Urtopia Carbon E-Bike Review

This review was provided for free using a demo bike. My goal is to be transparent and unbiased with you, this video and writeup are not meant to be an endorsement of Urtopia products. I welcome your corrections, additions, and feedback in the comments below, and the Urtopia electric bike forums.

Observations:

• Urtopia appears to only produce this single model, the Carbon E-Bike, but they offer three color patterns and two frame sizes. I was test riding the large frame for this review, which measures about 19.5″. They do sell a kickstand, mudguards, and custom bottle cage adapter on their website accessories page here. I’ve created a follow-up video showing the installation and my thoughts on the kickstand, fenders, and bottle cage options.
• It’s rare to find an electric bike that weighs less than 40lbs, so this 34.2lb full-carbon model is quite impressive. It sacrifices motor power and battery size, but I found it to still be very satisfying to ride because of the torque sensor activation and efficient tires. You could make it even lighter by swapping the alloy crank arms with carbon fiber.
• Unlike most of the other ebikes I review, this one did not use standard parts for the stem, handlebar, and seat post. This means it is not as customizable, I’m not sure you could use a suspension seat post, swept back cruiser handlebar, or taller stem to improve comfort.

Pros:

• The frame is unique and fairly attractive, I appreciate the the curving tube design and three color choices… even though they look fairly similar. It’s nice that Urtopia didn’t put a huge word logo on the side like many competing products.
• I love that they decided to built two sizes for this model. This improves fit and comfort which are important on a more active bicycle which requires pedaling (it’s pedal assist only Class 1). The saddle and locking ergonomic grips felt very comfortable to me as well. You can even adjust the brake lever reach to match your hand size.
• Considering the custom frame, display panel, smartphone app, nice disc brakes, and quality website and support, I think the bike is priced very well. It offers a 14 day return policy, two year general warranty, and shipping is free!
• Carbon fiber is very strong, but also more comfortable than aluminum alloy because of its vibration dampening qualities. I kept the tire pressure at 60 PSI (which is between the recommended 50 to 85 PSI) and felt very comfortable. The bike has a nice upright body position that isn’t as aggressive as many competing road bikes. It’s almost a city bike.
• The battery pack is positioned perfectly, keeping weight low and center, and it looks great. I love that it locks to the frame and can be charged on the frame. You can easily remove the pack for charging and safe storage (cool dry location at 50%). It looks like they are using high quality Samsung cells, which should hold up over time.
• The included charger is compact and fairly light at 1.8lbs, but very fast! It offers 4 amp output vs. just 2 amps on many others. They say it will quick charge the battery in just 2.5 hours.
• Even though the motor is rated at 250 watts nominal with 35 newton meters of torque peak output (which is kind of low for North America)… and the battery is lower than average capacity at 352.8 watt hours vs. 500+ watt hours on many others, I found them them to be satisfying. The bike is efficient and light, and the torque sensor is very responsive. I rode for quite a while and still had a nearly full battery charge because you have to pedal and push to activate the motor, and the bike is just so light and efficient.
• The single-speed drivetrain is very quiet and clean. They chose to use a Gates Carbon CDN belt drive vs. a chain, which should last longer. In order to do this, they had to make a horizontal sliding rear dropout and custom frame with a cut at the right seat stay to get the belt on. This is fancy stuff, and they executed it well from what I could see.
• The hydraulic disc brakes performed well and are easier and more consistent to use than mechanical disc brakes. You get basic 160mm rotors and dual piston calipers here. The brake levers are Urtopia branded, and offer adjustable reach.
• Incredible integrated light design. The headlight is high up at the stem so it makes you more visible to cars and fellow cyclists. You cannot aim it, but the set aiming was really good and the light beam was bright and effective during my tests. Because it’s part of the stem and handlebar, it points where you steer. The rear light is extra wide and visible from the side. It has two separate beams that shine down onto the street and project turn arrows that blink as you signal using voice control or the left button pad.
• This is the first electric bike I’ve ever tested with voice control, and they worked okay when stationary. Once moving, I think the wind and air noise cause it to not pick up as well. It’s an interesting idea that I’m not sure works in all scenarios.
• This is also the first ebike I’ve tested with a fingerprint scanner to unlock. It seems very secure in some ways, but the bike could still be stolen and ridden like a normal bicycle. I chose not to use the fingerprint scanner myself, and the button still doubles as a bell and you hold it to do voice commands.
• I appreciate how the smartphone app shows precise battery percentage and offers GPS mapping. It even records your saved CO2 and past trips. It’s fairly social and includes some news items.
• Nice white accents on the rims and frame to help it stand out a bit at night. I’m not sure if they are reflective, but they still help to make the bike visible, since the tires are not reflective and the headlight doesn’t have side windows or cutouts.
• The bike can support up to 240lbs, which is fairly good for such a custom “open” frame design. It’s nice that they communicate this limit on their website… and the instructions and manuals and stats are so much easier to find and understand than many competing ebike companies.
• I’m grateful that the founder, who worked for BMW and Siemens, decided to create something so special. It definite pushes the ebike space forward with some creative systems. He won IF and Red Dot awards and you can tell that the quality and attention to detail here is way above average. Some of the parts are cheap (pedals, crank arms, even the generic brake parts) but the overall combination is quite good for the price.

