HAUL YOUR GROCERIES, ACCESSORIES, KIDS, AND FRIENDS WITH THESE ELECTRIFIED CARGO BIKES.

BY DAN CHABANOV AND TARA SEPLAVY, Published: Mar 10, 2023

Losing riding time to run unavoidable errands sucks. Luckily, electrically assisted cargo bikes make it easier to go car-lite or to ditch driving altogether and pedal (almost) everywhere. The latest generation of these bikes are more customizable and offer e-assist and modular mounting systems, making today’s bakfiets and longtails increasingly viable trade-ins for your gas-guzzling SUV. The United Parcel Service and disaster relief managers across the globe use cargo bikes to transport goods where cars can’t go, and it’s freeing to breeze by traffic in the bike lane with a week’s worth of groceries packed onto your ride. Whether you’re picking up supplies or furnishing a room from Ikea, there’s a good chance that the perfect e-cargo bike for you is on this list.
[…]

BEST COMPACT CARGO

Benno Benno RemiDemi 10D

$3,900 at REI

Cargo Bike Layouts

Domestic and international cargo bike popularity has exploded in the past decade, says Xtracycles founder and longtail cargo bike pioneer Ross Evans. There are generally three main styles of cargo bikes: long tail, front loader, and the bakfiet. There are also trike varieties for riders needing to transport very-heavy loads or more than two children. The longtail cargo bike is the most agile and lightweight, and it transports cargo or passengers on an extended tail section behind the rider. A front loader places its payload in front of the rider, generally on a low-slung platform adaptable to suit many needs. Last is the bakfiet style bike with its large basket (typically in front of the rider) for carrying cargo or transporting multiple passengers.

To Electrify or Not?

To make sense of the recent cargo bike boom, look to e-bikes. “Electricity and cargo bikes go together like PB&J,” Evans says. Schlepping hundreds of pounds on a bike is great if you’re looking for a workout. But e-cargo bikes like the Tern GSD and Benno Boost E use pedal-assist electric motors with more than 50 miles of range to make cargo bikes more accessible to riders who want the convenience of a car in a bike-sized package. The tech comes at a price, however. E-cargo bikes tend to be pricier than their non-electric counterparts, but unless you live somewhere completely flat (and even if you do), we think an e-cargo bike is still the way to go. The vastly improved usability, carrying capacity, and range of e-cargo bikes save you money in the long run by being more effective car substitutes (versus non-assist bikes that requires more effort to ride).

Accessorize to Fit Your Needs

Once you’ve purchased a cargo bike, you’ll want the right accessories to maximize its utility. Start on the manufacturer’s website: Brands like Tern and Benno sell panniers, racks, and child seats to match their cargo bikes. Alternatively, if your style is more “dump it and go,” bakfiets like the Riese & Müller Load 60 use a single spacious box that’ll fit all your stuff (there are still seat belts for your kids, though). The best way to figure out which style or bike you prefer is by getting out for a test ride.

Approach an e-cargo bike and accessory purchase the same way you would if you were buying a car. Try and test as many options as you can. Prioritize your most common cargo needs. While it can be fun to think aspirationally, getting a bike that’s perfectly suited to your daily needs will mean you use it more often.

How We Tested

These bikes have been thoroughly tested and vetted by Bicycling editors. We used them to fetch groceries or take kids to school, riding them as often as possible to find out whether they can replace our cars for daily use. We also interviewed the product managers who build these bikes and compared them to competitors in the market. Have a question about one of these rides or why a cargo bike you love didn’t make our list? Let us know in the comments.

