an immoral offer: Here can be supported maximum speed at 30 km / h, the cowboy gives the digital spurs.
Because the whole thing is illegal on German roads, the manufacturer secures with the warning message that the 30-way mode is not allowed in Europe on public roads, intended for private use and will be used at your own risk. Now the cowboy driver can decide: If he taps "Cancel", it stays at tempo 25. With "I agree" he moves the bike into speed ranges, which could become the decisive purchase criterion for some commuters: At pace 25, many E feel -Bike rider braked too early.
In fact, the industry is always thinking about a 32 km / h limit, as it applies, for example, in Switzerland and the United States. The fact that e-bikers then faster than most non-motorized cyclists and as fast as cars in Tempo-30 zones could be on the road, the advocates argue. For older people are 32 km / h too fast, and on forest roads increase the risk of accidents with hikers, so the opponents.
We will remember that: We admit it: We succumbed to the temptation, pressed once "I agree" and fortunately were not caught. And yes, it was a commuter happiness, because we were as fast as driving a few kilometers at work, door to door, the annoying search for parking in the city included. The Tempo 30 subversive mode, however, also gnawed a bit at our conscience.
Ratgeber Rad - E-Bikes
