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A friend swung by on a Murph ebike yesterday. His was a tank called the Alpha Cargo. Perfect for a grocery run and a surf session. It has a key to lock it out. No lockable storage which would be a nice adder. Plenty of mount points.
I'm considering a cargo bike, but don't know much about the brands available. Does anybody have one?
Cargo e-bikes are awesome. I have an old Kona Ute with a e-kit slapped on it and the spouse has a Radwagon (last of the 26" wheel versions). I've not kept up with what brands are a good deal these days but they are awesome, get one and drive your car much much less.
We have an xtracycle stoker. It's pretty great and gets a lot of use.
Things that I like about it:
-Lots of mount points for stuff. There are bolt bosses all over the thing. Xtracycle makes all sorts of attachments, but I've made a bunch of my own (either to fit our particular use case, or because I didn't want to spend $200 on a rack I could make myself).
-24" wheels front and rear. Wheelsizes are all over the place on cargo bikes. Smaller wheels are stronger, can handle weight better, and allow heavy cargo to sit lower. Bigger wheels roll over stuff better, handle more naturally, and tend to be more compatible with normal mountain bike parts (tires, disc hubs, etc.). I think 24" wheels are a pretty good sweet spot, although as our kids get bigger and the bike gets more top heavy, I wonder if a 20" rear wheels would be noticeably beneficial for keeping the weight lower.
-It has a Bosch mid drive motor. I think the newer ones have shimano motors. Either way, the mid drive motor is pretty key for motoring a heavy load up and down hills. It does, however, put you into a higher cost category.
-It has a solid center stand. Definitely a necessity when you're loading the bike up with 100 lbs of children / gear.
-It has lights hardwired to the battery. It's just nice to not have to worry about charging them.
-It doesn't have a bunch of weird proprietary parts. It's basically just a stretched out e-mountain bike.
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I have a yuba spicy curry for utility and hauling kids. Does all the things but wasn’t cheap. The newer slightly shorter bikes seem super useful but there were not many options 5 years ago.
Fit is all over the place so test ride.
Mid drives are much more bike like than hub drives but chew through chains.
Fuckers are heavy don’t skimp on brakes if you have hills.
I have a Tern Quickhaul. Smaller size for a cargo bike. Perfect grocery getter. Good for one kiddo on the back. Maybe not two.
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I get the idea of the extended rack in the back as a kid carrier, but for groceries, hardware store runs, etc it seems that a cargo box ebike would be much easier. Something like the Urban Arrow Family or the Tern Supermarche with a front box.
Ultimately any ebike with a cargo trailer could be an option and open more opportunities for use.
Shameless plug as my GF recently started to work for Quietkat based out of Eagle, CO. I have always been vehemently anti E-bike, but having fondled a couple of their bikes they look like a great way to do some access for Fall Elk/Deer during archery season. I kinda want one for that reason. Would also be a sweet way to get some exercise and go to the grocery store instead of taking the car/truck.
https://quietkat.com/collections/cargo-accessories
The 100lb capacity cargo trailer with any of their bikes seems like a pretty nice setup.
I've had my eye on this for awhile now https://surlybikes.com/bikes/big_easy
The Cargo E-bike is going to ruin cargo biking
Cargo E-Bikes are exactly where e-bike technology should go. Make it easier for people to get out of their cars.
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[emoji2]Quote:
Originally Posted by XXX-er
It's a great car replacement. I have a Tern GSD, which fits a long(ish) tail cargo bike in a footprint that is just a little bigger than a MTB. Fits 2 kids comfortably in the rear seat/cargo compartment. Great brakes (Maguras), good drivetrain, Bosch cargo motor. Not cheap but does everything I need it to do. My house is also at the top of a long hill (one of the reasons for the e assist) so I need to know the brakes will stop me + kids + stuff.
I tried a Radwagon, and while it's 1/3 or 1/4 of the price, you can certainly tell where they cut the corners. Fine if you're riding to the farmer's market over flat ground a couple times a month. Not fine if you're putting 1k+ miles on the bike a year in varying conditions.
I went to test ride one and the shop said it's discontinued so they couldn't order the size I needed, and it's replaced by the Skid Loader. I tested the Skid loader and it rode like an uninspiring bland city bike.Quote:
Originally Posted by ticketchecker
I looked at the surlys when we were shopping for our cargo bike. They seem ok, but they're a bit more expensive than a lot of the other options, and they don't have anywhere close to as many racks and attachment options as companies like xtracycle, yuba, etc. have.
I could tell you why i hate e-bikes but i just can't be bothered, besides its all in here
https://www.tetongravity.com/forums/...hlight=e-bikes
I mean, that’s what it’s kinda supposed to ride like, although you should be inspired to carry some shit on it.Quote:
Originally Posted by muted reborn
Big Easy will be returning for MY24
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Enduro cargo e bikes will be the next inspiring category of bikes.
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FWIW, I have a Radwagon 4. Agree -- if you've got the cash, buy a nice middrive option you don't have to upgrade. I've got about 700mi on ours without much incident -- minus the whole tire fiasco. I do have upgraded hydros to put on it shortly as brakes are it's weak spot.Quote:
Originally Posted by cravenmorhead
But I have friends who are avid cyclists (regular centuries, RAGBRAI annually, fly around the world to go on tours). They have RW4 with 5k on it with minimal complaints besides regular maintenance and the need for two batteries when they do 30mi overnights with their kid and camping gear on the back.
If you can charge the battery with one of those goal zero solar panels, forget about it. People will be bike packing with their e-cargo bikes. lolQuote:
Originally Posted by MagnificentUnicorn
We bought my wife a Benno Boost ecargo bike a few years ago. It is a class 1 but they make em in a class 3 now too. Bosch motor. It is like the Audi of e cargo bikes I guess. Pretty good quality components and all that. She can literally pedal up the steep hill we live on with me sitting on the back of it and not even break a sweat.
I built up a salsa mukluk with a Bafang BBSHD. It has a throttle, 1000w motor, big ass battery, and cargo racks, H-bar, etc. It is kind of a work in progress, but it runs and will do like 30-35 across a frozen lake in the right conditions. Pretty fun.
We have a Radwagon 4 for kid hauling and errands. I agree you can tell it’s cheaper than other options, but I have 1500+ miles on it with zero issues. For around town use I can’t really imagine why I’d spend more money on a nicer bike.
I think a cargo e-bike is the perfect application for the technology. Get cars off the road.
Be nice to have the proper infrastructure to accommodate them everywhere. Passing an ebike on the road has a timing learning curve imo compared to what we're used to. I guess like mopeds back in the day.Quote:
Originally Posted by Name Redacted
Guessing you're aware -- but depending on when you bought it -- your tires may be recalled. They issued free replacements. I've also gotten random refunds ($100 and $50 i think?) for buying before they discounted it.Quote:
Originally Posted by kathleenturneroverdrive
It's not perfect. But it effectively cost me $0 out of pocket with Denver e-cargo rebate + TABOR refund even with a few accessories (front basket, panniers, cargo net etc)
True, but i expected more from Surly than another bland ebike. All these new small wheeled upright city ebikes makes me want to put a motor on my existing Salsa Vaya touring bike and call it good, I just want a bike I'm used to.Quote:
Originally Posted by joetron