For everyday urban use, e-bikes have to have different qualities than bikes for extended tours or a wild ride off the beaten track. We tested five smart bikes that are suitable for daily commuting of medium-length distances of 15 to 20 kilometers (one way), shopping and after-work laps. Practical in the city: a combination of bike and smartphone; be it to unlock the bike, adjust driving behavior or use the mobile phone as an alarm system. But being smart doesn’t mean that the bikes can neglect other virtues that make “dumb” fellow bikes suitable for the city without apps and motors. Smart e-bikes should also be slim, practical and low-maintenance.
We tested five bikes. The Rose Sneak Plus and the Urtopia Carbon 1 weigh less than 15 kg – including the battery and motor, mind you. Honbike Uni4 and VanMoof S5 are the heavyweights at 20 and 23 kg respectively and are therefore still as heavy as a number of steel steeds in the 1970s without motor assistance. The Ampler Axel lies in the middle. The additional weight of the battery and motor compared to non-motorized bikes saves the e-bikes elsewhere: almost without exception, the manufacturers leave out the gears. With motor support you don’t necessarily need it in city traffic. Only VanMoof has housed a three-speed hub gear in the S5.
We would have liked to have included the successor to the Cowboy C3 in this test. The C4 has a slightly more powerful engine and fewer peripherals from suppliers, but has remained true to its roots as a simple city bike. However, no test copy of the C4 was available by the time the article was published.
