While electric bikes have made our lives easier with electric assistance, it must be admitted that few have truly disrupted the field. This is a mission Urtopia has set itself, offering a modern, lightweight bike, but above all, one boosted by numerous electronic features: the Urtopia Carbon 1. This electric bike was first the subject of an Indiegogo fundraising campaign, which we talked about a few months ago. It is now available for sale to everyone. I had the opportunity to test it for a few weeks, to present it to you in more detail. Unboxing the Urtopia Carbon 1 The Urtopia Carbon 1 arrives in a large cardboard box. Of course, it's a bike! However, its weight is immediately lighter than other electric bikes I've already tested. We'll come back to this later. Inside, everything is very well wedged and packaged. Well, since this is a press copy, it's already passed through a few hands, and the packaging has been tinkered with to put everything back together. But that's a minor detail. It includes the bike frame, the screw-on pedals, the front wheel, all accompanied by instructions and, of course, the charger.The entire bike frame is perfectly protected for transport, including the connectors that go through the seat tube: Assembling the various components takes less than 10 minutes. Note that the small pouch attached to the frame contains all the tools needed for bike maintenance. And if you're a little lost, a video explains the complete assembly in the mobile app (as well as the bike's other functions).This isn't a “fat bike” like I usually like to test; instead, we have a more classic road bike with 27″ wheels, which nevertheless boasts a modern and sleek design thanks to a carbon fiber frame. This is actually the characteristic that allows it to be so light: the Urtopia Carbon 1 weighs only 15 kg, despite the presence of a battery and a motor. You generally have to count on double that for the other models tested. If you regularly have to carry the bike to your apartment, for example, this is a significant advantage!
The aerodynamic design, created by designer Mathis Heller, is rather attractive, with its lightning-shaped frame on the upper part and matte paint. This design also won a “Good Design Award” in 2022.
The down tube is thicker because it houses the battery, which is locked with a key:
One thing you'll notice right away: this bike doesn't have chainrings for gears, or even a chain: it uses a belt system called “Gates Carbon Belt Drive.”
A big advantage: no maintenance is required on this belt (the manufacturer claims a 30,000 km lifespan), and no risk of getting dirty with grease. This is the first bike I've seen equipped with this type of belt, and I must say it's quite pleasant to use.
As you can see, there are no chainrings for the gears: it's the motor, integrated into the crankset, that will add the electric assistance needed to increase speed.
Another surprising part of this bike: the entire handlebar section (which, by the way, isn't height-adjustable).
This is where we find several high-tech elements. First, a matrix display screen, the “Smartbar,” which will display information such as speed and distance traveled.
This part also includes two microphones and a 3W speaker, which will allow you to communicate vocally with the Urtopia Carbon 1, as it features a built-in voice assistant! Via a Bluetooth connection, you can also listen to music or receive voice notifications from your smartphone's GPS.
But that's not all, since on the right side is a fingerprint reader. This reader will allow you to start and unlock the bike by simply placing your thumb on it: no need for a key or entering a code. It's extremely convenient! Once the bike is started, a long press on this button activates the voice assistant.
On the left side is a directional control, allowing you to increase or decrease the speed through three levels, but also to indicate when you're turning left or right.
This Urtopia Carbon 1 doesn't have turn signals in the true sense of the word, but rather headlights that display a flashing arrow on the rear of the bike. These headlights are placed on either side of the rear light:
Regarding the headlights, there's one at the front, integrated directly into the handlebars. The front and rear lights are LED, of course, but can also turn on automatically in low light, like some cars!
Among the accessories, we note the presence of a kickstand, always practical:
And a bag attached to the frame to store small tools needed for maintenance:
Overall, we have a sleek, stylish, attractive, and well-made bike, which discreetly integrates high-tech elements. In fact, you wouldn't immediately guess that it's an electric bike.
But the possibilities of this bike are multiplied tenfold thanks to an associated mobile app.
The Urtopia mobile app
The Urtopia Carbon 1 is indeed presented as a connected bike. And this for several reasons.
First, it integrates a 4G eSIM chip and GPS: this bike is impossible to steal, you'll always know exactly where it is. Moreover, at the slightest movement, it can trigger a siren and send you a notification on your smartphone with its exact location.
Then, it's paired with a mobile app, which communicates with the Urtopia Carbon 1 via Bluetooth or 4G. To use it, you'll need to install the app and create an account.
An important step: you'll need to pair the bike with your account. Without this step, the bike is unusable (or just a regular bike, stripped of all electronics).
