Angell Cruiser: The French Smartbike Comfortable and Foldable

Following the setbacks of the first electric bike, Angell revises its approach with the Cruiser more comfortable and well-equipped, including free theft insurance with replacement.

Angell was supposed to be the flagship French electric bike and to rival Vanmoof. However, the e-bike did not meet the ambitious goals set by its founder Marc Simoncini—who created Meetic—and its designer Ora-ïto. The cycle was plagued by electronic bugs and delivery delays for the 5,000 units planned.

But at least the company didn’t hide its problems and worked to improve, despite a very challenging environment marked by lockdowns, strained supply chains, and inflation.

The Angell bikes better suited for daily use

Here is the second generation of Angell bikes, the Cruiser developed in 7 months. The brand offers it—like the Rapide—in two frame options: “/S” (semi-open) and “/M” (standard). The shape remains unchanged. The Cruiser features a rear U containing the battery and lights, turn signals on the vibrating handlebar for navigation and at risk of falling, a touchscreen, rear motor with 50 Nm torque, and a single speed.

The main difference is the curved handlebar, providing a more comfortable position. The saddle is also specific, while fenders and a kickstand are newly introduced. Logical, considering the clientele is mainly urban commuters. The tires, which were already thicker on the previous /S, have been enlarged. All of this increases the weight to over 18 kg (compared to 15), despite the carbon fork and aluminum frame.

French bikes that deliver

And a major new feature, Angell Back arrives—also on the Rapide—with a simple promise in case of theft. The team will try to recover it; if not, they will deliver a new bike within 14 days, and this for 2 years. Of course, there are conditions:

• lock on the frame
• geolocation and alarm activated
• battery charged to at least 30% (to ensure the previous point works)
• potential shipping costs (link unavailable at the time of this article)

The price of the Angell Cruiser 2022

The Angell Cruiser bikes, not very different from the first version, still come from the Seb factory in Is-sur-Tille (21). However, prices have increased slightly, as the Rapide was priced at €2,990, and the Cruiser now costs €3,490. They are already available for pre-order, with a 10% deposit (€349).

The /M will be the first to be delivered at the end of June, followed by the /M in September. We hope that by then, more cheerful color options than the single matte black will be available. Goal: 10,000 bikes in 2022 and double every year.

Also read: Mokumono Polder: the most local electric bike in the world?