Urtopia Carbon Fusion Pro: Lightweight fiber road and trail champ

Urtopia is known for its elegant carbon fiber e-bikes with advanced technology. The latest model maintains the build with a more traditional riding experience.

Hyperdrive Hits

• 4/5 Medals of Yavin: Highly recommended for commuters and single track riders

• Lightweight smooth carbon fiber frame, 8-speed chain transmission, four levels of assist, and long range

• Large tires and front shocks fit for tame single track trail rides

• Focused on the materials and traditional bike elements rather than flashy intelligent functions

The last time I tried out an e-bike from Urtopia, it was the Carbon 1 that was the company’s launch bike. It was thrilling to ride with a light carbon fiber frame, sleek wheels, a Gates Carbon belt drive, a comfortable seat, and a technologically advanced “smart bar” that included a thumbprint scanner and integrated display. That bike also had an integrated modem so that you could track it and use it to track your rides for a reasonable $39 annual fee.

While Urtopia still has a smart bike model with ChatGPT integration, it decided to try to reach a broader audience with more traditional functioning bikes that are still built with carbon fiber material. For the past few weeks I have been riding the latest model, the Urtopia Carbon Fusion Pro, and I have enjoyed it for commuting and trail riding for several reasons.

I saw the Carbon Fusion GT, not to be confused with this new Carbon Fusion Pro, at CES in 2024 and that bike focused on AI elements and other advanced features in a rather unique U shaped carbon fiber frame design. The new Urtopia Carbon Fusion Pro has the same shape frame, but more traditional design elements and a price $800 less than the Fusion GT. At first I wasn’t sure what to think of the unique U shape frame, but after a couple of weeks of riding it I appreciate the design for a few reasons.

Rating:

As explained in my palmsolo’s Refresh Rating Scale post, I’m awarding the Urtopia Carbon Fusion Pro four (4) Medals of Yavin. It is an awesome bike for commuting and simple single track trail riding and works perfectly for me. It may be a bit large for some people due to the 29-inch tires, but the unique U-shaped frame makes it easy to get on and off the bike.

The Good and the Bad

It’s pretty rare for me to not find something that can be improved with a product and for things like electric bikes the pros and cons depend on your specific riding needs.

Pros

• Lightweight design

• Smooth carbon fiber frame that absorbs road vibration

• Large 29-inch tires

• Wide handlebars reminiscent of a MTB

• Minimal visible cables

• Ergonomic placement of loud bell

• 8-speed chain system for tackling the steepest hills

• Effective four level pedal assist power and thumb throttle option

• Affordable price for carbon fiber with fenders and kickstand included

Cons

• Tire size may be too large for some people

• No smartphone connectivity for bike updates

Experiences

Carbon Fiber is lighter, stronger, stiffer, and resistant to fatigue. The material absorbs and dissipates vibration so your ride is very comfortable for long periods in the saddle.

In typical fashion, the bike arrived in a brown cardboard box. It was fairly easy to attach the front wheel, handlebars, and pedals in order to get the bike set up with the included detailed instructions and tools.

The Urtopia Carbon Fusion Pro has a fairly basic control system with a left controller with bottom button to turn on/off the bike. There is also a button on the center above the display that you can use to turn the bike on or off.

The controller has up and down arrows with a center M button. The up and down arrows are used to switch pedal assist level. The center button can be used to view various stats on the bike display with a press and hold accessing the settings menu. Within the settings you can switch from the default Class 2 to Class 3 and this will provide pedal assist up to 25 mph rather than 20 mph. The throttle is limited to 20 mph in both modes.

There are four pedal assist levels, named Eco, Tour, Boost, and Turbo. I tried to keep my effort into the pedals about the same and measured these speeds for the various assist levels:

• Eco: 12-13 mph

• Tour: 15-17 mph

• Boost: 20-21 mph

• Turbo: 24 mph

Urtopia advertises a range in pedal assist up to 75 miles. Given my heavier weight and size, I measured closer to 50 miles in my testing. With throttle only, I measured 25-30 miles, which is great for a bike of this size and power level.

The battery along the front of the main frame and can be removed with the key and switch. There is also a small battery charge level indicator light array on the battery so you can press the button to see how much battery charge remains.

The torque sensing drivetrain is great and provides for a smooth experience. I was able to make it up the steepest hills with just a bit of effort and for those hills with less incline the throttle alone did the job.

The Urtopia Carbon Fusion Pro is available for $1,999. The 2nd external battery is $349. You can also buy a rear rack for $99 and that has a 60 pound capacity.

Specifications

Specifications alone don’t mean much, but they are useful for comparing similar devices and checking that you are getting value for your money.

• Frame: Toray Carbon Fiber, with low step-through U-shaped design

• Motor: 500W rear hub motor (1000W Peak), 60 Nm torque, torque sensor programming

• Bike weight: 48 pounds

• Bike capacity: 330 pounds

• Electric assist: Four levels with 8-speed Shimano Acera transmission and right side thumb throttle

• Lights: 40 LUX front head light and rear tail light

• Display: Vibrant center-mounted color LCD

• Max speed and range: 20 mph with up to 75 miles

• Brakes: Tektro hydraulic disk brakes with power cut-off sensor

• Tires: Kenda 29” x 2.05” puncture resistant

• Suspension: ZOOM suspension front forks with 60mm range and lockout

• Durability: IP65 water resistant

• Saddle: Comfortable minimalist saddle with memory foam

• UL Certification: UL 2849 and 2271 certified

Bottom Line

The Urtopia Carbon Fusion Pro is available in one size designed for people from 5’-3” to 6’-3”, but it is also available in four color options. This includes Vital Orange, Deep Sea Blue, Elegant Gray, and the Blazing Black you see in front of me. At first I wasn’t sure I would like the all black color, but the murdered look with matte black everywhere gives it a bit of a badass look IMHO.

The Urtopia Carbon Fusion Pro takes a bit of step back from the advanced technology of the smart connected bike approach that Urtopia started with. Its first bikes launched with embedded intelligence and wireless connectivity. The smart bike functions are interesting, but I honestly think this bike will appeal to more riders and is priced competitively with aluminum e-bikes. I’m a fan of the lightweight carbon fiber frame, unique good looks, and comfortable ride. The big mountain bike size tires also appeal to me as they provide a raised, upright riding experience.

Range is great on the bike and when you look across the e-bike market, the carbon fiber build adds about $500 to the full package price for an equivalent aluminum e-bike. With the larger tires and flat handlebars, I often felt like I was riding a sleeker eMTB and I did take the Carbon Fusion Pro out on some easy single track trails where it performed very well and felt quite agile.

Thanks to Urtopia for the opportunity to test out the Carbon Fusion Pro for a few weeks. I am definitely considering one for my daily commuter, but I think I would select that cool Deep Sea Blue color. I would also purchase the rear rack in order to mount panniers and leave the backpack behind.

*Disclosure: I only recommend products I would use myself and all opinions expressed here are my own. Urtopia sent Carbon Fusion Pro to evaluate for a couple of months and then I plan to return it. The company has no influence over the content in this article. All opinions are my own. This post may contain affiliate links that add no additional cost to you and I may earn a small commission.