Belgian ebike maker Cowboy came on to the scene a few years back, and has quietly been making a solid name for itself as a maker of app-driven “smart” ebikes.

Now, the company has just announced its next generation ebike, the Cowboy 4. It’s the fourth generation, in case that wasn’t clear.

So what’s new

Alongside its standard horizontal top-tube, sling-yer-leg-over style frame is a new step-through option.

Old-fashioned cantankerous men with beards would refer to these as “women’s bikes.” Really they’re the best option if you carry luggage on the bike, as it makes getting on and off easier when you have rear mounted panniers.

Being able to step through the frame, rather than throwing your leg over the saddle will always be the easiest method of mounting and dismounting a bike.

What’s more, the step through frame, the C4ST, fits riders between 160 and 190 cm tall. The standard frame C4 fits riders between 170 and 195 cm tall.

While the new frame now makes the Cowboy an option for shorter riders, it also provides a more comfortable upright riding position. A great option for those that don’t want the aggressive sportiness of Cowboy’s last model or the C4.

Despite the different frame styles, both ebikes share the exact same hardware. We can assume that the riding experience of each bike will be largely the same as a result.

According to Cowboy, the drivetrain has received a nice little bump in power too. Each bike now features 50% more torque than the previous model.

The improvements in power don’t come at the expense of range. The C4 and C4ST are both rated for 70 km of travel on one charge.

Another significant addition is the integrated handlebar setup. The previous Cowboy model had a separate handlebar, stem, and phone mount, which was fine, but not as classy as competitors’ options.

Now, the C4 models feature a neat and tidy, fully integrated setup. Cables are routed internally, and there are no unsightly bolts, it makes the whole thing look more premium than before.

Thoughtful improvements

Back when my colleague Callum “bike boy” Booth reviewed the 2nd generation Cowboy a couple of years ago, he loved it. But he did mention a few things that could be done to improve the Cowboy.

Specifically, he criticized the bike’s lack of accessories . The lack of mudguards left him with a “wet ass,” and no rack means that carrying luggage was a challenge. While the 3rd gen model had mudguards, they were an optional extra for $90.

Thankfully, the new Cowboy models can be specified with a kickstand or a rack at the point of purchase.

Better than that, Cowboy is fitting its bikes with mudguards as standard. Praise the lord! No more wet asses!

It keeps the good stuff

I’m really pleased to see that Cowboy is keeping pretty much all the features that made it such an excellent ebike to begin with, and only adding subtle improvements.

It still has the removable battery, integrated lights, and the Gates carbon belt drive to keep things clean.

Based on what we know now, it looks like Cowboy has really though about what it needed to add and improve on its bikes to make them better.

Indeed, with the improvements Cowboy has made, it seems like the C4 and C4ST might be close to being the perfect ebike. But will it be enough to topple the likes of VanMoof in the smart ebike sector?

We’ll have to test one to find out for ourselves if that’s the case. Watch this space for a full review!

The C4 and C4 ST are both priced at £2,290 (€2,490) that’s including the mudguards. There’s a choice of three colors, black, sand, and khaki.

Deliveries are going to begin in September.

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MG wants your money to build its first electric sports car

Specs about the MG Cyberster Concept were out even before its official debut at Shanghai Auto Show.

It’s a two-door, two-seater sports car with an eye-catching, futuristic design that I’d say is a bit haunting. Maybe it’s just me, but its grille reminds me of Venom’s smile – yes, Spiderman’s villain. Credit: MG - Edited

It’s expected range of 800km and speed of 100kph in less than three seconds aren’t the only striking features of this EV.

In fact, MG hopes to develop it with capital raised through a crowdfunding program.

Prior to the car’s display at the show, the company announced on its Chinese website that the Cyberster will move to mass-production if ¥ 5 million ($7.7 million) are raised between April 19 and July 31 2021.

This means, that MG requires 5,000 shares, each worth ¥1,000 ($154.47). If the target isn’t reached, the amount will be refunded to the participants. Credit: MG

The interested investors can contribute to the car’s birth via MG’s CyberCUBE platform, where they can also determine how Cyberster will be produced through the crowd-creation section.

How any of that will work in reality remains unknown .

Will this be an efficient business model? Time will tell.

Credit: MG

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Paris plans to transform iconic Champs-Élysées into pedestrian-friendly green space

This article was originally published by Christopher Carey on Cities Today , the leading news platform on urban mobility and innovation, reaching an international audience of city leaders. For the latest updates follow Cities Today on Twitter , Facebook , LinkedIn , Instagram , and YouTube , or sign up for Cities Today News.

Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo has given the go-ahead for plans to transform the city’s Champs-Élysées into a 1.9-kilometer stretch of greenery featuring tunnels of trees, green spaces, and pedestrian zones.

The £225million (US$307 million) makeover will halve the number of cars on the famous boulevard and turn the area around the Eiffel Tower into an “extraordinary park at the heart of Paris,” according to the mayor.

Plans were first proposed in 2019 by local community leaders and businesses who have since lobbied the local government to renovate the iconic stretch of road.

“The legendary avenue has lost its splendor over the past 30 years, it was gradually abandoned by the Parisians and suffered the full brunt of several respective crises: yellow vests, strikes, health, and economic crisis, etc.” a statement from the Champs-Élysées Committee read.

Designs submitted by French architectural firm PCA-Stream show wide pedestrianized zones allowing for terrace cafes and dedicated cycle lanes, with motorized traffic reduced to two lanes in each direction.

The French capital is set to host the Olympics in 2024, though it is unlikely to work on the Champs-Élysées project will be completed before it starts.

15-minute city

Since her election in 2014, Hidalgo has championed the transformation of the city’s streets from a car-centric model to one that prioritizes pedestrians and cyclists.

In order to combat air pollution in the city, Hidalgo oversaw the introduction of ‘ Paris Respire (Paris Breathes), in May 2016, which included banning all cars from certain areas of Paris on the first Sunday of the month, as well as making public transport and the city’s bicycle and electric vehicle schemes free for the day.

Other policy changes, including an increase in the price of parking meters, a ban on free parking on certain days, and the conversion of certain sections of a highway along the River Seine into a riverside park, have also underscored the city’s efforts to reduce car use.

As part of her re-election campaign in February 2020, Hidalgo announced plans to transform Paris into a ’15-minute city’ – where residents would be able to reach necessary amenities (such as schools, offices, shops, parks, health centers) by a 15-minute walk or bike ride – shifting dependency away from cars in order to cut air pollution levels.

In April, the city unveiled plans to install up to 650 kilometers of temporary and permanent bicycle lanes as part of its Plan Vélo scheme, which aims to make every street in the city cycle-friendly by 2024.

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