Urtopia Bikes Review: Are These Urban E-Bikes Any Good?

Characterised by their funky frame shapes, Urtopia’s electric bike’s are certainly very noticeable.

But beyond their standout looks is there anything of substance? Our article aims to find out if Urtopia urban electric bikes are really any good.

Who Are Urtopia?

Urtopia is a direct-to-market bike manufacturer that sells striking-looking electric bikes which also have an emphasis on smart technology. The company’s headquarters is in Hong Kong with manufacturing setup in China.

Urtopia’s lead designer is a chap by the name of Mathis Heller. A German designer with a pretty impressive list of previous works including the BMW i Series of cars and the Siemens ICE 3 high-speed train.

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Being a city dweller himself, Mathis is passionate about mobility and by turning his attention to bikes, and electric bikes in particular, he has produced something unlike anything else available.

The Urtopia Carbon 1, with its curving looks, eye-catching void in the frame and a list of smart features as long as your arm. Primarily designed as an urban e-bike for use in the city, the Carbon 1 is currently sold in the EU and the US.

What Does Urtopia Specialize In?

Urtopia specializes in electric bikes with two primary features. One, they are almost artistic in design and definitely don’t look like regular bikes or electric bikes. Two: Urtopia electric bikes are packed with smart, connected features which extend and improve their utility.

Smart features on Urtopia electric bikes include built-in GPS, an app to track your rides, built-in speakers, a fingerprint reader, turn-by-turn navigation, built-in indicator, built-in front and back lights, anti-theft warnings and bike tracking.

There are currently three electric bikes in Urtopia’s range: the Carbon 1, the Chord and the Chord X. All three bikes have been designed to ride in busy city environments. Urtopia doesn’t currently manufacture an electric folding bike, an e-road bike or an electric mountain bike.

Are Urtopia Bikes Good?

Urtopia e-bikes could be a good option if you are looking for a unique, less-mainstream electric bike for use in and around town. If you like connected features and your smartphone is always within reach, then even better!

The Urtopia Carbon 1, with its carbon frame, is very light for an electric bike. That makes it fast to ride and easy to lift and manoeuvre. The bike’s onboard motor has five assistance levels (Off, Eco, Comfort, Sport and Turbo) and a range of up to 100km. It has a belt drive rather than a traditional chain, this component is extremely long-lasting.

Being a single-speed electric bike, the Carbon 1 isn’t suited to hillier cities or suburbs.

With the Chord and the Chord X, Urtopia has created a more traditional electric bike but with its own spin on aesthetics and design. Running a traditional derailleur gearing system and metal chain the Chord and Chord X perhaps have more versatility than the Carbon 1.

If you aren’t sure what type of electric bike to buy, then perhaps consider that question before you plump for an Urtopia.

Is Urtopia a Good Brand?

Urtopia is a decent brand that’s been around for a while. The Urtopia website is packed with helpful information. A wealth of supporting documents and videos aids customers both pre and post purchase.

Urtopia is like many bike brands that have sprung up in the past decade or so. Rather than selling via bike shops – a more traditional method, that despite its downsides does have its benefits – Urtopia has taken advantage of the world wide web and advances in technology to sell their wares direct from the website to your front door.

Being in the micro-mobility game, to coin an often-used phrase in the industry, Urtopia already has some green shoots of sustainability in its business model. To further this, Urtopia mentions carbon neutrality on its website, but we were unable to discern any specific action the brand has taken and that road.

Where Are Urtopia Bikes Made?

Urtopia electric bikes are made in China. China is known as a manufacturing powerhouse, a country with a highly connected supply chain and fast-paced logistics setup. In the world of electric bikes, China is a big player and for that reason, it’s perhaps no surprise that Urtopia has decided to manufacture its bikes in the country.

Does Urtopia Make E-Bikes?

Urtopia offers electric bikes and only e-bikes. It does not currently have any regular bikes in its lineup. This isn’t unusual for today when electric bikes are arguably more popular than manual bikes.

Urtopia Bikes Review

There are a few positive reviews of Urtopia bikes from experts and third-party websites. Many reviews of Urtopia bikes, like Pete’s review of the Carbon One, focus on their connected features and rightly so, the technology is pretty amazing.

A feature we particularly like is the non-glare LED screen. When used in conjunction with the navigation side of the accompanying app it makes riding somewhere unfamiliar easy and fuss-free. Plus, there’s no need to have a bulky phone mount on your handlebars or keep glancing at your phone as you ride along.

Try as we might we were unable to find any customer reviews for Urtopia bikes, whether that was for the original Carbon One e-bike or the newer Chord and Chord X. Whilst that might just be a web feature that Urtopia haven’t decided to add to their website it would be nice to see a few “real-world” stories of how Urtopia bikes really perform.

With the recent release of the Urtopia Chord and Urtopia Chord X, we’d imagine the brand will attract more reviews and feedback as riders spend more and more time in the saddle.

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