Vanpowers Continues Their E-Bike Domination With the New UrbanCross: An Any-Road Machine

Folks, if the name Vanpowers sounds familiar to you, it might be because we've tested this crew's machines ever since their humble beginning: Vanpowers, hence the name, started off with one man selling e-bikes out of his van, and in just a few years, this brand has grown into a worldwide presence. It's possible you remember their City Vanture, Manidae, and Urban Glide.

Well, this time, Vanpowers has done it again, standing up to pre-established cycling giants and breaking down the notion that you need a ton of cash just to own an e-bike. While a price for the UrbanCross hasn't yet been revealed, Vanpowers has always aimed to place its machines in as many hands as possible, and they've achieved this in the past by always keeping their machines below the $2,000 line. I have my fingers crossed for this to be true here, too. So, what can we look forward to this upcoming year? Well, that's precisely what we're here for.

Now, keep in mind that the UrbanCross is the sort of e-bike designed to go the distance, literally, all the while being suitable for an array of terrains. I'm not just talking about your average asphalt, either, but the UrbanCross, hence its name, allows you to cross over to other landscapes, too, like gravel roads and even some light single-tracks.

All this starts off with nothing more than an aluminum frame, ensuring that this puppy is light and durable enough to be loaded up to the brim with cargo-carrying options. Yet, my favorite aspect, and one that shows that Vanpowers is putting in the R&D to design their machines, is that rear triangle and how the seat stays attach to the seat tube, nice and low.

You may have spotted this sort of geometry on top-of-the-line gravel and road bikes, and it's all present here. Toward the front of the bike, the main triangle takes shape with a hunched-back top tube, a feature present on cyclocross bikes.

This frees up space so you don't rack the family jewels but also exposes the seat tube more, hence giving a softer ride: it may not look like it, but when you ride a bike, the seat tube does take up some of the hits the road throws at you. With the proper design, this feature brings more comfort. If we ever get to test the UrbanCross, we'll let you know if Vanpowers designed a comfortable two-wheeler; the folks at this year's CES seem to think so.

More comfort is brought forth by the wheels and tire size Vanpowers chose for the UrbanCross. When I tested the City Vanture, a bike designed for nothing more than urban use, the only aspect I might have changed was the tire size. Well, it seems that the manufacturer knew this because they've answered our dreams with 45 mm cross-section tires, providing a plusher ride than your average rubbers, but also unlocking terrains the likes of gravel, dirt, grassy fields, and even those light mountain trials.

Now, what surprised me is the fact that this bike's spec sheet flashes the words 'carbon fiber,' and this is because the UrbanCross features a carbon fiber fork, helping reduce even more the vibrations you take up with the front wheel. Best of all, cargo mounts are integrated into it, so feel free to transform this machine into a gear mule, letting you ride to the edge of town on Saturday, camping out, and coming home on Sunday. Be sure to check out the image gallery to see just how much gear you can load up.

Lucky for us, our experience will be supported by nothing more than a motor and battery. After all, it's an e-bike. For the UrbanCross, Vanpowers chose to throw on a 250 W motor that can spit out a peak of 40 Nm (29.5 lb-ft) of torque. Sure, it's not the beefiest hub motor the industry spits out, but there's a reason for that.

Such bikes are designed to go the distance, and you can't do that with a heavy bike, and the bigger the motor, the heavier a bike tends to be. With a bit of e-bike training, you'll understand when and where to use that extra electric kick. Oh, that motor will only assist you up to 20 mph (32 kph), so anything beyond that is all you and what you had for breakfast.

A smaller and less hungry motor also means that manufacturers can aim to use smaller batteries, once again keeping weight down to a minimum. With a 345 Wh battery integrated into the down tube, the UrbanCross sports a weight of just 39 lbs and can assist you for up to 60 miles (96.5 km). Need more range? Look into that extender when these babies finally go on sale.

As for a few other modern gimmicks, I've always loved the level of integration this manufacturer offers, and for the UrbanCross, the display is integrated right into the headset cap. The stem and handlebar are shaped as one fluid piece, too, also from good old carbon fiber.

Now, depending on the UrbanCross version you ultimately choose - there are two, the Ultra and Pro - you'll be awarded with either a Shimano GRX drivetrain and braking system or Shimano Cues, the latter being one of Shimano's newest budget-friendly options.

Oh, and if you think someone's going to get away with stealing your UrbanCross, they're going to be one hell of a tech-savvy person; Vanpowers loaded this baby to the brim with anti-theft features, including a motor lock that seizes up when the bike is not in use, GPS tracking, and several others.

All that's left to do now is keep your eyes peeled on the news for when these babies hit preorders and get from there. As for myself, if the UrbanCross is remotely as good as the Vanpowers machines we've met, then we could very well be witnessing the rise of a new cycling power on the scene. Actually, they already are, and that's saying something about how this crew rolls.