Urtopia Carbon 1 Review: Smart Carbon Fibre eBike

Worth When Reviewed

$2799

Finest Costs At the moment: Urtopia Carbon 1

I first heard in regards to the Urtopia Carbon 1 method again in August 2021, and was provided the possibility to check a pre-production mannequin with out a few of the sensible options. I declined, opting to attend till I might pay money for a motorcycle with all of the options, as a result of the principle focus right here is on all of the tech.

For varied causes together with customs strikes and delivery errors, the wait turned from months into years, however in March 2023 the Carbon 1 lastly arrived at my door.

A mixture of recent, city and utopia, New Urtopia is a brand new title in electrical bikes. The corporate’s purpose is to supply city dwellers with a greener, extra revolutionary method to journey and it’s clear that the Carbon 1 is laser centered on being a wise metropolis bike for commuters.

Options & design

• Carbon body, forks and handlebars
• Belt drive with rear-hub motor and torque sensor
• Constructed-in display, speaker & lights

Designed by Mathis Heller, who additionally labored on BMW’s i-Sequence vehicles, the Carbon 1 appears decided to make a great first impression even when which means compromising on a few of the practicalities.

For instance, the hanging ‘lightning bolt’ high tube and seat keep makes the body actually stand out. However this makes the seat tube very brief so there’s not a number of room for adjustment.

Jim Martin / Foundry

This, in flip, means it’s important to be the suitable peak to experience the Carbon 1. Urtopia presents two body sizes: medium and huge however even the medium requires you to be at the least 5ft 7in (170cm) tall.

That’s fantastic for many males, but it surely guidelines out anybody shorter, together with a number of ladies.

If you consider carbon fibre you most likely consider unique vehicles and, most likely, the seen weave. That’s not one thing you’ll see on the Carbon 1 which has a clean matt gray end, and also you get to decide on the spotlight colors when ordering.

A part of the weird design is the one-piece ‘Good Bar’, a handlebar which includes a gamepad-style four-way course pad and, on the suitable, a round button with an built-in fingerprint sensor.

Within the centre is a big dot-matrix LED show and, in entrance of it, a built-in LED headlight. Beneath the sunshine is a 3W speaker which emits the kinds of sounds you would possibly anticipate to listen to from a baby’s toy whenever you change energy modes and switch the bike on and off.

You may change these sounds within the companion app, however solely from a restricted choice. Fortuitously, you may flip them off solely and as a substitute really feel vibrations by way of the handlebars whenever you change mode or use the indications. By means of the app you may modify the depth of the vibrations.

The speaker may also play audio out of your telephone over Bluetooth. This makes use of a separate Bluetooth connection from the app, so it seems as a separate gadget in your telephone’s Bluetooth menu.

Jim Martin / Foundry

The show can present primary instructions, synced from the Urtopia app. The difficulty is, the show is low decision and may’t present a lot info. All you get is an arrow pointing within the course to take: no map or street names. Given how high-tech the bike is, it’s actually odd that Urtopia determined to not put a telephone mount wherever on the bike, nor a USB port to cost it up.

The show exhibits your present pace in enormous numbers, a tough battery degree (not even the proportion) and a quantity for the help mode chosen. That’s it: there’s no journey distance, common pace or something you’d anticipate even a primary cycle pc to indicate. It’s a particular case of kind over operate.

Jim Martin / Foundry

Different built-in tech consists of Wi-Fi (for firmware updates) and – most usefully – an embedded SIM and GPS. This implies you may observe the Carbon 1 if it’s ever stolen. The thought is that you simply go to the situation proven on the map, then hook up with the bike when it’s in Bluetooth vary, at which level you may activate the lights and sound the siren to establish precisely the place it’s.

Not like VanMoof’s Bike Hunters, Urtopia doesn’t provide any help so you must name the police somewhat than try to recuperate the bike your self.

VanMoof’s S5 and A5 additionally go one higher with their built-in kick-lock that bodily stops a thief from driving off on the bike: there are not any bodily anti-theft measures on the Carbon 1, so that you’ll want to supply your personal locks.

The Carbon 1 is cheaper than the S5 and A5, but it surely’s a disgrace {that a} kickstand and mudguards aren’t included: they’re non-obligatory extras, as is the water bottle holder and rear rack. Plus, the pedals are simply in regards to the most cost-effective plastic components obtainable: maybe Urtopia assumes you’ll by no means match them and use your personal clip-in system with cleats.

