Design Story | One of a Kind

"Designing an e-bike isn't a complex task," says Mathis Heller, the mastermind behind the Carbon Series. But don’t mistake this for simplicity—Heller’s point is that the e-bike market is saturated with models that merely reassemble existing parts, leading to a lack of originality.

Meet Mathis Heller
If you’re unfamiliar with Mathis Heller, let us introduce you to this design maestro. With over 30 years of experience, Heller is a former BMW designer who has worked with industry giants like Siemens. Based in Amsterdam, his independent studio is renowned for blending cutting-edge technology with innovative design. His work has earned numerous international accolades, including the prestigious Red Dot Design Award’s "Best of the Best" and multiple iF Product Design Awards.

Achievements:

• Red Dot Award 2009 Best of Best

• Red Dot Design Award 2011

• iF Product Design Award 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 (Gold), 2012, 2017, 2018

The Birth of the Carbon Series
The Carbon Series was born from a desire to address two common e-bike issues: unattractive designs and excessive weight. Heller took inspiration from the elegant Mobius loop, creating a sleek, modern frame by eliminating the central tube. This bold move not only reduced weight but also gave the bike a sharp, distinctive silhouette.

To tackle the weight issue, carbon fiber was the obvious choice. This high-performance material, used in aerospace engineering, provided the perfect balance of strength and lightness. It also ensured durability and corrosion resistance, extending the bike’s lifespan.

The entire bike—handlebars, seatpost, and fork—was crafted from carbon fiber, resulting in the birth of the Carbon 1, Urtopia’s first e-bike.

Standing Out at CES and Winning the CES 2024 Reviewed Award
The Carbon 1’s unique design quickly gained market trust, topping Indiegogo’s e-bike sales within a month of its release. It also earned prestigious awards like the G Mark, solidifying its place as a standout in the industry.

But the Urtopia team didn’t stop there. Over two years, they gathered user feedback, enhanced IoT capabilities, and welcomed new talent. Heller was confident they could make the Carbon 1 even better.

"Design is like a puzzle. Every piece must fit perfectly to create a satisfying picture."
With this mindset, the Carbon 1 Pro was born.

"Skillful, Playful, Powerful, Graceful"
The Carbon 1 Pro evolved from a city e-bike to a gravel e-bike, capable of tackling diverse terrains. Heller proposed four key optimization concepts:

1. Skillful: Structural enhancements, including an adjusted crossbar angle for better load-bearing and increased adjustability for seat posts and handlebars. The frame’s sharper angles and upgraded Toray™ Carbon Fiber improved stability, aerodynamics, and damping performance. Despite these upgrades, the bike weighs just 17kg—50% lighter than average gravel e-bikes.

2. Playful: Enhanced adaptability with versatile accessory mounting points, wider tires for gravel and off-road terrain, and a bottom-mounted battery to prevent water damage. The Carbon 1 Pro is a DIY enthusiast’s dream, offering endless customization options.

3. Powerful: With an 8-speed Shimano gear system, a custom motor, and a torque sensor with intelligent algorithms, the Carbon 1 Pro delivers 26% more torque and 30% more range, achieving up to 80 miles on a single charge.

4. Graceful: A refined minimalist design with a sharper, angular frame and a carefully chosen matte finish that highlights the carbon fiber’s texture. The result is a bike that exudes quality and sophistication.

Structural Enhancements: Skillful Design
The Carbon 1 Pro’s structural upgrades are all about enhancing its skillfulness. By adjusting the crossbar angle, we’ve improved the bike’s load-bearing capacity, allowing for greater seat post adjustability and handlebar height customization with spacers. These changes make the Carbon 1 Pro adaptable to a wider range of rider heights and styles.

The bike’s sleek lines have been refined with sharper angles, giving it a more dynamic profile and a heightened sense of speed. While we’ve retained carbon fiber as the core material, we’ve upgraded to high-performance Toray™ Carbon Fiber, renowned for its use in racing. This ensures superior stability, resilience, and overall quality.

The progressive frame geometry ensures even force distribution, resulting in improved stability, enhanced aerodynamics, and better damping performance. After rigorous testing, we achieved a 15% boost in stability and a 20% increase in aerodynamic efficiency. Despite these advancements, the bike weighs just 17kg—50% lighter than the average gravel e-bike. Lightweight design remains a defining feature of the Carbon 1 Pro.

"Carbon 1 Pro is Born to Be Playful!"
We’ve enhanced the Carbon 1 Pro’s adaptability, making it the perfect companion for adventures on any terrain. Versatile accessory mounting points maximize carrying capacity, allowing you to customize your ride with a new saddle, larger tires, or even a suspension fork.

The wide tires are designed for both gravel and off-road terrain, ensuring comfort and control no matter where you ride. With the battery now positioned under the bike, water damage is no longer a concern. The Carbon 1 Pro is a canvas for customization, offering endless possibilities for DIY enthusiasts. Visually, the frame is designed to remain uncluttered, even with added accessories, ensuring a clean and stylish look.

Longer Range, More Speed: A Powerful Ride
It’s hard to believe that such an agile and lightweight e-bike can achieve up to 80 miles of range. This feat was made possible by the Urtopia team’s relentless efforts, including the integration of an 8-speed Shimano gear system, a custom motor, and a torque sensor with intelligent algorithms. These innovations ensure maximum efficiency and energy savings, delivering 26% more torque and 30% more range.

"Let the Frame Speak for Itself"
We’ve refined the frame’s graphic design, giving it a sharper, more angular appearance. For the paint job, we embraced simplicity and purity, testing countless shades of gray and black to find the perfect tone that highlights the carbon fiber’s texture and exudes quality. Achieving this minimalist look wasn’t easy—we meticulously tested the color in various lighting conditions to ensure it looked just right. The result is a graceful matte finish that lets the frame’s design shine.

Carbon 1 Pro - One and Only
The journey to perfecting the Carbon 1 Pro wasn’t without challenges. Staying true to Mathis Heller’s design philosophy, the Urtopia team dedicated immense effort to refining every detail. Each frame adjustment underwent rigorous mechanical and load testing, with fine-tuning to improve strength and adjustability.

We replaced the handlebars with Urtopia’s self-developed smart box, which offers better data signals, extended battery life, and user-friendly installation. Every component was tested to ensure a failure rate of less than one in ten thousand, making after-sales maintenance more cost-effective and hassle-free.

In line with our commitment to sustainability, we use recyclable packaging and revised the design three times to enhance the unboxing experience. Even with superior carbon fiber materials, we conducted at least three days of mechanical testing to guarantee reliability under weight.

After two years of development, the Carbon 1 Pro has finally entered mass production. For the Urtopia team, this isn’t just about adding “Pro” to the Carbon Series—it’s about creating a product that’s close to perfection. We’re proud to present the Carbon 1 Pro as the pinnacle of the Carbon Series: One and Only.