Bird Bike: Better Buying Than Renting?

Renting a bicycle or an e-scooter? These days it’s possible almost everywhere. And therein lies the problem. At least for some rental providers. The market is not infinitely large and the competition is numerous. Little wonder, then, that the US manufacturer Bird is now launching its own ebike in Europe. Perhaps this is the first step towards establishing a second string to its bow.

Economically, this could be a very clever decision. When it comes to the name of its pedelec, however, Bird has not necessarily outdone itself in terms of creativity. Bird Bike. Okay. On the other hand, we don’t encounter anything absolutely unique here. This falls more into the category of simple and solid. For the very critical among you, perhaps even under the category “copied”. With the massive horizontal top tube, whose ends seem to have been taken a little too long and extend beyond the head tube as well as the seat tube, Vanmoof is already trying to set stylistic accents.

Better than Vanmoof

In fact, this is not the only parallel between the two manufacturers. Both Bird and Vanmoof offer a frame according to the “one size fits all” principle. However, Bird has something ahead of its prominent competitor. There are two versions of the aluminium frame. The regular frame for the gents model is called the A-frame. The one with the lower entry is called, no, not the B-frame, but the V-frame.

The Bird Bike is available as a model with a regular frame and as a low-step model.

According to Bird’s assessment, this should fit people with a body height of 173 centimetres up to a maximum of 190 centimetres. Sounds like a realistic specification to us. It is not uncommon for manufacturers to bring quite a large range into play here in order to appeal to as broad a target group as possible. Once again, Vanmoof comes to mind as an example. With a geometry comparable to the Bird Bike and no additional options for adjusting the seating position, they talk about 170 centimetres to 210 centimetres.

Urban is the trump card

In line with its fleet of rental bikes, Bird introduces an ebike for regular street riding. It rolls along on 28-inch wheels with mudguards. A rudimentary Shimano derailleur with seven gears is fitted, along with a chain guard. Bikers in whose countries the bike may be ridden with a 500-watt motor can enjoy a belt drive. However, Bird then combines this with a singlespeed. In both cases, there are also rather simple hydraulic disc brakes from Tektro.

Bird takes the same approach to the headlights as Vanmoof. The front and rear lights protrude from the ends of the top tube. A skilfully integrated solution, where the LED lights are well protected and difficult to steal. The disadvantage is always the predefined setting of the angle at which the light shines, which is not to everyone’s liking, especially with the front headlight.

Intuitive and easy to handle

For the versions of the bike intended for Europe, Bird uses a motor from the Chinese manufacturer Bafang. It is located in the rear wheel hub and generates the permitted 250 watts. The battery is a removable model that can be found in the down tube. Its capacity of 346 watt hours supports you for distances between 60 and 100 kilometres. Provided you ride permanently in eco mode. The company does not specify how many additional support levels the Bird Bike provides.

A display with an LCD screen is fully integrated into the stem. You can check essential information such as the current speed, the distance covered, the selected assistance level and the remaining battery capacity. The display does not seem to be operated by touch. This is indicated by a control unit on the left side of the handlebars. Three buttons are visible: an on/off button, a plus button and a minus button. Bird remains true to its purist approach here.

Overall, the cockpit appears very clean.

Off to the shops

By the way, the Bird Bike will not be sold in Germany directly by the manufacturer. The Dutch company Popal Mobility Group (PMG) has secured exclusive distribution rights. In addition to Germany, PMG is also in charge of distribution in the Netherlands in Belgium and Luxembourg as well.

According to PMG, you can buy the Bird Bike in stationary specialist shops. This applies to the model with the A-frame as of now. The low-step model is to be launched on the market in spring. At least you have a few colour options. The diamond frame is available in black, blue and grey. The trapezoidal frame will probably be available in a white and a grey model. A third colour may be added. The price for the Bird Bike is 1,999 euros.

Background: Stock market giant meets family business

Bird is based in Santa Monica, California, in the USA. Economic experts put the value of the company, founded in 2017, at more than two billion euros. The operator of rental fleets and manufacturer of e-scooters has been listed on the New York Stock Exchange since November last year.

Bird’s partner in Europe, Popal Mobility Group (PMG), has been active in the bike market since 1998 and is led by brothers Daniël and Aryan Popal. In addition to Bird, PMG distributes its own Popal brand as well as Keewee, Cangoo, Supersuper and BSP.

Pictures: Bird Rides Inc.