Tenways vs Cowboy in the Netherlands: which smart city e-bike wins in 2026?

Head-to-head buying guide · Prices, specs and stock checked on 05/11/2026 · Netherlands

Two brands, two philosophies

Tenways and Cowboy keep getting compared because from ten metres away they look like twins: slim aluminium frames, a carbon belt instead of a greasy chain, tidy cables, torque sensors and a battery that disappears into the frame. Park them side by side and the twins diverge fast.

Tenways launched in 2021 after a crowdfunding campaign, is headquartered in Amsterdam and sells direct online plus through dealer shops (it quotes 1,200+ dealers and 200+ service centres across Europe). It keeps components mainstream so most workshops can fix them, and lets the price do the talking. Cowboy, founded in Brussels in 2017, designed in Belgium and now assembled in France, went the other way. Its bike is a platform for software: built-in GPS, an app that unlocks the bike as you walk up, over-the-air updates and optional theft alerts and crash detection. You pay for that polish, roughly double what Tenways asks for a comparable city bike.

Both sell legal Dutch pedelecs: 250 W motors, assistance up to 25 km/h, no throttle. That means no licence and no number plate, as the Dutch government’s e-bike rules confirm, and our e-bike laws guide tracks planned changes such as helmets for under-18s. Everything below is about the money, the battery and the software in between.

2026 prices in the Netherlands: Tenways vs Cowboy

Here is what both ranges cost right now, including VAT, checked on tenways.com and cowboy.com on 05/11/2026. Tenways is running early Black Friday price guarantees (the real Black Friday is 27 November 2026), so we show today’s price with the earlier list price in brackets. Cowboy’s range is now Cruiser, Cruiser ST, Cross and Cross ST. The Classic no longer appears on its site, so treat €3,299 as the Cowboy city price.

The gap is the whole story: roughly €1,500 (CGO800S against Cruiser) to €2,200 (CGO600 against Cruiser) between comparable city bikes. That difference pays for an ART-approved lock, a tracker, insurance and several services, and our best e-bike lock test and e-bike insurance guide price each of those. For the wider picture, see what an e-bike really costs in the Netherlands.

One knock-on effect: at €1,099 the CGO600 now sits under the ceiling of our best budget e-bikes under €1,500 guide. Cowboy rarely discounts its sticker price. It runs campaigns, and one earlier Black Friday took €800 off selected colours, but its Connect package is more often bundled free than its bikes are cut. Cowboy also sells certified refurbished bikes through Cowboy Circular from €2,398 and leases from about €55 a month. If timing matters, watch our deals page.

Closest model matchups: which Tenways rivals which Cowboy?

Brand-versus-brand answers hide the real decision, which is model-versus-model. These are the three pairings buyers actually cross-shop.

Note the weights. Tenways quotes net weight without accessories, while Cowboy’s figure includes its built-in mudguards and lights. Add mudguards and a kickstand to a CGO600 Pro and the weight gap to a Cowboy Cruiser nearly disappears.

Battery: size, weight and the stairs test

Search this comparison and you will read that Cowboy’s battery is sealed. That is outdated: every current Cowboy has a removable lithium-ion pack, 360 Wh (2.4 kg) on the Cruiser pair and 540 Wh (3.3 kg) on the Cross pair. The surprise runs the other way. Tenways’ cheapest bike, the CGO600, has an integrated 252 Wh battery that you cannot remove, which is how it stays so light. The CGO600 Pro, CGO800S and AGO Air all have removable packs.

Realistic figures assume Dutch headwind, stop-start lights and a middle assist level, not the eco-mode brochure numbers. If your bike sleeps in a third-floor flat, two numbers decide your evening: bike weight and whether the pack comes out. The CGO600 is the lightest bike in this comparison, but you carry the whole 15 to 16 kg indoors to charge it. The CGO600 Pro lets you click the pack out and charge it in the kitchen, as does every Cowboy. That is also the right move in January, because a cold battery charges and discharges poorly (we explain why in our cold-weather battery guide).

Long term, replaceable packs matter. From 18/02/2027 the EU Battery Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 requires that new e-bikes placed on the market let an independent professional remove and replace the battery, with spare packs available for five years after a model ends. It does not force tool-free removal and it is not retroactive, so it does not rescue a fixed pack on a bike bought today. Ask both brands what a replacement pack costs and how long spares are guaranteed. Tenways promises spare parts beyond the warranty period; Cowboy’s parts stock is still recovering from 2025 (more below). Expect €400 to €900 for a pack after four to seven years, as our battery replacement cost guide and battery lifespan explainer detail.

