Cowboy Cruiser review: one of the best urban ebikes

Introduction

In a world where even the most established electric bike brands can go belly-up in a matter of months (hello, goodbye, and hello again VanMoof), Cowboy looks to be sticking around for the long-haul. Its latest is the Cruiser, which carefully refines the excellent decisions Cowboy has already made in older bikes.

The Cruiser is extremely reminiscent of a VanMoof in some ways, although a removable battery makes it clear Cowboy doesn’t share VanMoof’s old seamless philosophy (which is for the best). Subtle upgrades include more relaxed handlebars that give you a more upright and comfortable ride – a little less reactive, and a little more suited to, well, cruising around.

Cowboy is now going down the Apple route, though, selling only the latest version of its bikes. Your choices are now effectively the Cruiser, Step-Through Cruiser, or the Classic (a more fixie-framed narrow handlebar option, like that which Stuff reviewed in 2020). All are priced the same, so it comes down to a matter of taste, as I discovered in my couple of weeks riding the bike on Edinburgh’s streets.

Design and features: double life

Cowboy’s ebikes have always led double lives – they’re extremely simple to hop on and ride, but have a relative mountain of features available in an excellent companion app. This means the Cruiser can be about as smart or dumb an ebike as you’d like. It’s a degree of control I’m hugely impressed by.

The standout feature remains its removable battery – something that every ebike should make a priority, since it changes recharging your bike from a huge chore to an easy little task.

The Cruiser’s battery is identical in size and weight to older models’, from what I can tell, although it may well have had some internal updates. It’s easy to slot into the bike’s frame, and to remove using the supplied keys (an obviously necessary security measure). Unplugging and re-clicking the battery into place acts as a manual override, to turn the Cruiser on even if your phone isn’t to hand. It’s a welcome touch.

The bike itself has higher handlebars than previous models, as well as a wider saddle. The combo makes it a lot more comfortable to ride, and there’s a full step-through model for those who want an even more upright fit.

In the middle of those handlebars there’s a QuadLock fitting point, where you can attach your phone for both wireless charging while you ride and the full connected experience – Cowboy calls this the bike’s Cockpit.

From there it’s all about the ride – the Cruiser has no rider-controlled gears, instead relying entirely on its reactive electric assist to keep you at an even and steady pace. It’s just one that’s way faster than you’d manage with no motor.

Performance: box ticker

The Cruiser ticks every box I look for in an urban ebike – that is, one that’s designed for city riding, commuting or casual use, rather than racing or mountain trails.

It has an immediate whizz that will get your heart racing the first time you pedal off, zipping away from standing starts and giving you real momentum immediately. That assist is carefully calibrated, though, and throughout my miles of riding I never felt out of control. It was reactive, rather than anticipating my moves. With impressive disc brakes I also never struggled to slow down quickly.

Cowboy has dubbed the whole system “AdaptivePower”, another Apple-ism. It essentially means that alongside your own pedalling the bike is monitoring for factors like inclines, headwinds and the amount of weight you’re carrying to adjust its output. While that’s a little hard to test, windy Scottish days and steep hills posed no problem to the Cruiser.

It really adds up to a seamless ride; one that rarely has you out of breath, or arriving to a venue and needing to strip off layers to avoid being a sweaty mess. This is the heart of what makes an ebike potentially special, and it’s in full force with the Cruiser.

Battery and range: enough but no more

The Cruiser has a stated range of between 40 and 80km, depending on the many factors that affect AdaptivePower, and whether you use the Eco power mode. I found those numbers tallied with the battery drain I experienced. The fact that the battery is fully removable does mean you’d doubtless be able to replace it far more easily in the event that it did ever degrade over years of use.

That range, anyway, is about typical for a bike of this sort, even one with a lofty price tag like this, and should be enough for most people’s uses.

The bike comes with a chunky charger, of course. Recharging the battery completely takes less than three hours from zero to full, meaning it could easily be handled overnight along with your phone if you were so inclined.

There’s no disguising that that battery is chunky, and heavy to lug around (especially up to my top-floor flat). But compared to a whole bike, which I’ve had to do for other tests, it’s a breezy dream.

Software: appy days

The Cowboy app was surprisingly robust when I first tried it back in 2020, but is hugely impressive now. It’s a one-stop shop for your bike, encompassing reliable navigation tools, easy settings, and a bunch of welcome security features.

For one thing, your bike can automatically power on and unlock when you approach with your phone. Aside from removing any physical lock, which you’re still advised to use, it makes starting your ride really easy. With a QuadLock case for your phone it’s a cinch to click into place and get live maps and route planning that takes traffic and air quality into account. You also get quick controls over the bike’s lights and the active power mode.

It might be a stretch to say this is the Tesla of ebikes, but it really is impressively slick. There are even more features under the hood, too. You can pair it to Strava, a fitness tracker or Apple Watch to get your rides automatically added to those services. It also has full Find My support so that if it ever does go missing, you should be able to track your Cruiser’s location pretty easily.

Cowboy Cruiser verdict

The Cowboy Cruiser is a spectacular ebike, combining all the conveniences of a connected bike with the smart simplicity of a far less evolved option. This means you can enjoy a futuristic experience when you want it, with your phone as a GPS and your smartwatch all connected up, but also use it as a simple A-to-B bike when you need it, without any embellishments.

Its price is undeniably steep, but for the level of quality and comfort it offers there are plenty of more boutique competitors charging far more. Conveniences like that all-important removable battery see it streak ahead.

I’m hoping the Cruiser sees Cowboy go from strength to strength, because the evidence of the last few years suggests it has even more special things planned.

Cowboy Cruiser technical specifications

Weight	19.4 kg – including battery and mudguards
Handlebar Width	62cm
Range	40-80km
Motor	Custom-designed 45 Nm / 250 W motor, integrated in the rear wheel
Integrations	Google Maps, Strava, Apple Health