Cowboy e-bikes, now with built-in Google Maps

E-bike maker Cowboy has replaced the navigation tool used in its app with Google Maps, which should improve the riding experience for many.

The mapping software included in many e-bike companion apps is often lacking, and Cowboy’s app was no exception. “Improved map navigation was the most requested update from the Cowboy community,” Cowboy co-founder and CTO Tangi Goretti told me on the sidelines of Micromobility Europe in Amsterdam yesterday.

The app, according to Goretti, is heavily used by Cowboy owners, 45 percent of whom regularly mount their phones to the integrated wireless charging pad found on the company’s excellent 4 Series e-bikes. With this new integration, riders no longer have to switch between their Cowboy dashboard and the standalone Google Maps app.

The updated app – available to download now – displays features like speed, battery life and calories burned alongside the familiar Google Maps interface. Goretti says today’s release is just the first step in Cowboy’s relationship with Google, with a series of “industry-first features built with Google Maps” to be announced in the fall. And for what it’s worth, Goretti says Cowboy has overcome the initial quality issues his electric bikes suffered due to supply chain issues created by the COVID pandemic.

Cowboy likes to claim it’s building “the world’s most connected e-bike.” While this is good marketing, it’s also impossible to measure. However, the company has a good track record of providing owners with regular air upgrades. In March, it delivered the latest new feature called AdaptivePower, which aims to help riders tackle wind, hills and heavy loads more naturally.