PACKED With TECH! ..BUT Is This Carbon E-Bike Any Good?
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- Опубликовано: 19 сен 2024
- The crowdfunded Urtopia (Urban + Utopia) eBike is so packed with technology, it may as well be a smart phone with wheels. Sensors, speakers, microphones, thumb print ID, GPS, bluetooth.. But how does this full carbon fiber ebike perform ...as a bike?
Find out in this video, produced by an actual cyclist.
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Without a doubt Utopia Carbon is an amazing e-bike. Here is why. Urtopia introduced Carbon One (1/1s) 2nd generation and no bike store had it for a test ride in my location. Also, no bike shop in my area had the 1st generation Carbon in stock. The only bike shop available for the Urtopia Carbon was 250 miles from my residence. After taking the 250 mile drive (Winter Gardens, Orlando Fl) I was surprised to see the bike shop received two weeks ago Urtopia Carbon One (1/1s). Carbon One was only for a test drive, not for sale. The main differences from Carbon 1st generation to Carbon One Urtopia added a Shimano 7-Speed gearing system upgrade to a 350w motor. For me, the Shimano 7-Speed and the 350w motor made a huge difference compared to no shifting and a 250w motor on the Carbon 1st generation.
I test ridden many e-bikes and to no surprise the Urtopia Carbon One was the most exciting ride I ever had. The local bike shop allowed me to ride as long as I wanted and took that advantage. Winter Gardens Orlando Fl has quite a few hills and Carbon One had no hesitation riding up them. Most of my ride was on level 3 with some exception alternating to turbo (few times) 20 miles up and 20 miles back and the battery didn’t hit below the half way mark -insane. And it was a windy day. And let’s include my 238 lbs of weight load. This e-bike was incredibly responsive throughout my ride. The aerodynamics design made it possible for a pleasant riding experience. I say this because of my bad back and hip. I didn’t expect to have this good experience of riding with my health conditions. On straight path I was hitting around 29 miles per hour. On hill climb was down to around 12 to 8 miles per hour. The 7-speed gears made a big difference when riding up the hills or just riding the straight path. Yeah, I was completely blown away after comparing this e-bike from other brands. The shifting was smooth. And peddling assisting did not hesitate for one second, it too was smooth as all can be, were other brands you felt it jerking, including the mid center motor. The hydraulic brakes was just as good and no complaints I could determine during my ride. Also, at first, before riding I though it was going to be a little uncomfortable due to the handlebars can’t be adjusted or raised, was not the case. There were no issues riding 20 miles up and then back for a non adjustable handlebar -surprisingly.
I will disagree with this video that some of the features may be gimmicks. The smart features does add value when you take into account how it improves the over experience riding an e-bike. Besides the norm having distance readings, the anti-theft, GPS tracking, Auto Updates, Bluetooth, and thumb reader features is well worth the extra cost -it all works. The only thing I didn’t care for was the voice recognition, it was a hit and miss during the ride due to interference with the wind. Also, I couldn’t check how good the front head light was since my test ride happen to be during the day. And I will admit don’t care for the proprietary back rack and fenders. I wish Urtopia would allowed for universal back rack with front and back tire fenders. This may be a turn off for some.
Some folks may consider this e-bike over priced, but when you consider carbon non e-bikes can cost way over 3K or more is no doubt that Urtopia Carbon One is at a good price point. And test ridden non carbon e-bikes brands, Ride1 Up, Aventon, Specialized, and Gazelle, their price margins are not much difference to the Urtopa’s e-bikes, Carbon One or their other model Urtopia Chord. Fact, Both Specialized and Gazelle was 1 1/2k more than Carbon One with less onboard features. And both brands weighed in 20lbs more than Carbon One. Aventon Level 2 priced at $1,799.99, the only cheapest from the other models. But, Level 2 weighing in 65lbs and no anti-theft or GPS features. Till this day I can’t understand why non carbon e-bikes have to be 65lbs or more? Maybe $$$$? I also would like to make it clear for the price of the Urtopia Carbon One, it is not 3K, there is a $600 off at the time I’m writing my comments. So, when you factor in the sale price around $2,300 (with tax) you’re looking at an inexpensive e-bike compared to other brands. And Urtopia Chord is $1,400 on sale. With all the features Urtopia Carbon One has to offer, Urtopia Chord has the same features for $1,400 (sale price). The only difference between the Carbon One vs the Chord is one carbon and Chord is not. Otherwise, both exceptionally awesome e-bikes.
Yeah, I get it, they’re other brand’s of e-bikes that are less than Urtopia Carbon One or Chord and that do a well job in performance, but you do get what you pay for. If you’re going to sacrifice weight and battery distance, then by all means there is going to be an affordable e-bike out there. For a carbon e-bike do expect to pay more and including non e-bikes made from carbon. After my test ride with Carbon One I made the jump to place an order. Besides the looks of the Carbon One, it was the features and performance that sold me. It was the most comfortable riding experience even with back and hip problems. I will never look for or test ride a 65lb e-bike again -regardless how low the price tag may be.
Have you tested ridden Chord? How does it feel compare to the Carbon 1s (250w45Nm vs 350w35Nm)?
It's a slick looking commuter bike with some high end features; gates carbon-fiber belt, hydraulic disk brakes, lightweight frame and built-in lights. I ride motorcycles and don't recall any major complaints ever by anyone about being able to adjust seat height or handlebar height. I'm an actual cyclist and it checks all of the boxes for me.
My only criticism would be the optional fenders. If you actually commute daily in any area that has "weather", those ones don't cut it.
