Bicycles

Vintage Electric turns up the retro charm with 2020 Cafe commuter

Vintage Electric turns up the retro charm with 2020 Cafe commuter
The 2020 Cafe commuter color schemes are named after northern California scenery
The 2020 Cafe commuter color schemes are named after northern California scenery
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The unashamedly retro 2020 Cafe commuter ebike in bronze
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The unashamedly retro 2020 Cafe commuter ebike in bronze
The 2020 Cafe commuter color schemes are named after northern California scenery
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The 2020 Cafe commuter color schemes are named after northern California scenery
Electric pedal-assist technologies means tackling hills with ease
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Electric pedal-assist technologies means tackling hills with ease
Five levels of pedal assist are on tap, for a per charge range of between 20 and 60 miles
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Five levels of pedal assist are on tap, for a per charge range of between 20 and 60 miles
The curvy frame is home to striking laser-etched wood inlays
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The curvy frame is home to striking laser-etched wood inlays
That central battery unit can be removed for charging at home or office
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That central battery unit can be removed for charging at home or office
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If you're on the hunt for a pedal-assist ebike with retro-cool charm, you'll likely already have stumbled across Vintage Electric. The new 2020 Cafe model brings some new tech to the party, including something called the 2020 Vintorque Drivetrain.

"The 2020 Cafe was not engineered in relation to other pedal assist bike," said company founder Andrew Davidge. "It was benchmarked against our powerful 3000-W throttle bike line. We wanted to ensure that all of our models could ride together in a class of their own."

The 2020 Cafe model features a curvy chromium-molybdenum alloy steel frame that boasts either maple or walnut laser-etched inlays, and sports a 750-watt hub motor with Vintorque will help you get to 28 mph (45 km/h) without breaking a sweat. That fancy-sounding drivetrain technology includes a Bluetooth-enabled controller that gels all of the components together and the company's "most finely attuned torque sensor ever" to deliver power precisely when it's needed.

Electric pedal-assist technologies means tackling hills with ease
Electric pedal-assist technologies means tackling hills with ease

Five levels of pedal assist are available via thumb throttle selection, and you can expect between 20 and 60 miles (32 - 96.5 km) of per charge range, depending on rider style. The 48-V/10.4-Ah battery sitting above the pedals in a mock combustion engine enclosure can be removed for charging in the home or office, or even in the cafe if there's a spare wall outlet you can use.

The handlebars are home to a ride display that show such things as battery status and speed, and there's an integrated headlight mount for the Supernova 6-V silver lamp too. The Cafe rides on 29-inch Aero double wall rims wrapped in Schwalbe Fat Frank tires, stopping power comes as Promax hydraulic brakes, with a 180-mm disc to the front and 160-mm to the rear, and a Vintage forged crankset and Shimano 10-speed derailleur and cassette complete the main specs.

The undeniably attractive 2020 Cafe ebike from Vintage is priced at US$3,995, and comes in red or bronze colors and small, medium and large size options.

Product page: 2020 Cafe

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3 comments
3 comments
Username
Electric bicycle need to come down in price. 4k for this when Citroen will sell an whole car(Ami) for 6k.
MichaelStevensonc2504af27a7c4b68
We made this machine in the 1980's. At times, it has been both electric and IC...Little bikes are great, and these look like really nice E-bikes!

https://www.cyclekarts.com/_MG_2238.jpg
fugumagoo
I feel the same about prices. I'd rather buy a used motorbike in this range than pay $4,000 for an electric bike (which can be stolen fairly easily in the US). Electric bikes in general need to be priced for the masses, not for the 1%.