BEST COMPACT CARGO

Benno RemiDemi 10D

Benno Benno RemiDemi 10D

$3,900 at REI

There’s something great about the clean design of the RemiDemi 10D that makes you want to take it everywhere. Customize it with accessories like a front rack or panniers, or even a child seat (it comes stock with a big-ass rear rack). It’ll quickly become your go-to compact e-cargo bike for running errands, zipping around at the beach, and even commuting when the time comes (it gets up to 62 miles on one charge). You’ll encourage friends and family to “go ahead, take it for a spin” because you want to share the joy it brings. And with its extremely low standover and stable balloon tires, it’s easy to ride for almost anyone. You might not notice at first, but you’ll come to appreciate its integrated lights and the fact that its wheelbase is about six inches shorter than a typical cargo bike (a space-saving feature), but also one that makes the 10D that much easier to maneuver.

Dan Chabanov
Test Editor

Test Editor Dan Chabanov got his start in cycling as a New York City bike messenger but quickly found his way into road and cyclocross racing, competing in professional cyclocross races from 2009 to 2019 and winning a Master’s National Championship title in 2018. Prior to joining Bicycling in 2021, Dan worked as part of the race organization for the Red Hook Crit, as a coach with EnduranceWERX, as well as a freelance writer and photographer.

Tara Seplavy
Deputy Editor

As Deputy Editor, Tara Seplavy leads Bicycling’s product test team; after having previously led product development and sourcing for multiple bike brands, run World Championship winning mountain bike teams, wrenched at renowned bicycle shops in Brooklyn, raced everything from criteriums to downhill, and ridden bikes on six different continents (landing herself in hospital emergency rooms in four countries and counting). Based in Easton, Pennsylvania, Tara spends tons of time on the road and trail testing products. A familiar face at cyclocross races, crits, and bike parks in the Mid Atlantic and New England, on weekends she can often be found racing for the New York City-based CRCA/KruisCX team. When not riding a bike, or talking about them, Tara listens to a lot of ska, punk, and emo music, and consumes too much social media.

Content retrieved from: https://www.bicycling.com/bikes-gear/a25054215/best-cargo-bikes/.

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COMMUTER, CARGO, CRUISER, ROAD, AND MOUNTAIN E-BIKES FOR EVERY TYPE OF RIDER (AND BUDGET).

By The Bicycling Editors

It’s official. Electric bikes are here to stay, and their popularity is through the roof. Liberated from some of the normal constraints of standard bike design like weight and gearing, e-bike design has exploded; if you can imagine it, someone has built it. From cargo bikes to city and commuter bikes, mountain bikes, road bikes, folding bikes, and even beach cruisers and tandem bikes, there is something for everyone. The beauty of e-bikes is that they make the joy of cycling accessible to so many people in so many ways.
[…]

The Three Classes of E-Bikes

After you decide which style of e-bike you want, consider which class you prefer. In the U.S., there are three classes defined by the type of assist and how fast the motor will propel you. Most electric bikes sold are class 1 or 3. Class 1 bikes have a motor (max 750w) that assists while you’re pedaling, up to 20 mph. Class 3, also known as “speed pedelec,” can also have up to only a 750w motor (aka 1 horsepower), but can assist you up to 28 mph. Both are allowed in most states and cities without the need for a license. Class 2 models have a throttle that can propel a bike up to and maintain 20 mph without having to continuously pedal. Aventon’s Pace 500 is technically a Class 3 e-bike in that it reaches speeds up to 28 mph, but it also has a throttle that tops out at 20 mph (the maximum legal speed for a throttle).

A Wide Variety of Motors and Batteries

E-bikes mostly use motors and battery options from a few major suppliers: Bosch, Yamaha, Shimano, and Brose. (Some bike brands, like Specialized and Giant, use motors that are made specifically for their bikes—the Specialized SL 1.1 is made by Mahle, and the Giant SyncDrive Pro is made by Yamaha.) A few other brands exist but are less reliable or powerful. Some, like the Yamaha system, have more torque, and others, like Bosch’s Active Line, are nearly silent. Look for motor output (in torque), which will give you an idea of total power. Just like car engines, more torque equals more power off the line and more boost to your pedaling. But watt hours (Wh) is perhaps a more important figure to use—it takes into account battery output and life to give a more accurate reflection of power (higher Wh equals bigger range).

