Belgian e-bike maker Cowboy today launches one of its most connected models yet which prioritises rider safety and optimises fitness.
Dubbed ‘Cross’, the e-bike comes with advanced software connectivity such as Crash and Theft Detection to protect the rider from dangerous hotspots as well as challenge them with live fitness tasks.
Featuring an inverted fork and seat post suspension, Cowboy has designed Cross to be a versatile option for both rural rides and city commutes.
“Riders are drawn to the simplicity of the bike. There are no gears and everything is fully automatic,” Cowboy Co-Founder Tanguy Goretti told Zag’s reporter Sela Musa at the London launch event.
“They come for the ease and they stay for the connectivity.”
According to Cowboy, it’s the only company in the world to boast a partnership with Google to use its navigation system for cyclists. Within its turn-by-turn navigation, the Cross sends ‘Predictive Alerts’ to riders approaching dangerous crosswalks which are based on collected crash data.
The Cross also sends alerts to riders in zones with high theft rates and directs them to a safe parking spot to secure their bike. Cowboy’s ‘Find My Bike’ technology uses an in-built GPS tracker to locate the bike in the event of a theft, and the brand currently boasts a 70% recovery rate.
Crash Detection In Action
To demonstrate the Crash Detection technology to Zag, Tanguy dropped the bike onto its side. Within seconds, an alert appeared on his phone with a 60 second countdown to confirm that he was okay.
“The bike will send a text to you if you fall. If you don’t respond, it will automatically call you.”
If the rider does not confirm they are okay after the fall, the bike automatically alerts the rider’s emergency contact and shares their live location.
The Cross also sends riders alerts to improve their fitness. If it detects that the rider is in a quiet location for example, they could be challenged to pedal as hard as they can for 60 seconds. The user’s fitness goals, targets and achievements are all recorded in the associated Cowboy app.
Boasting a 50% increase in battery capacity, the Cross further encourages an active lifestyle with 120 kilometre range that allows for longer journeys.
Zooming out of the specs, Tanguy believes the main reason people will be drawn to the Cross is its sleek design.
“It’s difficult to find a beautiful bike that’s also comfortable and fully suspended like this one,” he said.
“Everything is automatic and as soon as the rider moves, the bike turns on – it feels like magic.”
