Bird is launching a VanMoof-alike e-bike you can actually own

Bird is best known for its shared scooter program, but the company’s newest product you can keep at home is actually a bicycle. Today Bird is opening up retail orders for its Bird Bike, an electric bike with 50 miles of range and a 36-volt removable battery.

The Bird Bike is a much more high-end bike than the bright blue ones Bird has been piloting for its bike-sharing program. That luxury will cost you, though: the Bird Bike starts at $2,299. And it’s only available in limited quantities right now.

E-bike demand has skyrocketed nearly 200 percent since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Bird is ready to get in on that profitable action.

VanMoof with a twist — E-bike rental services like those from Bird and Revel seek to make commuting via bicycle easy and affordable. The Bird Bike keeps the easy part and steps up the specs for a more luxurious experience than what the company brings with its rentals.

The Bird Bike is ergonomic and modern, with a design that will look pretty familiar to anyone who’s been keeping up with VanMoof’s e-bikes. It’s a look that — especially in matte black — has quickly become the go-to for modern e-bike design.

Where Bird’s bike design differs is in the company’s decision to create a V-frame version of its bike alongside the A-frame look we’ve grown accustomed to. The V-frame version is exactly like the A-frame one but with the added ability to step right through the frame instead of hurdling over the middle bar.

Premium electric commute — The Bird Bike is pricey because it’s really, really nice. Or, at the very least, because it offers a number of high-end features — like a swappable LG battery so you can charge it up without lugging the whole bike up to your apartment.

Both Bird Bike models are equipped with a Bafang rear hub motor that provides up to 500W of electric support (250W in the E.U. and U.K., for regulation reasons). It has a carbon belt drive that’s supposed to last “significantly longer” than a traditional chain. It has high-visibility LED lights, puncture-resistant tires, a thumb throttle for up to 20 mph of e-assist speed, and it’s water-resistant.

Also there’s a Bluetooth app and a cute little LCD screen in the handlebars. Luxurious indeed.

Both Bird Bikes are expected to ship in December. You can reserve one for just $100 on the company’s website beginning today.