Motors, gears and ride feel

Both brands use a rear hub motor with a torque sensor, so assist arrives in proportion to how hard you push. That puts them ahead of cheap cadence-sensor bikes where the motor surges like a light switch. Cowboy’s custom 45 Nm hub pairs with AdaptivePower: the bike senses incline, wind and rider weight and doses the support itself, so there are no assist levels to tap through. It feels like an automatic gearbox for your legs. Tenways city bikes run a 40 Nm Mivice hub with classic assist levels you choose yourself, which riders who like control tend to prefer. The Plus models use a stronger Tenways C9 hub.

Where Tenways pulls ahead is choice. The CGO600 Plus is the lightest geared option, with eight Shimano speeds at 18 kg net. The CGO800 Plus adds eight gears and a suspension fork but weighs 24 kg net. The AGO Air chain version packs an 80 Nm mid-drive, nine speeds and a 561.6 Wh pack for €1,999 (the belt version has 95 Nm and five hub gears for €2,499). That torque is what you want for Limburg slopes, bridge headwinds or a child seat on the back. Cowboy’s answer to rougher riding is the Cross pair: suspension in both fork and seatpost (40 mm of travel each), 60 mm tyres and a 540 Wh pack, but still one gear ratio and 26.5 to 27.9 kg of bike.

One practical detail owners keep raising: the CGO600’s handlebar is low and not adjustable, which tall riders find too sporty. The CGO600 Pro and Plus have an adjustable stem, and the CGO800S has a riser bar. On flat Dutch tarmac either brand sings. Ask yourself one question: will this bike ever carry weight or climb? If yes, gears and mid-drive torque win, and that is Tenways territory.

Apps, GPS and theft tech: Cowboy’s home ground, with one Tenways exception

This is the round Cowboy wins, and it is the reason the brand exists. Every Cowboy ships with built-in GPS and a SIM card, so the bike phones home without your phone. Cowboy’s help centre explains the split. Find My Bike, live position tracking, is included with every bike; a parked bike sends a position update about every five hours to save battery. Theft Alerts, which notify you the moment the bike moves, come with the Connect package (or Cowboy’s own theft insurance), and Connect also adds crash detection, Share My Ride and predictive alerts. It is listed at a single €199, not a monthly fee. A backup battery inside the bike keeps alerts working even if a thief pulls the main pack.

Tenways keeps software humbler. On the CGO600, CGO600 Pro and CGO800S the free app connects over Bluetooth: ride stats, navigation casting, battery data and phone or password unlock. Fine as a companion, useless as a tracker, because once a thief’s van breaks the Bluetooth link the bike goes silent. The exception is the CGO009 (€1,999). Its Smart Connect module adds GPS tracking, motion detection, zone notifications and Bluetooth or NFC unlock, with the first year of smart features included and a paid Smart Connect subscription afterwards (Tenways’ EU shop listed it at €99 at our check, so confirm the term before you buy).

If you would rather add tracking yourself, our GPS tracker guide prices add-ons at €35 to €240 over three years, which dents but does not close Cowboy’s premium.

Context matters here. Dutch police registered 86,950 bike thefts in 2025, a fourth straight yearly rise and about 45% above 2021, and only 2–5% of stolen bikes ever come back. Insurers expect an ART-approved lock above roughly €2,000 of bike value (see what ART approval means), and approved track-and-trace above €4,500. So yes, built-in tracking is genuinely useful, and no, it does not replace a serious lock on either brand.

Service, warranty and the “will this brand survive?” question

VanMoof taught Dutch riders to ask this before paying, so here it is plainly. Tenways gives a 2-year warranty with 5 years on the frame, lists 200+ service centres across Europe and 1,200+ dealer shops, and builds on standard components such as belts, tyres and brakes that your local fietsenmaker stocks. The process matters, though. Contact Tenways Support first (support@tenways.com); it may ship replacement parts with video guides, and during the warranty Tenways reimburses qualified labour when a local bike shop fits approved replacement parts. Service centres need an appointment. Tenways also offers Laka insurance at checkout in the Netherlands. A fair caveat: a few long-term owners report motor overheating or battery cut-outs after two to three years, so factor in insurance and read recent owner reviews.

Cowboy includes a 2-year warranty with an optional third year, and backs it with 125+ service locations and mobile technicians in 40+ cities. The free at-home test ride remains the nicest buying experience in this comparison. More proprietary electronics, though, mean more reasons to stay inside the brand’s network, and the brand’s recent history matters.