What’s New With E-Bike Motors?

As the momentum of the e-bike trend continues, advancements in motor technology is the obvious next step. And with more and more road and mountain bikes becoming “electrified,” brands are looking to add power without adding a bunch of weight or taking up a ton of space on the frame. This is especially important for full-suspension mountain bikes because smaller motors leave more room for suspension, better tire clearance, and fewer geometry compromises. And lighter motors result in a more natural ride feel. Shimano’s new EP8 motor, for example, is 10 percent smaller and 380 grams lighter than the E8000 it replaces, yet it produces 21 percent more torque (85Nm max vs. 70). This trend doesn’t apply only to mid-drive motors. The Mahle X35 hub motor in the Argon 18 Subito is just 100mm in diameter and weighs about 1,900 grams. Bosch’s newest Performance Line CX motor offers 85Nm of torque and an eMTB mode that automatically responds to a rider’s effort and the terrain without the rider having to switch between modes. And the MicroTune function on the Specialized Turbo Levo’s Turbo Full Power 2.2 motor lets the rider adjust power in 10 percent increments.

Battery Range

For many bikes, battery range is more important than total power (because they’re all pretty powerful). You want a bike that delivers a range long enough for your rides at the power levels you want. Most e-bikes will have three to five levels of assist that kick in anywhere from 25 percent of your pedal power to 200 percent. Consider how fast the battery takes to recharge, especially if you’ll be using your bike for long commutes. And remember, if you won’t settle for anything less than turbo, you’ll get the least amount of range (but the most amount of fun!) your battery offers. Many bikes also now offer the option to piggyback a second battery that lets you double your range, or, in the case of the Electric Bike Company Model X, three (one on the rear rack and two in the front basket, for up to a 200-mile range).

Other Features to Consider

As electric bike options continue to expand, brands are integrating the batteries more seamlessly, which makes the bike look sleeker (and more like a real bike). Most batteries lock to the bike and come with a key that lets you unlock and remove it, which serves at least four good purposes: You can remove the battery and charge it off the bike, a locked battery deters (and hopefully prevents) a thief from stealing it, and an e-bike with the battery removed is safer for hauling on a bike rack and lighter for carrying up steps.

Because e-bikes are capable of greater speeds for longer periods of time than standard bikes, you want extra control. Wider tires provide better traction and the freedom to leave the pavement with little penalty, and a suspension fork will help tame some of the rougher roads you might explore. Good disc brakes are a must, too, for slowing a heavy bike at high speed. This is not a place to skimp.

Some e-bikes come with an integrated lighting system that turns on when you power up the bike. While this is an awesome feature to have, it’s not a deal breaker if your bike isn’t equipped this way. With so many great bike lights available, it’s just as easy to attach your own. Same with rear racks: Some e-bikes come with one, some don’t. You decide how important that feature is to you.

How We Tested

Our team of experienced testers incorporate electric bikes of all types into our routines almost daily. We’ve spent many hours and miles using e-bikes for their intended purpose. We’ve commuted to and from work on them, used them to stock up on groceries and beer, tested their passenger-hauling capability, ridden them on questionable terrain to see how they handle, and run their batteries down to officially see how long they last on one charge. We evaluated them on performance, price, comfort, handling, value, reliability, fun, aesthetics, and overall e-factor to come up with this list of bikes that will best serve the needs of anyone looking to add a little pedal assist to their ride.

E-Cargo Bikes

―Best Family E-Cargo Bike–

Benno Boost E 10D Speed

Benno
propelbikes.com
$4,999.99
SHOP NOW

+ Option to add second battery doubles the range
+ Massive rear rack can hold two Yepp child seats

– Expensive

This latest version of the original Boost, which made its debut in 2016 and impressed us with its immense utility and bold design, improves on that model without changing ride quality. It goes faster, too—the Bosch Performance Speed Cargo motor gets you up to 28 mph in turbo mode. You can haul up to 130 pounds on the rear rack and 45 on the front, and the Boost is compatible with a ton of useful accessories, including a variety of front trays, Yepp baby seats (for two), and different rail systems for your little ones to hold onto. A Bosch PowerPack 500Wh battery sits cleanly on the frame and will provide up to about 75 miles of riding—a range you can double with a second battery. The whole package rolls on 2.6-inch tires wrapped around 24-inch wheels. Best way to buy it: Order it today; it’s in stock and available to ship.