Jim Martin / Foundry

Nevertheless, you do get a toolkit with the bike and a nice-looking bag to retailer them. That arrives connected to the body, and there’s even a ground pump within the field which is an uncommon further that I’ve not seen earlier than with an electrical bike.

The battery clips into the body and requires the important thing to take away it. You may cost it on or off the bike, and it takes round 2.5 hours if it’s utterly empty.

Jim Martin / Foundry

At a shade beneath 10Ah, its capability is about common, and Urtopia claims a spread of between 22 and 62 miles (40-100km). As ever, the precise distance you’ll get will depend on the temperature, terrain, wind, your weight and different elements.

As talked about, the seat submit is essentially brief due to the body design. It’s a custom-designed half with an nearly triangular cross part. It has a built-in rear gentle and road-facing projectors which present left and proper indicators. These flash whenever you press left or proper on the course pad.

Jim Martin / Foundry

It feels like a good suggestion, they usually do look nice at night time, however they’re so dim that they’re invisible besides when it’s actually darkish. It will have been much better if Urtopia has used LEDs that face drivers, to allow them to be seen through the day as properly.

The entrance and hind lights are good and vivid and are available on mechanically when it’s darkish in case you allow Auto Mild within the app. The rear gentle may also act as a brake gentle, which helps different street customers know whenever you’re slowing down.

Jim Martin / Foundry

Like various different electrical bikes, the Carbon 1 makes use of a Gates belt as a substitute of a sequence and gears. There are execs and cons to every strategy, with the belt being maintenance- and mess-free for a claimed 30,000 miles – the lifetime of the bike, successfully.

The drawback is that it’s tougher to get going from a standing begin and more durable to experience up hills. However after all that’s the place the 250W motor is available in: that is an electrical bike, in any case.

Jim Martin / Foundry

Urtopia says it’s a custom-designed mannequin that produces as much as 35Nm of torque. That’s not plenty, however sufficient for all however the steepest hills, and the heaviest riders.

It’s ruled by a torque sensor which implies the facility supplied by the motor is proportional to the trouble you place in. It makes you’re feeling bionic, and in case you don’t really feel like pedalling actually laborious there are three energy ranges, plus a ‘Turbo’ mode that’s enabled by urgent and holding the up button for 3 seconds.

Turbo mode ignores the torque sensor and provides you most energy no matter how laborious you’re pedalling.

In comparison with a cadence (pace) sensor, torque sensors usually imply a a lot smoother energy supply with out the noticeable jerkiness you get on cheaper electrical bikes when the motor cuts out and in.

There’s no throttle, however you may maintain the right-hand button right down to allow stroll mode which helps if it’s worthwhile to push the bike up a hill whereas strolling.

Meeting could be very straightforward: you solely want to suit the entrance wheel and pedals. It takes about 10 minutes tops.

Jim Martin / Foundry

Efficiency

So long as you’re not too brief or tall, the Carbon 1 is sweet to experience on the street. Regardless of the dearth of a conventional seat tube to brace the body, there wasn’t any noticeable flexing, however keep in mind I’m additionally nowhere close to the utmost weight the bike can take.

I additionally discovered that, regardless of the peak markings on the seat submit, it couldn’t be inserted very far into the body, leaving it slightly too excessive for my liking: I actually wished to regulate it down an inch greater than it was potential to. An organization rep advised me that it’s secure to trim off as much as 40mm off the seat submit, but when I used to be a paying buyer I’d be apprehensive about voiding the two-year guarantee by doing so.

Jim Martin / Foundry

It’s additionally necessary to notice that there isn’t a adjustment of the handlebars in any respect, neither for peak nor attain. You may transfer the saddle again or ahead slightly (as with all bikes) to compensate if the attain doesn’t swimsuit you.

With no suspension and 700C wheels, the Carbon 1 rides quite a bit like a street bike: it wants clean asphalt in order for you a cushty expertise. The provided saddle is fairly laborious and uncomfortable, however Urtopia presents an ‘extra-comfort’ saddle as an adjunct. It’s costly, although, and also you’re higher off going to your native bike store and discovering one you want for much less.

The Carbon 1 is a single-speed bike, so there’s a restrict to how briskly you may pedal earlier than the cadence is just too excessive. It’s geared for a high pace of about 20mph (that’s when the motor cuts out on US fashions), however nonetheless felt secure at round 30mph when freewheeling down hills.

Within the UK, the place I examined it, it was restricted to fifteen.5mph, and I actually wasn’t pedalling too quick at that pace.

