E-bikes are big business, and not just for those designing and building them (manufacturers). One brand, Upway, has made a killing out of taking used and electrified two-wheelers, inspecting and fixing them up, and then putting them back on the market for EV-hungry newcomers and veterans alike.
How are they doing this? Well, in honor of Earth Month, Upway has partnered with Re:wild and two local NY City-based artists to create six unique and one-of-a-kind e-bike color schemes. Best of all, these babies are for sale, and part of the proceeds go straight to Re:wild for “biodiversity conservation.” If you’ve never heard of Re:wild, they’re a team of conservation scientists working together with Leonardo Dicaprio aimed at protecting and “rewilding” the natural world.
As for the artists responsible for the luscious works of rolling art before us, two names join Upway. The first is Jason Naylor, a Brooklyn-based artist who has worked with names like Guess, Asus, Heineken, Rhianna’s Fenty, Pepsi, and countless others. He’s best known for working with bright colors that stand out against rich and hearty black backgrounds. Simple, clean, and goddamned effective.
Photo: Upway
Artist number two to join in on the fun is none other than Katie Merz, also a Brooklyn-based painter and collage master. To sum up her work, I can only use the term ‘Doodle Queen.’ That said, you can easily figure out which of the bikes have seen her direct touch; Each artist was given three bicycles to which they could bring their god-given and developed touch.
Now that you have some idea of what’s going on with the colorful two-wheelers we see in the gallery let’s dive a tad deeper and see what exactly we can buy, how much it’s going to cost us, and what expression best suits you and your lifestyle.
For starters, let’s begin with the Katie Merz-touched machines, the first of which is a Brompton P Line from 2022 with less than 3 miles on it that’s selling for $4,800. This is the 4-speed version, but as I researched just how much this version costs without the Merz touch, I found them selling in the US for $3,000. So, $1,800 over the base cost for a new machine, but there’s an artist that needs to eat, and it’s for a good cause (Re:wild).
Photo: Upway
Up next, we have a Turbo Vado 4.0 from Specialized going for a solid $4,400, with, yet again, just 3 miles on the odometer. You can find a new one for around $2,800 in some stores across the US. Merz’s third machine is a Riese & Muller Roadster Mixte that’s ready to fly for $5,100. This is the one that has to be the best deal, as a Mixte can be found priced as high as $6,500, depending on the components and extras in place.
As for the Naylor-infused EVs in the bunch, we begin with an ultra-colorful Benno Boost E 10D Performance Sport. This bike’s frame has been tattered with Naylor’s signature look with red, blue, and black “leopard” spots, a sunshine-infused top tube, and cotton candy-like pinks. Anyone riding it is sure to attract some attention, and if you’ve got $3,400, that someone could be you. These things can be found priced as high as $5,500 new, so this may be the best deal on one of Naylor’s e-bikes.
Photo: Upway
More magic from this artist is spotted on a Gazelle Ultimate 10 that’s currently up for grabs at $3,700. Here, Naylor drops the leopard spots for a more faded look. While black isn’t as prominent in this version, the fork and rear stays just pop out against a lava-like downtube. It’s a step-through, so that’s all the color we get.
Last but not least, Naylor’s final masterpiece is summed up with a price tag of $6,250 for a Riese & Muller Nevo GT Automatic. Here, we see a sort of blend of the other two colorways, with cotton candy pinks and blue spots against a fiery red background. These babies can be found selling for as high as $7,100, so it’s a decent deal considering there are only 100 miles on the one’s clock.
Sure, some of these EVs may sound out of that $2,000 mark most of us are willing to spend on an e-bike, but the tradeoff is a rolling work of art and one that, let’s not forget, was for a good cause. At the end of the day, not a whole lot of us can say that we have something in common with Leonardo DiCaprio. I wonder if he’s riding an Upway-derived e-bike, but that’s a story for another time.
