Cooper Bikes, the bicycle division of the Cooper Car Company, which makes the electric Mini, has unveiled four new e-bikes with claims of unlimited range and regenerative braking.
a statement in elegance and technological innovation.
The four new models include the CG-7E “Classic Gents”, the CL-7E “Classic Ladies”, the CR-7E “Classic Randonneur”, and the CS-IE “Classic Singlespeed” and are a statement in elegance and technological innovation.
Ranging in price from €2,399 to €2,799, or between $A3,500 and $A4,100, converted, the four bikes are said to boast unlimited range thanks to their ability to recharge while cycling.
It’s worth noting that, to do this, pedalling resistance is increased, so most people may simply prefer to plug the bike into a wall outlet instead.
Each of the four bikes is fitted out with top-of-the-line bicycle tech along with a Cooper Steelframe, a Zehus Bike Gen2 All-In-One motor outputting power of 250 watts and 40Nm of torque, and a motor integrated 173Wh battery.
Devoid of a display thanks to a smartphone app, there are three types of bikes – two classic seven-speed mountain bikes, one for men and one for women, a fixed (“fixie”) single-speed, and a drop handlebar “Randonneur” (translated basically as “hiker”).
The CS-IE single speed will be popular among inner-city cyclists in gentrified suburbs who think that riding a bike in tweed is the way to go, whereas the casual rider looking to travel between home, work or study will love the Classic Gents and Classic Ladies bikes.
Personally, it’s the CR-7E that looks the most attractive, with its dropbar handles and old-fashioned frame styling. It really is, as Cooper Bikes explains, “your ideal companion for long and short trips away from the city.”
Fitted with an electric immobiliser, the bikes are delivered directly to your door and are limited to a top speed of 25km/h, the maximum European legal speed for electric bikes, the same as it is here in Australia.
It is unclear, however, if the British-based Cooper Bikes will be shipping its new e-bikes internationally, as their website does not clarify one way or the other.
Joshua S. Hill is a Melbourne-based journalist who has been writing about climate change, clean technology, and electric vehicles for over 15 years. He has been reporting on electric vehicles and clean technologies for Renew Economy and The Driven since 2012. His preferred mode of transport is his feet.