Hit the road with a Cowboy expert

For many Cowboy riders, their first spin is what hooks them on the bike. And that often happens on a test ride, before they even own one. Test rides are done through a network of experienced Cowboy riders in major cities across Europe, and they're ready to get you on your first ride.

Whether you want an e-bike for work commutes, weekend outings, or just an easy way to get around town, starting off with the right bike makes all the difference. Each test rider is a local Cowboy expert, so they're passionate about Cowboy bikes and ready to help you make the most of the experience. They want you to feel confident about your purchase before you make it.

Your test rider cycles directly to you on the Cowboy model you're interested in, at a convenient time chosen by you. And after orienting you to the bike, they turn you loose – you can take a spin around the block, or ride all around town. You can ask as many questions as you'd like, and they'll even walk you through making your purchase on the spot if you're ready. Each 30-minute appointment is a mini master class in owning, riding and enjoying a Cowboy.

Test riders' road experience prepares them well for describing what makes a Cowboy special. Before you hop on for your own ride, they'll explain how the motor is the brain of a Cowboy bike, delivering power exactly when it senses you need it. They'll demonstrate the removable battery, an iconic design feature that's as convenient as it gets when you need to recharge. And they'll walk you through the Cowboy app, which is the interface into the complete connected experience Cowboy is known for.

The app pairs with the bike to be your full-service companion on the road. It integrates with the bike cockpit so it's front and center, ready to provide things like at-a-glance navigation instructions, reports on the weather ahead, and updates on your battery life. But it also tracks all of your cycling stats, records calories burned, and more, for easy reference later.

“All kinds of people sign up for test rides, but they're usually already invested in the bike – they've done their research,” says Kevin Ma, a Cowboy test rider in Amsterdam. “They're usually ready to order, but they want confirmation – they have questions.”

Ma says a test ride is the best way to learn about an e-bike because that's the only way to get the “ride feeling” that Cowboy is known for. In the past, he says, e-bikes were just bikes with a motor underneath, and riding them felt like the bike was taking over. Cowboy bikes deliver power based on the amount of pressure you're applying to the pedal, so it's always exactly the amount you need.

“Today, it feels like an extension of what you're doing,” he says. “You're still biking, so it's healthy, but you can go longer distances without getting all tired. Like in Amsterdam, there's a lot of wind, but it's not a big deal with a Cowboy.”

Ma describes the Cowboy riding experience well. Because Cowboy features AdaptivePower, your bike is in tune with your surroundings and senses everything affecting your ride – from changes in road incline, to the weight of whatever you're carrying with you, to environmental conditions like increased headwinds. When you meet resistance, the bike instantly and precisely adapts its power delivery. You're the one making the bike move, but with a steady source of power that lets you move in a state of uninterrupted flow. No power lags, no surges, just a smooth journey from start to finish. You'll get to feel all of this on your test ride.

The one-on-one aspect of a test ride offers advantages, too. It's just you and the test rider having an easy, undistracted conversation where you can really understand what a Cowboy bike is all about. Ma says it's satisfying for him, too, because he can listen properly and take the time to answer questions fully.

Surprisingly, Ma says he wasn't a bike fan before Cowboy. Instead, he would get around by car. But his brother was one of the first sales reps in Amsterdam, and on a test ride Ma realized what he'd been missing. “I thought, wow, this is completely different, so refreshing. I'd never felt anything like that – it was freedom.” It seems that test rides can have that effect on anyone. Ma says one of his most memorable customers was a 72-year-old man who ended up buying a Cowboy for his wife, too.

Test rides also offer a behind-the-scenes benefit that helps make Cowboy such a popular bike. As they go to and from appointments with customers every day, test riders give Cowboy feedback about their own experience with the bikes. So every day, dozens of professional bike testers are out on the road, assessing how their Cowboy responds to different conditions and situations. If they discover issues or see ways to improve the bike, they let Cowboy engineers know. So every test ride helps a customer with a purchase decision, and helps Cowboy ensure that every one of their bikes is the best you'll ever ride.

The demand for test rides is high, not surprisingly, and test riders stay busy. Ma does up to 200 test rides in a month and rode 10,000km in his first year as a test rider. “I have ten test rides tomorrow,” he says. “Usually after that many I'd be really tired, but not with Cowboy.”

It shouldn't be a surprise that the most advanced e-bike is ready with the most knowledgeable salespeople and a program to get people excited about what a Cowboy can do for them. It's a great way to get every Cowboy rider off to a perfect start – let them hop on and feel it for themselves.

If you're curious about Cowboy and want to try it for yourself, booking a test ride is easy. Today they're available in 65 cities. Just go to the Cowboy website, click on “Book a test ride”, and select a day and time that work for you.