Cons:

• I really appreciate that the bike comes in two frame sizes, but both of them still have a fairly high standover height and are only in high-step.
• While the frame looks unique and fairly attractive, the decision to skip a traditional seat tube makes it difficult to lower the seat post and achieve a lower saddle height. Basically, the seat post bottoms out inside the seat tube instead of having more space to slide down… and even if you shortened the post, it changes shape and has the light mounted so you really cannot get it that low.
• Following the first complaint about the seat tube design limiting saddle height, it also probably compromises frame strength a bit and takes away space for adding a bottle cage mount. I wish there was at least one bottle cage mount on the frame, even if it was somehow on top of the battery pack. UPDATE! The company does produce a custom bottle cage that will work with the frame. You can find it on their accessories page here.
• It appears that the the fork has some mounting points for adding a fender or front rack, but I did not see any for adding a rear fender or rear rack on the bike frame. This means you have limited utility with the bike, and might need to wear a hydration pack or larger backpack to move things around… which can be less comfortable and hotter. UPDATE! The company does sell custom mudguards on their website here.
• Considering that the geometry is more upright on this electric bike, and I perceive it as being more casual, I was surprised that it didn’t have a kickstand. At least there is a mounting tab on the left chain stay where you could bolt on an aftermarket 40mm stand like one of these. Kickstands add a bit of weight and can rattle on bumpy terrain, but they keep the bike from tipping and getting damaged.
• Since the stem and handlebar are merged, I’m not sure you can swap them out for different components that could improve fit and comfort. Imagine wanting a longer or steeper stem, or a sweeping cruiser handlebar vs. the low-rise that it comes with.
• There is no suspension on the bike, and the tires are meant to be inflated to higher PSI, which is less comfortable. The result is something light and efficient, but it would have been nice if the seat post was round vs. tear drop shaped so you could at least add a suspension seatpost aftermarket. There are some really nice lightweight carbon fiber models from Kinekt worth exploring.
• The bike utilizes a single speed drivetrain with a 55 tooth chainring and 21 tooth rear sprocket. I found it challenging to start from standstill, and then got outpaced above 20mph. Considering this is a pedal assist only ebike with no throttle, the options for pedal cadence and climbing are a bit limited… but at least it’s clean, quiet, and very reliable.
• I have found that road bike tires need to be inflated frequently because the high pressure leaks out slowly, and if they get too low you can get a “pinch flat” where the rim cuts into the inner tube. It’s nice that they included a pump to help with this… However, the tires didn’t appear to have puncture protection or reflective sidewall stripes, which would further improve durability and safety.
• You have to unbox and build the bike, which requires some extra time and effort. Keep this in mind and set aside some time. At least the bike was packaged and organized super well, and the tutorial videos were outstanding.
• Because the rear light is mounted near the top of the seat post, it could get blocked if you’re wearing a long jacket that hangs down. Please keep this in mind as the weather gets cold and your garments get longer.
• While the display panel is large and fairly easy to understand, it offers limited readouts, cannot be swiveled to reduce glare, and did not appear to dim at night… so it’s kind of bright shining in your face. I’m not sure I love all of the chimes and songs it plays, but at least you can adjust the volume :)
• Considering that the smartphone app has a GPS mode for route planning, I wish there was a USB charging port on the bike and a way to mount the phone to use while riding. Perhaps it could sync with the display to better communicate directions.
• If you get both the fenders and bottle cage, you will need to purchase longer bolts to use both simultaneously because the included bolts are only long enough to support one bracket at a time. I show this in my accessories review here.

Useful Resources:

• Local electric bike dealers.
• Official Urtopia website.