Just watched your review on the Carbon 1 and thought I'd share my experience about the Carbon 1s. The 1s has a 350-watt rear motor and a 7-gear chain. The bike arrived 90% assembled, and the packaging was efficient - no unnecessary waste. However, I had to shell out an extra $99 for the kickstand and am bummed about the top speed of 21 mph. Also, the battery life doesn't last as long as I'd like when using level 2 pedal assist. I could only get about 15 miles on a full charge. Not sure if it's because I'm on the heavier side (205 lbs). And sadly, the smart display doesn't include a mileage report. The ride can get bumpy on rough roads, and the saddle was too firm for my liking, so I replaced it. On the bright side, the tires are puncture-resistant and haven't had a single puncture yet. But do remember to inflate them every 10 days or so. The GPS feature is handy but drains the battery even when the bike is unused. Despite these minor issues, I'm impressed with the Carbon 1s. The carbon frame, fork, and handlebars make it lightweight, and the smart technology features, like the GPS location and connected mobile app for tracking data, are super cool. Just thought I'd share my two cents!
Awesome thanks so much for the detailed reply! Thats great to hear that the 7-speed drivetrain is helping, but unfortunately the range is rather short. I would have expected a bit better distance, but it is a small 350W motor. We did notice some of the same issues with the display and other tech features as you, it would be nice to see some kind of range or battery percentage on the display, wouldn't it? What do you think about the turn signals that project don't the ground? I am not sure if this rear light/signal is a feature for extra $ like the kickstand (that's too bad it costs extra as well when the unit is not cheap) I found the concept very cool, but rarely used them. I am interested to hear from some real-world users about whether other drivers and cyclists can see them in use or if they are a forgotten feature.
I am looking at this as a commuter to work. I have two steep hills, and I used to set the gears down to 1 and in the process manage to climb the hill. However, I would like to have less stress on my knees and so was looking for ebikes to give that little extra boost on the hills. Will this work for my situation? Would rei's.e1.1 work better than this? It also has 250w motor but also has gear system and so will it do better than this belt drive or will urtopia do better or same? Also, I am thinking of their 1 pro, which is newer...thanks for ur help
The Urtopia Carbon 1 with no gearing is not a great fit for hills over a 12 percent grade without significant effort. If you plan on riding hills in any form I would suggest getting the new version 1 pro with the gearing, it will make it significantly better on hills the REI e1.1 with gearig would also be a good option. I find the 250W motors without gearing are tough for all hills
I’d get this bike only if I could swap for a slight bit thicker tires… I know it might sound counterproductive but really don’t care for the very slim and skinny tires…
It might be a good idea to look into e-bikes in the Gravel category. Typically, they retain the lightweight and great pedaling ability of a road bike while integrating enhanced vibration dampening and wider tires as standard items.
That is a great looking bike, but out of my price range. Pity it doesn’t have gears, but then being more of a city bike, it’s probably not going to be a problem though. Great video guys.
It is a very slick-looking bike, but I think the price does restrict its access. We found the lack of traditional gearing was fine in most situations, with the planetary geared hub and torque sensor providing a good response. But hills are a definite issue, so any purchasers who have even moderate hills should be cautious and look into the new models the company has that offer more traditional drivetrains.
I agree! It's surprising to not see either of these features as a standard item, not even a clear mounting point! Urtopia does offer the bottle holder, but it is an additional charge for the accessory. No rack available for the Urtopia carbon it seems. But the 1s and Chord have racks that are again, additional $$.
Too proprietary parts. E-SIM internet connectivity? Lol. Too high chance that it can be bricked if somethig happened to the company or they decide this model "unsupported" in few years. I'd never buy such device.
These are some good points! It will be interesting to keep watching this bike and company to see how things progress, and if this technology becomes commonplace.
