Torn over whether to get an e-bike or a traditional bicycle? A bike for the city, or more of an off-road ride? We know the feeling — and we're stoked to say that a new crowdfunded option holds the promise of making such dilemmas mute.
Meet Crow, an Meet Crow, an ultralight e-gravel bike that packs one very compelling bonus feature you might not expect: its 7.27-pound battery pack and motor are removable, allowing you to quickly transform your ride from electric to analog.
Even before you ditch the power, Crow has the looks of a pretty streamlined ride. A full-carbon frame and fork keeps the weight at a nimble 30.2 pounds including motor and battery, making it one of lightest e-gravel bikes around. The motor itself is the German-engineered Fazua Evation Drive system, a low-profile mid-mounted setup providing three levels of power assist and a 50-mile range.
Thanks to components from respected brands like Shimano and SRAM, Crow’s Madrid-based design team pledges this bike can hold its own on fire roads, dirt trails and even singletrack. The Ritchey gravel handlebar, beefy 700x38 tires and multiple mounting points for bikepacking gear in particular signal its intention to to be ridden far off the beaten path.
As part of its Indiegogo campaign, Crow is offering four trim levels: two less-expensive models with aluminum frames ($2,833+) and two higher-end versions with the aforementioned carbon frames ($3,578+). Other differences revolve around the quality of components like shifters, brakes and chains.
However, all four bikes include a feature that calls back to the versatility that captured our attention in the first place: when you remove the battery, you can replace it with a shell you can stuff with extra layers, tubes or snacks, as seen in the below screen grab from the promotional video.
The campaign is currently 75 percent funded, with 27 days to go. So get in there and help these folks make this dream a reality — we really want to ride this thing.
