Crow's Gravital Urbe E-Bike Has the Goods Needed To Take Over Your Urban Cycling Scene

It's been dubbed the Gravital Urbe SL 4, and it's Crow Bicycles' urban commuter machine powered by nothing more than a Fazua Ride 50 Trail. You may have heard the name Fazau lately, as Porsche has recently displayed interest in this game-changing drivetrain manufacturer and has even moved on to acquire the company. Yes, Fazua is now under the Porsche umbrella.

Drivetrain aside, however, let's look at the Urbe and see why and how it could change your everyday life. Overall, Crow is asking you to drop €4,000 ($4,070 at current exchange rates) on this trinket, and while some of that price is because of Fazua's Drive Pack, the rest remains to be explored; you can draw your conclusions after.

Now, whenever a bicycle or e-bike is built, it's designed for a particular type of terrain, and that's true for the Urbe too. Since the urban landscape is where this beast is meant to perform, you'll find a road geometry designed to dig into the road and propel you forward with the utmost force that this aluminum frame can yield.

Since no suspension is found on this EV, the tires, frame, and fork stiffness will be all that's helping reduce vibrations. If you want the smoothest ride, stick to good asphalt. Still, a pair of Schwalbe Kojak with 700x35 dimensions will keep a grip on the road.

As for the rest of this machine, it's mostly covered in Shimano components. Alivio shift lever, SM-RT10 brake rotors and MT201 brakes, and a 9-speed Alivio derailleur make up this puppy's inner workings. One component that Shimano didn't put their touch on is the cassette, which is a microShift Advent with 11-42T.

Finally, let's see where the rest of your cash goes to, that Fazua Drive Pack. If you're familiar with Fazua's work, you know that their system is being heralded as one of the most efficient and capable for bikes designed to keep both wheels planted on the ground at all times.

What sets this system apart from others on the market is how it all functions once you're out of a battery. Yes, the Fazua drivetrain is a mid-mounted motor system, but unlike traditional mid-mounted motors, this one will give you no resistance once the battery is drained. Just take the Drive Pack out, leave the BB (Bottom Bracket) in its place, and pedal on as though the Urbe is a classic road bike. This is in part due to the proprietary BB that Fazua designed.

Funny enough, Fazua builds two different Ride 50 Drive Packs, and the one mounted to the Urbe is the Trail. The name says it all, as this system is designed for off-road use. This means single tracks and/or gravel roads; throw on your favorite rubbers and get to riding outside the urban setting.

As for range on this system, it all depends on the road conditions you encounter during a ride. However, reports have surfaced where a Fazua battery can last up to 75 miles (121 kilometers) on the lowest power setting. And with all the gear you see on the Urbe, it only comes across weighing 15.7 kilograms (34.6 pounds).

Speaking or riding outside the norm, Crow also took the time to mount several features to the Urbe that extend its abilities further than your typical urban e-bike. You'll find fenders mounted to the frame, a cargo carrier over the rear wheel, and with some love and attention, you can add a cargo bag to the top tube, seat tube, and even handlebar. Bikepacking anyone?

At the end of the day, it sounds like crow has done the market research and put together an EV that can go a bit above and beyond your typical urban e-bike. I wonder what they have to offer at the other end of the price spectrum. Stick around to find out.