AdaptivePower Overview
AdaptivePower is the newest innovation in e-bike technology. It enables our bikes to be the first e-bikes to think for themselves, adapting to changes in your riding conditions. AdaptivePower is a software capable of detecting changes in elements such as headwind, slope inclination, and additional weight on the bike. With this information, the software then modulates the amount of power needed to keep you in the flow and at the same speed, elevating your performance.
AdaptivePower is available from the firmware version 4.17.0 onwards, with the Performance Power Pack (or on Cross/Cross ST models by default).
How It Works
With AdaptivePower, we can capture and model a series of data points starting from the sensors embedded in the bike, and understand the context in which the rider is cycling.
Every time that the conditions around the rider change, AdaptivePower models the impact of the elements and calculates the amount of power needed to overcome them.
AdaptivePower takes into account a variety of changing conditions when determining the power needed for a ride. It detects elements such as gravity, wind, weight, speed, pedalling cadence and power to make sure our riders are getting the assistance they need.
Leveraging 50 million kilometers of ride data since the first edition, this industry's leading technology now makes 20 calculations per second to deliver the smoothest ride feeling and make even steeper hills feel flat.
Since the update to AdaptivePower2.0 in July 2024, for no extra effort, AdaptivePower2.0 now takes riders up 50% steeper hills and saves 10% battery power on flat roads, compared to its predecessor.
Conditions of Resistance
We have conducted field research to determine the most significant conditions that impact your cycling experience so that we can develop our motor to best support you.
a) Headwind
Headwinds can be a frustrating and energy-sapping enemy of cyclists. To reduce the hassle of headwinds, we model the resistance created by the wind and adjust the motor power accordingly.
b) Slope inclination (Gravity)
Slope inclinations pose their own unique challenges and require a cyclist to use much more energy than on normal terrain. Our motor adjusts the power consumption according to the slope inclination (% grade), for a feeling of always riding on flat ground.
c) Weight (human, carried, or both)
The weight of the cyclist and any additional weight they are carrying will naturally impact how easy or difficult the ride is. Our motor takes into account the mass the bike is carrying and adjusts the motor power accordingly.
What’s New?
Up to now, our solution was able to detect changes in cycling speed and human pedaling power during the ride. It was always in our roadmap to improve how we use data to better contextualize each ride. With AdaptivePower, we went another step further in our ride feeling mission, and now model a series of data points starting from the sensors embedded in the bike, and understand the context in which the rider is cycling. The main benefit of AdaptivePower is energy and time savings for riders. The AdaptivePower technology ensures that as soon as the rider encounters a slope or strong headwind, the motor provides extra power precisely when needed to maintain speed, making even steep inclines feel flat. Additionally, the bike detects extra weight, such as groceries or a small child, making it easier to tackle hills and headwinds, ultimately saving precious time and energy on commutes.
Cowboy AdaptivePower 2.0
AdaptivePower 2.0 will now take riders up 50% steeper hills and save 10% battery power on flat roads compared to its predecessor.
You are now be able to visualise in your Ride Dashboard when AdaptivePower gives you an extra boost as soon as you hit resistance equivalent to a slope of 2.5%. This is valuable for both Adaptive and Eco power modes.
Battery Efficiency
AdaptivePower gives you the right power at the right time, so the battery power used will be higher on hills, leading to a slightly higher battery consumption, but thanks to the latest update, you will also save 10% battery power when riding on flat roads. The impact on battery will therefore be minimal with a mix of hills and flat roads.
Battery range can however vary depending on riding conditions, and will range from 40-80km. Different factors contributing to this range include outside temperature, the rider’s weight and load carried, the riding style (fast vs slow), the riding type (e.g. hitting a lot of start and stop with traffic lights) and landscape type (hilly vs flat).
Also feel free to check out our Battery Autonomy FAQ here for more information.
As part of AdaptivePower, we are introducing a power saving setting (Eco power) that can be managed via the app. While the power output is still controlled by AdaptivePower technology, this setting helps to increase battery range by an average of +25%. Its purpose is to help extend the remaining range.
Model Availability
At Cowboy, we are constantly innovating and striving to keep our products at the pinnacle of quality. This means that we don’t wait for our latest releases to provide updates to our existing products. We will always aim at improving the experience for all the Cowboy bikes that are already on the road.
Other generations may follow, although we currently don't have any concrete timeframe to share. Feel free to subscribe to our newsletter for further updates.
Eco Power Mode
The aim of the Eco Power option is to extend your battery range and to allow you to do a harder workout. You can change your motor assistance setting by unlocking your bike and clicking on the assistance button at the bottom of your screen. Your expected battery range will adapt accordingly.