Belgian electric bike brand Cowboy is introducing social gaming in the latest update to its Connect software. The flagship game is called ‘Race’, and will allow Cowboy e-bike riders to compete against each other in a “safe cycling environment.”

The Connect system already includes things like anti-theft features and crash detection, but Cowboy is expanding it to include social gaming, with ‘Race’ being one of three in-ride games - an addition which “elevates the riding experience,” according to the brand.
 

Ready, set, race?

The idea of racing other e-bike riders might raise the odd eyebrow.

Cowboy says that they will only be available "when conditions are right" without giving too much information how this is detected. 

"Once in a safe cycling environment, like a park, riders can choose between the three games in the app," said a spokesperson.

"The games are designed with safety at the forefront, with intuitive gameplay that minimises distraction and built-in functionality that pauses them automatically when riders stop. If conditions are right, the app may suggest a game. Turning off the games can be easily done with one touch."

‘Race’ is the flagship game and it works by connecting riders with “similar profiles” in a 500-metre sprint competition. Riders can progress through different levels and track their progress on a leaderboard.

Another game, called ‘Burn’, challenges riders to hit a calorie burn target in a one-minute effort. This begins with a rather sedate 4 calorie goal on the first level, but by level 20 it intensifies to burning 23 calories.

‘Push’ is the final in-ride game, and challenges riders to keep their pedal power above threshold for 15 seconds to progress to the next level. There are 25 levels in total.

Tanguy Goretty, Co-Founder and CTO of Cowboy said: "Connectivity means shared intelligence, enabling us to have industry-leading safety features, such as Traffic Alerts and Crash Detection. Today is another first: Connecting our riders through a fun and exciting interactive Race game. We're incredibly excited about this first step into social gaming and the potential that it brings to Cowboy's riders.”

In addition to the social gaming, the Ride Dashboard within the app has been redesigned to showcase milestones, and theft alerts are now included as standard to all subscribed riders.