Cowboy wants its e-bike to be your daily workhorse

Craig Wilson Sep. 23, 2021 Giddy up Priced at just under $2,000 and with impressive features and after-sales support, the Belgian company makes a compelling argument. Craig Wilson / Input

Cowboy was founded in 2017 and has since sold over 25,000 electric bicycles in Europe. Now it's got its sights set on the growing U.S. market. Today it’s launching two versions of its 4th-generation e-bike in eight U.S. cities: New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Miami, Portland, Washington, Philadelphia, and Seattle. Cowboy

The two models are the step-over C4, and Cowboy’s first step-through model, the C4 ST. Cowboy

$1,990 The early-bird price for Cowboy's 4th-gen e-bikes, if you order before October 31, 2021. Craig Wilson / Input

The removable 360Wh battery can be fully charged in 3.5 hours and weighs 5.3lbs. It also includes a tail- / brake-light.

Your phone is the cockpit

One of Cowboy’s unique selling points is its ability to turn users’ smartphones into a digital cockpit. Custom phone cases from Quad Lock allow users to mount their phone to the stem of the bicycle and wirelessly charge it while they’re riding. The Cowboy app (for Android and iOS), meanwhile, shows route information, air quality, and a range of live stats, and enables users to lock their bike... or track it in the event it’s stolen thanks to built-in GPS. Cowboy

The same app also includes automatic crash detection which harnesses the bike’s onboard sensors. In the event of an accident, the app will send a message and the bike’s location to pre-defined emergency contacts if the rider doesn’t disable the alerts within 60 seconds. Craig Wilson / Input

The app also tells riders how often they’ve ridden of late, and how they shape up against their friends or other people in their city. Don’t ride for a while and you’ll get a nudge. Ride more (or further, longer, or faster) than usual, and you’ll accrue digital badges. Cowboy

Instead of a chain, the C4 uses a low-maintenance Gates carbon belt, just like Serial 1 does on its e-bikes. Craig Wilson / Input

There’s no throttle, but pedal harder and the pedal assistance ramps up, up to a maximum of 20 mph.

The custom-designed hub motor in the rear wheel provides 250W of pedal-assist power and 44Nm of torque. Craig Wilson / Input

7 MPH The average speed of cars in Manhattan, NY. Busà Photography/Moment Unreleased/Getty Images

10 MPH The average speed of Cowboy riders globally. Craig Wilson / Input

Built-in diagnostics combined with over-the-air updates ensure your bike gets better over time, and a fleet of Cowboy technicians on call means you can get repairs wherever you are. Craig Wilson / Input

U.S. buyers can pre-order the Cowboy C4 or C4 ST now with a deposit of $100, and deliveries are scheduled to begin in January 2022. Craig Wilson / Input

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