You can then access the bike's dashboard, displaying its battery and various possible controls. You can make the bike ring, trigger its alarm, lock it, or even turn on the headlights. Various options also allow you to register your fingerprint to unlock the bike, adjust the volume, and even customize the horn sounds or various actions (ignition, alarm, etc.). However, you'll have to make do with the available options; it's not possible to upload your own sounds. It's a shame, as I would have really liked to customize the horn; this may come via a future update, as the manufacturer is constantly improving its bike.
The bike also appears as a Bluetooth audio device on your smartphone: you can then pair it, for example, to listen to Spotify while riding, directly via the bike's built-in speaker.
Be careful, however, not to disturb those around you while riding… This feature, however, proves very useful during a hike, for example, to receive voice commands from the GPS on the bike, without needing to have it in view.
More practical, however, is that you can define a route in the Urtopia app. It will then display arrows directly on the Smartbar screen to indicate the direction to take.
The app naturally records all our rides, with maps and statistics on distance traveled, speed, calories burned, etc.
You can even find more detailed information on cadence, motor power, etc.
The app also incorporates a social aspect, where you can interact with the Urtopia community, compare your performances, and more.
Urtopia Carbon 1 in Use
The Urtopia Carbon 1 is an electric bike that's easy to get to grips with, once you've paired the bike and registered your fingerprint.
It's very pleasant to use: no gears to shift using chainrings; simply use the small directional pad to increase or decrease speed. It is then the motor integrated into the crankset that will add more or less electric assistance to ride more or less quickly with each pedal stroke that we give, thanks to the integrated torque sensor. Because yes, here no throttle, it is indeed an electrically assisted bicycle perfectly approved for our French roads: 250w motor, speed limited to 25km/h, and obligation to pedal to move forward.
The ride is very smooth, and doesn't suffer from jolts like some bikes where you feel the motor kick in abruptly at the first pedal stroke. The manufacturer hasn't focused on raw power here, but on smoothness. On the road, the Urtopia Carbon 1 is very pleasant to use, and it's a pleasure to ride effortlessly, even on wet ground. It reaches top speed fairly quickly, because with its reduced weight, the 250W motor has no trouble propelling it. On slightly bumpier paths, such as in the forest, the bike shows its limitations with its thin tires and 250W motor. And yes, we're on a road bike here, not a fat bike ;-) With no suspension, this type of path isn't very favorable for it, even if the saddle remains comfortable under normal conditions. https://youtu.be/JpdjEv_I5sw
An interesting safety feature: the Urtopia Carbon 1 has sensors on the rear that can detect approaching cars and alert us. This is the ARES system. If a car approaches within 10 meters of the bike, vibrations are felt in the handlebars, as well as a voice announcement. It's an interesting feature, but it must be admitted that at the speed a car is traveling, 10 meters for detection is a bit short to be able to react in time.
The projection of the turn signals onto the ground, on the other hand, is a very interesting feature. Of course, it's only effective at night. It remains to be seen whether vehicles really pay attention to these indications projected onto the ground…
An important detail: with the battery installed, the bike is never completely turned off, but remains on standby, particularly for its anti-theft security system. As a result, the battery tends to discharge even when the bike is not in use. You can then be surprised to find your bike half-discharged after several days without using it, which can be problematic when you decide to go for an impromptu ride.
Moreover, you should be careful about this: while the bike remains usable even without the battery, because you can still pedal, you lose many electronic features. And these are not insignificant, starting with gear management. Without chainrings, you'll end up with only one gear available on the bike, which can be restrictive if you have a long distance to cover. It's also impossible to use the headlights or horn, which are also all electronic.
I'll quickly go over the connected assistant function, as it only works in English and is quite limited. A few commands to adjust the audio volume, turn on the headlights, or activate a turn signal… nothing special when you're used to using a Google or Amazon Assistant. Also, voice recognition isn't great while riding, and with the ambient noise, it's easier to use the handlebar controls.
Conclusion
This Urtopia Carbon 1 is a big change from the bikes I usually test, which are often quite “rustic.” This one boasts a beautiful, sleek, and modern design, which I really like. Its carbon fiber frame makes it very light for an electric model, which can be very practical.
It innovates in many ways, such as its strap, its onboard computer, its onboard voice assistant, its projected turn signals, its rear vehicle detection, etc. This is a modern bike, incorporating today's technology. If Tesla had decided to make an electric bike, it would undoubtedly be very close! The app needs some development, as do some features, but the manufacturer regularly offers OTA (Over the Air) updates to keep it evolving, which is an important point, especially since Urtopia pays close attention to its community's feedback.
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