Vintage Electric’s Café ebike blends classic ’50s design with 21st-century tech

By Kraig Becker Published July 11, 2017

In the increasingly competitive electric bike market, companies are finding new and unique ways of making their products stand out from the competition. For instance, a company called Vintage Electric took the unique approach of finding ways to seamlessly meld old-school styling with modern ebike technology to create a bike that doesn’t look like anything else on the road at the moment.

The company’s new Café model is a cruiser bike that at first glance looks like something that could have easily been found on city streets during the 1940s or ’50s. Available in Skyline Bronze or Golden Gate Red, the bike’s design includes sweeping features along the frame, classically shaped handlebars, and retro-looking fenders over both tires. If the team at Vintage Electric was hoping to generate a strong sense of nostalgia with this model, it succeeded completely in that mission.

Vintage Electric — Image used with permission by copyright holder

But upon closer inspection, the Café’s modern components become much more apparent as well. For example, the bike features a 750-watt electric drive system mounted on the frame and a small LED display connected to the handlebars. As with most ebikes, the drive automatically detects the amount of torque that is applied to the pedals and offers assistance to the rider as needed. There are five different levels of pedal assist available, each of which are controlled using a set of controls on the LED screen, which also doubles as a speedometer and odometer too.

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An onboard battery supplies the power necessary to keep the motor, LED display, and a built-in Supernova lighting system running. On a full charge, the bike has a range of up to 60 miles with a pedal-assist speed of as much as 28 miles per hour. Sticking with the theme, the battery also has a retro design that somehow manages to look both modern and vintage at the same time. The removable battery’s quick-charge capabilities even allow it to be completely topped off and ready to roll again in just two hours, which is surprisingly quick by ebike standards.

The Vintage Electric Café is available now in three different sizes. It comes with a two-year warranty and retails for $3,995.

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Kraig Becker is a freelance outdoor writer who loves to hike, camp, mountain bike, trail run, paddle, or just about any other…

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