You don’t have to pedal a motorbike but you still have to put your foot down. I heard shorter and tall people complaining about certain motorbikes about tall seats or cramped position on the other end. Bicycles are not ‘one size fits all’, and with at least adjustable seat height you can bridge relatively big height differences.
That LED matrix is like a missing link in tech. Maybe 1977 tech? Lightbright anyone?
The internal image of the frame looks like a lightning bolt.
that bike is going to be a nightmare when electronics fail. good luck servicing it.
Yeah, this was definitely not created for actual cyclists. It's a tech gadget that'll collect dust in people's garages. Well at least those that actually fit this one size fits all frame.
There is a Medium frame option and a large frame option to cover pretty much all adult riders
@@Greenfairy65 Not if what he said very early in the review is true; for the smallest size, you need to be at least 5'7". Obviously there are many adults shorter than that.
It’s wrong. You can go to their home page and find that it’s 5’3”. The minimum height for the medium frame is 5’7”. Thank you for pointing that out because that shows this guy is a poor reviewer and I’m not going to finish the video.
Very good concise review and helpful
All that pealing paint is a deal breaker. Even the hoses rubbing on the head tube is ruining it.
Very nice review. Thank you!
The GPS sensors and 4G are always on so if you charge it full and remove it from charger, it will be dead in 2 days. Hopefully they can resolve this with software but seems like a no-go for me.
Seriously?!?
Fashion statement for flatlanders soon to become wall decor.
New model coming up... ;)
P.s.
You stole my punch line and I can prove it!!!!
was the ride stiff ? with this design i could act as a hammock frame to reduce vibration to the seat
It was pretty stiff, yea. I think they over built the top tube and seat stays a bit to compensate for no seat tube
@@TheBikeSauce too bad
Great review, very balanced and thoughtful! How the heck would you change the rear tire, btw?
Haha thanks, Paul. Interesting one for sure. There’s a break in the seat stay where you can slip the belt through and drop the wheel
How do you change the tire on a normal bike, do you brake the chain? FYI you don't need to take the belt off of the bike, just slip it off the wheel.
Easier said than done. Stiff belt, not a lot of wiggle room. Easier to drop the belt through the slot
@@TheBikeSauce tnx, wondered how stiff the belt was, and the wiggle room!
@@TheBikeSauce have you actually changed a tube on one? There are no issues once you pull the axle. Or are you just talking about putting the belt back on after it slips?
Most everything about this bike is crazy. I do like the weight. But so much of the bike design and Tech stuff make no sense.
Good review job pointing out the good and the BAD.
Thanks
Lot of bells and whistles and a fairly high price point. Have you seen the new e-bike from State Bicycle? Seems to have the same drivetrain technology aluminum frame comes in at 1500 bucks.
That one looks pretty slick
@@TheBikeSauce I wasn't in the e-bike market but for 1500 bucks I'm pretty interested. But then I saw you stall out on that hill with the same drivetrain and don't know if it's for me. If that thing can't climb it really doesn't work.
@@TheBikeSauce is it due to the one speed gearing? Even with full assist you can't get up the climbs?
@@prof_writer , hub motors need to be spun by the rider up steep hills. No lower gears to spin with.
Only a 240 Max payload. 6'5" I wonder if Tracy McGrady can even ride it. Lol
Haha good point
Build quality looks shocking, around the head set and some of the hex bolts all looked scored and scratched
Yea it was a media bike. Been in circulation for a while I guess
yeh and the iPhone prices to match lol
But it’s not possible to put an iPhone on it or to load an iPhone's battery 😢
read the iphone of ebikes so i’m assuming it’s expensive asf and useless
If you want stripped down and less money get something different lol. btw i have this bike.
Lol no adjustments at all. Kinda doesn’t match the price tag…
Interesting but nope! Mechanical bikes have been great for an awful long time. I'm sticking with them . Just not into ebikes. Plus its ugly
Ed with the unfiltered critiques! 😀
Enjoyed the video but please wear a helmet
imagine getting in a crash and the handle bar cracks. everything electronic needs to be replaced with it. super expensive.
like the video but in my opinion i don't like ebikes
When the low life thugs realize how much it's worth, you better ride it only inside gated communities or with armed guards.
Actually it has a fantastic theft recovery system. If the bike is stolen you can use the app to find the location of the bike. I have seen 2 posts of thefts and both times the bike was recovered right away.
Yeah, gimmic... overpriced commuter... it will have a very small following... Thanks!
Haha harsh
Honestly this bike is overpriced for $2800. It's usually discounted to $2200, which I assume is usually going to be the case because no one is going to buy it for close to $3,000. Even at $2200, it's still overpriced. The lack of gearing makes it less versatile. The lack of a throttle makes it inferior to other ebikes. In terms of parts, it's subpar to regular, non-ebike that are around $600. So let's start there. For $600, you can get a decent bike that weighs around 25 pounds, has gears, has hydraulic disc brakes, has spring shocks. Add in a 250w rear motor, ok, let's make that $300 more, so $900. Add in the tech and battery that the Urtopia comes with, another $300. Okay, fine it's got torque sensor, I'll pay another $200 for that. All in, that's about $1500 to make it REASONABLE. There are ebikes under $1k that has throttle, a 500W-750W rear hub motor, 7 gears. Sure, they may not have a torque sensor but that's why $1500 seems like a decent bike for something like this.
You cannot get a carbon fiber bike for $600 though. Maybe start at $1500 for bare bones.
@@jw6825 yup that's what I said
Damn, this thing is hot garbage
Lol dam!
It looks so cheap and ugly ;(