The hydraulic disc brakes really feel reassuringly highly effective as soon as they’ve bedded in, which takes a great few miles.

Jim Martin / Foundry

The motor is pretty quiet, even beneath most load. It isn’t silent, however actually isn’t annoying or too loud. The actual fact it’s solely 250W and delivers 35Nm means it isn’t vastly highly effective, and also you’ll nonetheless have to put in some effort when biking up steep hills.

However that’s additionally an element of the torque sensor, which implies you solely get most energy whenever you’re pedalling laborious, and that’s the identical with all torque-sensor-equipped electrical bikes.

When biking on flat roads, help mode 1 is all you really want: it helps overcome headwinds and makes biking really feel nearly easy. However whenever you face a hill, you’ll nearly actually need to enhance that to degree 3.

Hill begins are tough with out the motor (degree 0) however a lot simpler when set to degree 2 or 3. It was laborious to note any distinction between degree 3 and the Turbo mode.

Jim Martin / Foundry

Not all the smarts are as helpful as they appear. I’ve already talked about the projector lights aren’t vivid sufficient to be seen through the day, however the Bluetooth speaker isn’t actually loud sufficient to be heard clearly when driving in visitors. It’s fantastic in case you’re driving on quiet roads, however sound high quality is pretty poor, so it’s not supreme if you wish to hearken to music with out headphones in your rides.

The fingerprint scanner labored okay more often than not, however not all the time. When it didn’t I had to make use of the app to unlock the bike. This ‘lock’ gained’t cease anybody bodily stealing the bike. It merely prevents anybody however you from utilizing the motor energy. And if somebody does steal it, they’ll nonetheless experience off.

Jim Martin / Foundry

In fact, that is the place there is genuinely helpful tech: the GPS and eSIM imply you may see the place the bike is at any time (as long as the battery nonetheless has cost). By way of the app, you may arrange a geofence and get notified if the bike is moved additional away than the gap you set, so that you’ll get an alert within the app whether it is stolen.

In truth, that is one motive why it’s helpful to have a ‘locked’ standing: as quickly as any motion is detected, you’ll get an alert in your telephone. This isn’t achieved utilizing GPS: an on-board movement sensor triggers as quickly because the bike is moved.

The bike may even chirp when it’s moved as a warning that it’s alarmed. Simply observe that this occurs provided that you’ve put the bike in Lock mode. If it’s simply in Standby, the alarm gained’t be on.

Vary is okay, however not excellent. From my testing, it’s potential to run the battery flat in as little as 20 miles in case you’re utilizing mode 3 or Turbo on a regular basis, and the route is hilly.

But when circumstances are extra beneficial – heat climate and flat roads – you might most likely stand up to  30 or 40 miles earlier than needing a recharge.

There’s one other factor draining the battery, although: the GPS and eSIM. Early reviewers of the bike complained that the anti-theft measures used a lot energy that the battery could be lifeless after a matter of days.

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

Urtopia has mounted this, and the battery dropped by solely 2% in 4 days. You simply want to wish to recollect that you would be able to’t depart the Carbon 1 for weeks with out charging it, in any other case you might discover the battery is sort of empty whenever you need to experience it. The choice is to make use of the app to disable this monitoring in case you gained’t be utilizing the bike for some time and it’s saved safely.

You may verify the situation of the bike – and its present battery degree – from the app at any time, wherever, even in case you’re not in Bluetooth vary as long as the eSIM and GPS are enabled. You get a free 12 months of service, after which the eSIM prices $29 / €35 per 12 months (roughly £30).

Urtopia app

Apps for e-bikes are usually primary, however Urtopia’s is healthier than that. It isn’t the slickest, but it surely does the job properly sufficient.

I noticed a few locations the place the interface wasn’t in English however an even bigger annoyance  is that it’s important to faucet a Bluetooth button earlier than you need to use any of the bike options. It will be higher if that connection was made mechanically whenever you launch the app.

Plus, typically, it failed to attach in any respect however often displayed the “connecting” display for just a few seconds earlier than returning to the bike management display the place you may activate the lights, sound the siren and lock and unlock the bike.

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

The app is helpful for altering settings: quantity, vibration depth and different issues, however you are able to do this along with your voice by urgent down the right-hand button on the handlebar and talking instructions similar to “Quantity 3”. It’s also possible to use your voice to set the pace mode, flip the lights on and off and use the indications. Nevertheless, I discovered it faster to make use of the buttons to do these issues, not least as a result of my instructions had been solely recognised about half the time, and even much less when driving on noisy roads.

