Used Cortina: U4, Blau or E-U4? 2026 model guide

Summary. A Cortina is easy to spot and hard to research. On the used market the names multiply fast: U4, U1, U5, Roots, Blau, Common, HPV, and an E in front of half of them. The name tells you the frame and what it was built for. It does not tell you which motor an electric Cortina has, and that is the part that decides what you should pay. This guide shows you how to read both.

Who makes Cortina?

Cortina is a Dutch brand, and a young one. It belongs to Kruitbosch, a bicycle wholesaler in Zwolle that has been in the trade since 1955. Cortina bikes have been made since 2006, when the first year's run was 4,000 bikes.

For a used buyer that means two things. There are no century-old models to decode, just twenty years of names that overlap. And the brand is very much alive. Cortina says it has more than 1,000 service points, so a shop that can look after an older Cortina is rarely far away.

Cortina is one of several Dutch brands worth knowing. Compare it with the others in our guide to the best Dutch bike brands →

Which Cortina names will you come across?

Four pieces of a Cortina name carry real information. E in front means electric. Transport means a front carrier. Mini means smaller wheels, 24 or 26 inch. And a code like N3 or N7 is the Shimano Nexus hub with three or seven gears. If a Dutch listing adds remnaaf, the bike has a coaster brake, so you brake by pedalling backwards.

HPV is short for Human Powered Vehicle. Despite the name, it is simply Cortina's sturdy transport bike with a front carrier, not anything exotic.

Does the name tell you which motor an electric Cortina has?

No, and this is the most useful thing to know before you buy one. The E-U4 Transport alone has been sold with at least three different motors:

• a motor in the front wheel, sold as Ecomo or SportDrive
• a Bafang M300 motor at the cranks
• a Bosch motor at the cranks

Those are very different bikes to ride. An independent Dutch test of the 2017 E-U4 Transport measured a front-wheel motor with 15 Nm of torque. A mid-motor like the Bafang M300 is rated at 80 Nm. On a flat ride to the station you will hardly notice. Against the wind, up onto a bridge or with a child on the back, it is the whole difference.

You can tell them apart in two minutes. Look at the front hub first. A motor there makes it a fat drum with a cable running into it. Then look between the pedals. A mid-motor is a large housing under the frame, usually with the maker's name printed on it. Then ride the bike from standstill. A front motor pulls you, and it feels different on loose ground and in the wet.

What does "Ecomo" mean on a Cortina?

It is a motor, not a model. Ecomo is the front-wheel motor that Cortina fitted to earlier electric bikes, including versions of the E-U4 Transport. People search for it as if it were a model name, and you will see listings with Ecomo in the title where you would expect the model.

If you see that, you are looking at an older electric Cortina with a front-wheel motor. Ask the seller which frame it is, how old the battery is, and whether the charger comes with it.

Where is the battery, and what should you ask about it?

On the E-U4 and the E-Common the battery sits in the rear rack and slides out, so you can charge it indoors. Cortina has sold the E-U4 with batteries from about 300 to 500 Wh. The E-Common comes with 500 Wh as standard.

Those capacities are what the battery held when it was new. The same Dutch test got a realistic 57 km out of a 313 Wh battery, against 110 km claimed. An older battery will do less. Our guide on how far a battery really takes you explains what to expect.

Three questions to ask before you talk about price:

1. How old is the battery, and has it ever been replaced?
2. Does the original charger come with the bike?
3. Has the bike been serviced by a Cortina dealer, and is there any proof?

Our e-bike buying guide covers the rest of what to check on any used electric bike.

What is a Cortina Blau?

After the brand name itself, Blau is one of the Cortina names that brings the most searchers to BikeFair. It is a city bike with a belt instead of a chain, running on a Shimano Nexus 7 hub. A belt needs no oil and cannot rust. That is the whole appeal if your bike lives outside.

There is also an E-Blau, the electric version, in Cortina's current range. The plain Blau has no motor.

On a used Blau, look along the belt for cracks or missing teeth, and check that it does not slip when you stand hard on the pedals. Test all seven gears while riding, not on the stand.

Buying a Cortina for a child or teenager?

The U4 Transport Mini is the U4 transport bike on 24 or 26 inch wheels. It has the same look as the adult bike, so it does not feel like a children's bike. Buy on wheel size and inside leg length, never on age. Our frame size guide shows you how to measure.

Which Cortina fits how you ride?

What should you check before you pay?

Six checks, in the order that saves you the most money.

• Motor position. Front hub or cranks. Establish it from the bike, not from the name.
• Battery. Age, charger and service history, in that order. On an older E-U4, price it as though a new battery may be coming.
• Front carrier. Grab it and shake it. It should not wobble, and every bolt should be tight.
• Hub gears. They should shift cleanly while you pedal gently. Test every gear in both directions.
• Brakes. If the bike has a coaster brake, check that it bites as soon as you pedal backwards.
• Frame number. Check it is present, legible and matches the papers. The Dutch police set out what to watch for on their bike theft page, in Dutch. Every bike listed on BikeFair is checked against stolen-bike registers before it goes live, which is the part you cannot do yourself from a photo.

Selling a Cortina instead?

Buyers search Cortina by model name, so put the full name from the frame into your title, including the E if there is one. Then add the three things buyers ask first:

1. Where the motor is, if there is one.
2. The battery capacity from the label, and a photo of that label.
3. The wheel size and the number of gears.

Frequently asked questions

Is Cortina a Dutch brand? Yes. Cortina belongs to Kruitbosch, a bicycle wholesaler in Zwolle, and Cortina bikes have been made since 2006.

What is a Cortina E-U4? The electric version of the U4, with the battery in the rear rack. Depending on the year and version it has a motor in the front wheel or a Bafang or Bosch motor at the cranks, so check the bike itself.

What is Cortina Ecomo? Ecomo is the front-wheel motor Cortina fitted to earlier electric bikes, including versions of the E-U4 Transport. It is not a model name.

What does N3 or N7 mean on a Cortina? It is the Shimano Nexus hub gear, with three or seven gears.

Is a Cortina Blau electric? The Blau is not. It is a city bike with a belt drive. The electric version is called E-Blau.

What does HPV stand for? Human Powered Vehicle. It is Cortina's name for a sturdy transport bike with a front carrier.

Can I still get an older Cortina serviced? Yes. Cortina is still in business and says it has more than 1,000 service points. For an older e-bike, ask the shop before you buy whether a replacement battery is still available for it.