One neat thing about the display is that it doubles as anti-theft security. It’s spring-loaded in place, and if you pop it off, you disable the assist, though the bike can still be pedaled. The display is very compact, so it’s easy to just slip into your pocket while you go shopping. And while it’s relatively easy to cruise down a flat, quiet street without the assist, you’ll probably find any Family that was stolen while the display was removed abandoned at the foot of the nearest hill.
John TImmer
The most annoying feature of the bike: Every time you start it up, it reminds you to bike safely, a warning you have to dismiss manually.
John TImmer
JOHN TIMMER
After the alert has been dismissed, there are many screens showing basic stats.
JOHN TIMMER
John Timmer
So many screens.
John Timmer
After the alert has been dismissed, there are many screens showing basic stats.
JOHN TIMMER
So many screens.
John Timmer
If you plan a route on the phone app, it can be displayed here, too. Since I already knew how to get to the grocery store, I didn’t find much use for this.
In fact, the bike has at least three ways to keep others from using it. Besides the ‘removing the screen’ option, another is the ability to sign up for a Bosch software service that will disable the electronics unless they’re close enough to your cell phone to communicate with it. And a hardware lock from ABUS is built into the frame at the rear wheel. The lock is set up so the key resides in it whenever the lock is open—there are no worries about leaving the house without your lock or its key. When you lock the bike at your destination, the key pops out nicely. The only worry is that, should you choose not to lock your bike somewhere, some joker could come along and lock it, take your battery, and walk away with the key.
The key also serves to release the battery from the frame. As with the battery on the Trek cargo bike we reviewed, this battery comes with an integrated handle that makes it simple to carry to your charger. Many cargo bikes can also be charged by plugging directly into the bike, but Urban Arrow, probably figuring it would be tough to maneuver near an outlet, omitted that option.
That battery is a bit small compared to a lot of the competition, at 500 Watt-hours. But you won’t want to travel for long distances on this bike, so it’s probably appropriately sized. While you may find yourself charging it more often than you might expect, you’re not really at risk of running the battery flat while running errands around town unless you start a trip with the battery at well under half capacity.