The vibration is one thing you’re feeling within the handlebars whenever you change the facility degree, a bit like a telephone on silent. Just like the sounds, you may flip off vibrations in case you don’t need them.

Among the Superior settings within the app want explanations, similar to Sport Mode (play Snake on the show by saying “sport mode”, Rear Radar (mmWave tech prompts the rear gentle when automobiles get shut) and Community (the choice to disable GPS and eSIM to avoid wasting battery energy). Others are self-explanatory similar to Auto Mild and Brake gentle.

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

There’s a Consumer Information tile on the app’s dwelling display, however this simply hyperlinks to numerous movies, and doesn’t cowl these settings. The printed handbook within the field isn’t any assist both, because it doesn’t cowl the app, besides pairing it to the bike and registering your first fingerprint.

It has a group tab the place you may submit experience stats, ask for assist or simply chat with different homeowners. Within the navigation tab you may seek for a vacation spot or place a pin within the map, and a route shall be generated, similar to any sat nav. However the search outcomes are rather more restricted than, say, Google Maps.

Worth & availability

The Carbon 1 prices $2799 within the US, and €3299 in Germany. That’s round £2250 within the UK and $4000 in Australia, although the bike isn’t offered in these international locations.

You should purchase it from the New Urtopia webbsite.

Nevertheless, the corporate says it would formally promote bikes within the UK quickly, but it surely hasn’t introduced the precise pricing but.

It has additionally launched a brand new model referred to as the Carbon 1s. This has 7-speed Shimano gears as a substitute of a belt drive and a extra highly effective 350W motor. Plus, it is available in a Small body measurement appropriate for individuals from 160cm (5ft3in) and is identical value. On the time of overview, although, there was a sale with $600 off, bringing the value right down to $2199 – a significantly better deal.

To examine different bikes we’ve reviewed and see which of them we advocate you purchase, see our roundup of the most effective electrical bikes.

Verdict

Urtopia got down to create the neatest electrical bike and in some methods it has succeeded with the Carbon 1. Though not distinctive, the built-in SIM and GPS imply you may hold observe of your bike wherever you might be: it merely wants a cell sign.

The mmWave radar and projector indicators sound cool, however are of little or no profit in apply and due to this fact add unnecessarily to the associated fee. The identical will be stated for the remainder of the tech – the Bluetooth speaker, fingerprint scanner and voice management. They’re belongings you gained’t discover on different e-bikes, however they’re less than the usual you’d most likely anticipate.

Cowboy’s 4 and VanMoof’s bikes value extra, making the Urtopia look higher worth, particularly because it’s the one one created from carbon fibre, and the lightest of the three. Nevertheless, Cowboy and VanMoof provide various body types for shorter riders.

The Carbon 1 has a two-year guarantee, however as Urtopia remains to be a comparatively new and unproven firm, it’s tough to place a number of religion in that if one thing goes fallacious with the bike. Should you’re comfy spending this a lot cash on a motorcycle with so many proprietary components, it’s a good electrical bike.

However the carbon fibre doesn’t save as a lot weight as you would possibly hope for and in case you can stay with out all of the devices, the Tenways CGO600 is just $1799 / £1499 and is simply as light-weight, has hydraulic disk brakes, a Gates belt drive, a rear hub motor and a torque sensor. It’s the better-value selection for most individuals. Learn our full CG0600 overview for extra.

Specs

• Motor: 36V 250W (35Nm)
• Max Velocity: Assisted Motor Velocity: 15.5 mph (EU) / 20 mph (US)
• Location of Motor: Rear hub
• Dot matrix show exhibiting battery energy, mode, pace, flip indicators, stroll mode
• Fingerprint scanner + voice management
• Body: Carbon fibre
• Weight: approx. 16kg
• Max rider weight (whole payload): 110kg (240lb)
• Body sizes: 46cm (M), 50cm (L)
• Wheel Measurement: 700C
• Wheels: Unbranded
• Tyres: 1.4in Kenda Kwest
• Drivetrain: Gates Carbon Drive CDN
• Brakes: Unbranded hydraulic discs
• Lights: built-in LED entrance + rear, with projected flip indicators
• Battery Kind: Detachable 360Wh / 9.8Ah
• Vary: 22-62 miles (40-100km)
• Cost Time: Approx. 2.5 hours
• Connectivity: eSIM (4G), Bluetooth & Wi-Fi
• Guarantee: 2 years (preliminary purchaser, excludes brakes, spokes, tyres)