Cooper Bikes was based in 2009 by Mike Cooper, son of John Cooper, the person behind the Mini Cooper. Initially, the model targeted on traditional British metal highway bikes and concrete bikes, earlier than partnering with Germany’s TechniBike in 2017. This noticed it shift to creating electrical bikes.
As a racing firm, Cooper was all about reaching pace with light-weight simplicity and its new vary of ebikes comply with that mantra – with skinny strains and no clunkiness.
Neither the CG city bikes nor the CS drop-bar machines have heavy extra batteries.
As an alternative, Cooper has partnered with Italy’s Zehus, utilizing its neat Bike All-In-One hub system. This intelligent package deal consists of an outsized rear hub, which accommodates a planetary motor and a 173Wh battery.
This implies Cooper bikes haven’t any wiring, sensors or additional battery, leading to one of many cleanest-looking ebikes you’ll find.
Cooper CG-7E specs and particulars
One other distinction between the Cooper CG and plenty of different ebikes is that slightly than utilizing a standard management display screen, the Zehus hub makes use of its personal app known as Bitride, though you will get a pocket-sized distant as an aftermarket additional.
The app allows you to management the bike’s 4 modes – Bike (off), Eco, Turbo and Turbo Customized. The motor delivers 250 watts of energy and 40Nm of torque.
Most likely the cleverest a part of the system, nonetheless, is that it incorporates a KERS, or Kinetic Power Restoration System. Once you crest a hill and begin to descend, back-pedal and KERS works as a brake on the motor and on the identical time converts that vitality to electrical cost for the battery.
Don’t anticipate this to cost your battery to full whenever you bomb down your native hills, although, as a result of the battery takes three hours to cost from empty (by way of a neat port within the rear axle). That might imply a variety of descending.
Nonetheless, I did discover the ability stage on the app rose on each descent throughout my 30-mile/48km commute. This definitely helps to cut back vary anxiousness.
Zehus claims a variety of 25 miles/40km in Turbo mode and 37 miles/60km in Eco. In my mixed-mode rides, I managed 42 miles/67km with 1,563ft of climbing.
This could’t match the massive battery capability of mid-motor bikes, however for a self-contained hub unit I got here away impressed.
The Zehus Bitride app retains monitor of battery ranges and allows you to change modes simply with the swipe of a finger. I discovered the small, gentle gray font on a white background laborious to learn in shiny sunshine, although. A few of the icons are additionally fairly small and have gray outlines.
I preferred the ability ring across the present pace, which exhibits how a lot energy is getting used and turns blue whenever you’re back-pedalling/recharging the battery.
By holding the lock button on the app, you possibly can lock the motor when parking the bike. As a result of the bike is just paired to your telephone, this makes it ineffective to thieves.
Cooper CG-7E geometry
Cooper CG-7E trip impressions
The CG-7E feels stunning to trip. The thin-tubed metal body rides easily with that additional little bit of life you’d anticipate from metal, and the chromoly fork sweeps up vibrations.
The trip place is kind of sporty – it’s a reasonably lengthy driving place and the steep seat angle places you squarely over the cranks, so you possibly can profit from your human energy.
The motor is extra like a mild push within the again than the ability surge you get from Bosch or Shimano’s centre-mounted programs. That stated, crank the Cooper as much as full energy and its 40Nm of torque will enable you up and over stiff climbs with much less effort whereas sustaining a superb tempo.
I just like the CG-7E’s sporty dealing with. It’s correctly nippy, and best for reducing by way of visitors and weaving between static automobiles.
The high-volume tyres enable you to deal with towpaths and trails too, although you’d need to up the stress within the rear tyre past what you’d assume, due to the additional weight of the hub.
The Microshift seven-speed drivetrain affords sufficient vary for city and suburban commuting, and I used to be impressed by how effectively the system labored.
The straightforward thumb shifter is old-school mountain bike design, but it surely’s dependable, shifts shortly and effectively, and didn’t put a foot unsuitable throughout testing.
The brakes are a mixture of Tektro levers – with a beautiful and loud ding-dong bell constructed into the left-hand lever – and hybrid Juin Tech brake calipers. They impressed throughout testing.
The calipers are cable operated, however have a small self-contained hydraulic piston that controls the brake pads. They provide baggage of energy and loads of management.
The wheels use bolt-on hubs. They’re primary, however they’re safer than both a quick-release or thru-axle design and I’d see this as a plus on an electrical city commuter bike. The CG-7E does have a reasonably primary construct, but it surely’s all stuff that works and is sensible for the kind of bike it’s.
Cooper has, nonetheless, splashed out on the contact factors. The lock-on grips are very good, with a multi-textured rubber grip that’s snug and works effectively within the moist or dry.
The Brooks C17 Cambium saddle is an equally good selection, with its sporty form and vulcanised rubber high – traditional seems to be and really, very snug.
Cooper CG-7E backside line
General, I actually just like the Cooper. It’s a classy bike with little or no outward sign that it’s an ebike in any respect. The sporty trip fits skilled cyclists greater than informal commuters and the tools, whereas in probably the most half fairly primary, works effectively.
The body end is superb and classy additions such because the colour-coordinated mudguards and Brooks saddle give the CG-7E a extra premium look than the modest worth would recommend.