We are so grateful that our class 3 ebike ‘ASTRO’ has been called ‘the best ebike for the money right now’ by many of our backers on Indiegogo. We have produced one of the best value commuter ebikes by selecting brilliant but affordable technology, such as the BAFANG 750w ebike motor.

Of all the ebike classes, class 3 ebikes were our favourite for their speed. We were so excited when we could finally deliver the goods and got the support of so many people around the world on our first Indiegogo campaign.

We managed to raise an astonishing $500,000 from a whopping 267 backers. This far surpassed our expectations here at C3STROM and we cannot thank our backers enough. Without their support, it would not have been possible for the wider community to buy our ebike online.

Since we launched the campaign, we have learned so many things along the way that we want to share with you, so we decided to write this dedicated article. We’ll be satisfied if you feel even a fraction as excited reading about it as we felt doing it. Enjoy!

So, how did we do it?

We achieved our goal of a successful Indiegogo launch by focusing unwaveringly on the fundamentals of what makes a good product. We knew that ebike riders with an eye for the best ebikes around – our target audience – would be able to tell whether our product was worth the money. That’s why we made sure that at each stage in the design process, we gave the utmost attention to detail and professionalism to create a top-tier class 3 ebike.

All of that started with our planning. The planning stage was critical, of course, so we were meticulous in our search for the best ebike configuration. We tried to always make sure that the people we had in mind would be satisfied – people who loved the finest technology paired with stunning aesthetics.

Our designer loved the motorcycle look, so he got working on a plan for an ebike with this dashing style. We then got started on making the bike by putting it through months of rigorous trial and error testing. After making some modifications to the configuration and the components in order to ensure optimal comfort (e.g., the frame size, the mud flaps, etc), we were confident that the final product would meet the expectations of our customers.

Placing the rider at the centre of our universe was vital for getting where we are now. Not only did we have the rider in mind when we were in the planning and designing stage, but we also had them in mind when we started thinking about customer service.

Having customer service there right from the start of our riders’ ebike journey was a must – we knew that much. But by ‘the start of the journey we weren’t just thinking about after the customer received the product or even about the point of purchase – we wanted customer service available even before that. We had dedicated staff on call even before the customer even clicked ‘buy’ to ensure that any issues or queries were addressed beforehand. Having customers buy our product with peace of mind was a high priority for us.

But why did we do it?

You may be wondering why we even attempted such a feat. After all, a high-end class 3 ebikes are difficult to design and manufacture. It’s also a highly competitive market right now – a senior manager at another brand that we communicated with before we got started told us that it wasn’t a great time to get involved right now given the supply shortages in the global economy and the competition. But we didn’t let this hold us back. We wanted to take an exciting risk with the hopes to become one of the best ebike brands around at some point in the future. After all, every ebike brand must start somewhere. We just loved the process of production and development of ebikes so much to resist the temptation – it’s our passion here at C3STROM. So, we knew it would be a labour of love making the ASTRO – not at all a thankless uphill battle.

We’ll delve further into some of the why questions you might have on your mind about Indiegogo, the ASTRO and the ASTRO PRO here.

Why Indiegogo?

We decided to start out on Indiegogo because we are a new ebike brand. We weren’t entirely sure who exactly our first customers would be. But instead of marketing in the boring, traditional way by simply doing standard market research, we were open to exploring new ways of finding the most passionate biking enthusiasts around. We were looking for a way to connect with those looking for the best ebikes for the money – wherever they might be. A platform like Indiegogo gave us that very option, which was perfect for us.

We also wanted to crowdfund the ASTRO and ASTRO PRO, as this gave us more financial resources to ensure we would create one of the best ebikes of 2022. We wanted to spend our limited internal budget and energy on ensuring the ASTRO stayed close to our original ambitious design concept.  We figured crowdfunding would be a great fit, as the customers willing to back our ebike would also surely be the customers most passionate about the kind of class 3 ebikes that we set out to produce.

Why did we make the ASTRO?

We wanted to create one of the best-looking class 3 ebikes. We placed a lot of emphasis on the aesthetics of our bike, we saw a lot of neglect when it came to looks with other models on the market. There was also a large amount of demand for bold, unique-looking bikes. In our estimation, this demand was simply not being served very well at all. Our designers were passionate about bringing a cutting-edge style to the market that people could get excited about.

