Shhhhhhh! I ride an e-bike

Amongst mount bikers, the e-bike debate rages in social media and the interweb. There are valid concerns of trail access that have taken years and sometimes decades to achieve. This article deals with none of that…

My intent here is to give you my experience where e-bikes make a lot sense: commuting and cargo. Replacing automobile trips with an e-bike is good for the environment, your wallet and your health. If you can agree with that statement, read on…perhaps an e-bike is in your future.

The performance and cost of electric motors and batteries is improving at an unreal rate. This has brought  e-bike ownership from the fringes to the masses. It’s not uncommon to get into a decent e-commuter for $1,400 USD  these days which has good range and power.  Personally,  I see e-bikes making a lot sense as a car replacements. We are a one car family and if something is available to haul a couple kids around and some cargo…I can put off buying a second car or, at a minimum, limit the use of a second car. With this in mind, I started to research bikes that might fit the bill. Enter: The Yuba Spicy Curry.

With the estimated cost of new car ownership at close to $10,000 a year and 80% of vehicle trips being less than 10 miles from home, the price tag of Yuba Spicy Curry ($4,499 plus add-ons) can be justified in my mind. My wife took a little more convincing.

My goal here is not to give a review of this specific bike as there are much more experienced e-bike testers out there that can give you the full comparative experience.  The intent here is to give you a Dad's take on a kid hauling e-bike. There are a few kids seat adaptable electric cargo bikes out there but the add-ons  and design of the Yuba are what sold me.  The new model uses an upgraded Bosch system which by all accounts gets great reviews for reliability and performance but I can't personally comment. I can say, I am happy with the performance of the old system and absolutely love the bike as a platform. The 26 front/20 rear wheel combo creates a low center of gravity which makes a very stable and balanced carrying experience. This is important when the cargo is your kids! The modular platform allows you to mount child seats, seat pads, running boards and mini hold-on bars for added security.

Features:

• Bosch Performance Line CX HIGH TORQUE MOTOR and PowerPack 400
• Higher capacity batteries available
• Micro USB on display to charge phone
• Front and rear LED lights
• 300 lbs of cargo capacity plus rider
• 63 lbs (that’s light a for a cargo bike)!
• Frame material: Aluminum
• Fork: 1.5” Chromoly
• Drive train: Shimano Deore 10 Speed trigger
• Wheels: Double wall 48 Spokes (rear)
• Tires: Big Apple Plus 2.15”
• Brakes: Shimano M396 Hydraulic
• Cockpit: Adjustable stem
• Battery Range is 30 – 60 miles per charge

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Can an E-cargo bike like the @yubabicycles spicy curry replace a car? Weather dependant, absolutely! We have spent 4 months on it: grocery store, soccer practice, school, the beach, shuttle rig, the pub, grandmas...it is a whole lot of fun getting to places now. #ebike

A post shared by The Bike Dads (@thebikedads) on Sep 2, 2017 at 5:04pm PDT

You set the level of electric assist (1-4) and have 10 mechanical gears to help you get moving with all that cargo.  We rock up 15% grade hills with no sweat and little effort on the pedals. Class 1- Pedal assist only, no throttle, this bike is legally able to ride almost everywhere.  Engagement is quick and smooth with power being distributed almost instantly as you need it. Power cuts immediately upon stopping pedaling/braking and thus, the bike is very intuitive. Literally, it’s as easy as riding a mechanical bike.

This bike was a game changer for our family. This kid/grocery hauler could replace a second car for 8 months of the year where we live. Sure...with crap weather, we left it in the garage. That said, both pilot and passenger preferred taking the bike over the car in any other circumstance. Easily capable of 2 kids (we have squeezed four little ones on) and a load of groceries in the beefy basket, we rode this thing everywhere. To the beach, Grandma's house, mall, grocery store, soccer...anywhere within 40 miles return trip was in play. The new system uses that Bosh motor which is great. It is capped at 20 mph of motor assist which is plenty when carrying the little ones.

MSRP: $4,500 US | Where to buy: REI ($450 member dividend), Yuba

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Our new shuttle wagon! @yubabicycles @towwhee

A post shared by The Bike Dads (@thebikedads) on Jun 17, 2017 at 7:31pm PDT