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Backfill · 2021

#82 of 315

Cowboy Electric Bicycle

seq 5
ObserverNew product/launchtransportationpositive
social impacttactile sensory
Basic NeedsNoticingAction3/9
Cowboy
ImageEditorial/lifestyle

Editorial: A Cowboy e-bike in matte black leaned against a cafe storefront, showing the clean integrated frame, minimal handlebars with a phone mounted on the stem, and hidden rear hub motor.

138 words

Cowboy's e-bike removes almost every element that makes electric bicycles look like electric bicycles. Battery integrated into the frame tube, motor in the rear hub rather than bolted to the bottom bracket — there's no display screen on the handlebars because everything routes through your phone mounted on the stem. Automatic pedal assist detects how hard you are pushing and adjusts the motor output accordingly, so there are no buttons to press or modes to select. You just ride and the bike fills in the effort you aren't providing. The app tracks your rides and displays battery level and speed, and the bike locks and unlocks through Bluetooth when your phone is nearby. Removing the dashboard creates a handlebar that looks clean and uncluttered, more like a road bike than an appliance. Clean look is the entire point of the design.