• 2017 and 2021: Cowboy is founded in Brussels; Tenways launches after a crowdfunding campaign.
• 2023: Cowboy Connect launches; VanMoof’s bankruptcy on 17/07/2023 scars the smart-bike segment.
• 2025: Cowboy comes close to insolvency and shifts assembly to France; on 18/12/2025 France’s ReBirth Group (Peugeot, Gitane, Solex) closes a majority-stake deal worth about €15 million including shareholder reinvestment, and founder-CEO Adrien Roose leaves.
• 2026: Cowboy calls it a comeback year with no new products. On 04/11/2026 it reported 1,014 bikes built since January, 121 active service partners, bestsellers in stock, delivery from 10 days and spare parts “steadily” returning to shelves.

Cowboy’s rescue makes it sturdier than a year ago, with real industrial backing, but it is still a recovery rather than a finished story. We found no public insolvency or rescue story for Tenways, though it is a venture-backed, online-first brand. Before buying either, run the six-point survival checklist in our VanMoof alternative guide, and if you buy second-hand later, use our second-hand e-bike checklist.

Running costs and Dutch tax perks

Charging is pocket change. At €0.30 per kWh a full charge costs €0.08 for the CGO600’s 252 Wh pack, €0.11 for a 360 Wh pack (CGO600 Pro or Cowboy Cruiser), €0.14 for the CGO800S and €0.16 for the Cross. Even charging every single day lands at roughly €30 to €60 a year, and our charging cost guide shows the maths. Budget €100–€250 a year for maintenance, per our service cost overview, plus that future battery bill.

Tax sweeteners apply to both. Ride through an employer scheme and 7% of the bike’s consumer price is added to your taxable income each year: about €133 on a €1,899 CGO800S versus about €231 on a €3,299 Cowboy, before your marginal rate. Our bijtelling calculator does the exact maths for your salary, and bijtelling explained in English covers the rules. Both brands also offer leasing; see our e-bike lease guide for employees. On your own bike, employers may pay up to €0.25 per kilometre tax-free in 2026 (see the tax-free bike allowance guide); at 10 km each way that is roughly €1,070 a year, though you cannot claim it on a company bike. There is no national purchase subsidy, despite what some webshops claim (our subsidy overview checks local schemes). And if you wonder whether the bike beats the train door to door, our commute calculator settles it with your own postcode.

Verdict: which one fits you?

We compared spec sheets, current Dutch prices, service policies and owner reports rather than relying on brochure claims. Our advice is blunt: buy the bike that matches your stairs, your hills and your theft anxiety, not the prettiest render.

FAQs

Is Tenways as good as Cowboy for Dutch city commuting?

For the riding itself, nearly. Both use rear hub motors with torque sensors, belt-drive city models and legal 25 km/h assistance, so the assist feels natural on flat Dutch roads. Cowboy adds automatic AdaptivePower assistance, built-in GPS and a more polished app for roughly €1,500 to €2,200 more. Tenways wins on price, weight, gear and mid-drive options, and most models have a removable battery (the cheapest CGO600 does not). For flat commutes under about 15 km, a CGO600 Pro or CGO800S does the job for roughly half the money.

Does Cowboy’s Find My Bike feature need a subscription?

No. Every Cowboy has built-in GPS and a SIM, and Find My Bike position tracking is included with the bike. Theft Alerts, crash detection, Share My Ride and predictive alerts need the Cowboy Connect package, which costs €199 as a single listed price (Cowboy’s help centre says Theft Alerts also come with Cowboy’s theft insurance). A parked bike sends a position update about every five hours to save battery. Tenways charges nothing for its Bluetooth app, but that app cannot track a bike that has left your phone’s range; only the CGO009 has built-in GPS, free for the first year and paid afterwards.

Which brand is easier to service in the Netherlands?

Tenways, on paper. It gives a 2-year warranty plus 5 years on the frame, quotes 200+ European service centres and 1,200+ dealer shops, uses mostly standard parts and reimburses qualified labour when a local bike shop fits approved replacement parts, but you must contact Tenways Support first. Cowboy offers a 2-year warranty (optional third year), 125+ service locations and mobile technicians in 40+ cities, yet its electronics are more proprietary and its spare-parts stock is still recovering after the 2025 crisis. Wear parts on both (belt, tyres, brakes) are standard enough for your local fietsenmaker.

Updated 05/11/2026. Prices and specs come from tenways.com and cowboy.com; Cowboy’s ownership and service figures come from its own 04/11/2026 update and public reports of the ReBirth deal. Retail prices change often, so confirm on the brand’s own site before you pay.