This eye-catching Danish-designed commuter e-bike is as powerful as it is stylish
Two-minute review
The Mate City is a new revision of Mate Bike's original electric bike, which first launched in 2016. Its powerful 36V, 250W battery, which once charged can do 50 miles, is great for commuting or nipping about your local area. We found the five-level power assist particularly appealing as we flew up hills and got up to a speed of around 20mph on flatter roads, cutting our commuting time down considerably.
The Danish design, with clean lines, gives it a unique look, and our pink version definitely had heads turning. The LCD display was simple to use, with control buttons by its side, and the non-grip handlebars gave it a steady feel.
However, if you want a light bike that you can fold up easily and take up stairs, this isn’t it. It’s weight, at nearly 50lb, is distinctly hefty for a commuter bike and the main frame was difficult for one person to fold up.
If you’re looking for a powerful bike which will get you attention and don’t mind investing a little extra then the Mate City is perfect for you – but it’s not a great model for limited storage or if you were hoping for a light commuter bike.
Price and release date
The Mate City electric bike was first released in 2016, and the updated model here was released in 2021. Prices start at $999 / £1,299 (about AU$1,300). It's available direct from Mate Bike, and from various third-party retailers.
Design
Mate Bike is a Copenhagen-based startup, which was founded in 2016 by siblings Christian Adel Michael and Julie Kronstrøm Carton, to help traffic congestion and climate change. That Danish heritage can be seen in the design of the Mate City, with its clean, sleek finish.
The brand is popular with celebrities, and we can see why; our review model's bright pink frame (also available in three other colours) attracted a lot of attention as we rode it through London – and we loved standing out from the crowd. The frame is made from aluminium alloy, which although looks light, isn’t when you are trying to carry it up and down stairs – while overall the bike weighs in at nearly 50lb.
The Mate City is a foldable bike, it took a few attempts to get the swing of it, due to its weight. The handlebars were easy to fold down, with simply a lever twist, but the same can’t be said about the main part of the bike. To begin with it took two of us to fold and unfold, with the clip to clasp it together a little sticky. If you're hoping to commute with this bike and you lack arm strength, you’ll find it tough to fold and carry. Once folded it’s also relatively big, so you’ll need room to store it.