Quality was also on our minds. All throughout the design process, great care and attention to detail were paid to designing the bike, so that the finished product was something the rider could be proud of, rather than just an arbitrary collection of components jumbled together.

However, the quality of the components themselves was also high up on our list of priorities. We wanted to make sure that the bike did not rely on any one single gimmick or feature in its spec list. For that reason, we made sure that the components were high quality across the board. The ASTRO performs brilliantly in many different categories because of the consideration we gave when choosing components. Such as: a 750w BAFANG ebike motor and a high-quality Samsung 21700 battery.

Why did we make two editions, the ASTRO and ASTRO PRO?

Once we decided on making a class 3 ebike, we had to think about the components we would use and the price. We wanted to appeal to a broad swath of the ebike market to have a shot at one day becoming one of the best ebike brands around. We wanted to make sure that prospective customers with different wants and needs were not unnecessarily excluded from having a chance at getting their hands on our product and experiencing ebike technology for the first time.

To achieve this, we decided to create two editions both set at different prices. For the more casual rider or someone just starting out with ebikes, who does not want to spend such a huge amount of money, we priced the standard ASTRO at just $1699/$1799. We were sure this would make it one of the best ebikes for the money on the market.

But for the more serious ebike fanatic, who cared a great deal more about the specs of the bike, we created the ASTRO PRO at a higher price tag of $1899/$1999.  At this higher price tag, it had superior features. We figured this was a great solution that would make us all happy.

The choice to have two editions is also about the needs of different users. The regular ASTRO is great for your average rider who wants a versatile bike ready for almost any situation. But the ASTRO PRO is tailored specifically for those who have a much longer commute as it can go much faster.

What’s special about C3STROM?

Of course, other ebike companies may do some of these things we spoke about above. But few do all of them together. There are one or two things that we think make us a little bit special here at C3STROM.

Perhaps the most important is how we deal with our customers. Instead of just sending out generic emails or offering a phone number to call for special issues, we maintain high-frequency communication with our customers through many different channels. Getting to know our customers on a personal level and understanding their issues and requests is very important to us.

We’re aware that often our customers have complex wants and needs, so learning from them one-to-one is high on our list of priorities. We know that the best ebike brands focus on seeing and catering to the individual, not just blindly creating a product for some assumed market.

More fundamentally, we place a high emphasis on making sure the product itself is of outstanding quality. Hundreds of hours of consideration and care went into the design process, to ensure that our bike was imbued with a clear vision and purpose rather than just being a generic class 3 ebike.  A long process of testing, prototyping, and implementing design modifications means that the final product is mindful of the user’s needs for comfort and ease of use.

Another standout feature of our enterprise is the supply chain. We have close relationships throughout the chain, particularly with the factory where our products are made, meaning that we know every little detail of how the product gets made. Due to this, we have a reasonably accurate estimate of how long it takes to produce the product from start to finish.  

This is especially important right now given the supply side shocks in the global economy. Many companies have no real idea of how long a product will take to produce given the great uncertainty in obtaining the right components. We knew we had a huge competitive advantage by knowing every part of our supply chain inside out and having a great culture of communication.

The final step is delivery. As we have a good knowledge of our production chain, as well as good working relationships with our partners handling delivery over in the US and Canada, the delivery service is very smooth.

C3STROM Indiegogo experience

So that covers everything about our experience with launching on Indiegogo. As you can see, we’ve had a great time launching the product. We hope you are now more informed about why we chose this platform and how we managed it.

You’ll also hopefully have a better idea of C3STROM’s unique talents and why we’re not just like all the other ebike companies around. Even though it’s a tough time in the ebike market right now, our rugged persistence in the design process and our close relationship with the factory where are products are made mean we have an outstanding ability to get the product shipped. This is rare right now in just about any market for physical goods, let alone the ebike market specifically.

If you have any more questions or queries, please feel free to send us a message and we will get back to you as soon as possible. We’ll be more than happy to – we pride ourselves on our relationship with our customers and backers!