Content retrieved from: https://www.bicycling.com/bikes-gear/a22132137/best-electric-bikes/.

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Model years are a thing of the past—now, every day is new-bike day.

Sep 11, 2019

By Bicycling Test Team

As summer breathes its last, you might be thinking of digging out your puffy and getting ready for a few months of Zwift. But new-bike season isn’t over yet. In fact, it’s always new-bike season as brands have largely moved away from model-year launches and toward drop-it-when-it’s-ready. Based on our conversations with product managers and PR flacks—and our own observations at the recent Eurobike trade show—here’s what’s hot right now: e-bikes, e-bikes, e-bikes, and, oh yeah, e-bikes. But even if you’re not in the market for a new e-bike, many exciting new road, mountain, gravel, kids, and urban bikes have rolled out recently. Here’s a look at the coolest new bikes we can’t wait to ride.

Benno Little Bit of Awesomeness

Price: TBD
Available: TBD

Ok, this bike isn’t really called Little Bit of Awesomeness, but it’s so new that Benno has yet to name it. It’s also unlike most e-bikes in that it has small, wide, 20-inch wheels, and just a little space in the rear for a child seat or cargo. That makes it comfortable on rough roads and easier to manage than a lot of cargo bikes. Some of its design cues come from vintage Italian scooters, says company founder Benno Baenziger and it delivers on his company’s “etility” philosophy: making e-bikes that are stylish and useful, with solid performance. This one is easy to jump on, and the small wells give it exceptional slow-speed handling, just what you want for navigating busy places.

Content retrieved from: https://www.bicycling.com/bikes-gear/a28924257/best-bikes-eurobike/.

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Shun the mall parking lot and strap your groceries, goodies, and offspring to these electrified haulers.

By Dan Roe, Bicycling

Jul 31, 2019

Losing riding time to run unavoidable errands sucks, so quit driving and start pedaling everywhere on an electrically assisted cargo bike. The latest generation is more customizable and wieldy than ever; e-assist and modular mounting systems mean today’s bakfiets and longtails are increasingly viable trade-ins for your gas-guzzling SUV. The United Parcel Service and disaster relief managers across the globe use cargo bikes to transport goods where cars can’t go, and you’ll love breezing past bumper-to-bumper traffic in the bike lane with a week’s worth of groceries packed onto your bike. Whether you’re on the school run or you’re furnishing a room from Ikea, there’s a cargo bike to help you portage past rush hour.

Cargo Bike Layouts

Domestic and international cargo bike popularity has exploded in the past decade, says Xtracycles founder and longtail cargo bike pioneer Ross Evans, yet a few basic designs dominate the segment. There are bakfiets (“box bike” in Dutch), also known as Long Johns, which position the cargo box between the rider and the front axle using a low-slung frame and a steering linkage that runs from the handlebar to the fork. The longtail design is like a tandem, but with space behind the rider for cargo rather than a second saddle. Midtails are shortened longtails; the latter two designs maneuver more like a traditional bicycle, but bakfiets tend to provide more cargo capacity.

To Electrify or Not?

To make sense of the recent cargo bike boom, look to e-bikes. “Electricity and cargo bikes go together like PB&J,” Evans says. Schlepping hundreds of pounds on a bike is great if you’re looking for a workout, but e-cargo bikes like the Tern GSD and Benno Boost E use pedal-assist electric motors with more than 50 miles of range to make cargo bikes more accessible to riders who aren’t trying to break a sweat. The tech comes at a price, however. If you’re running a cost-benefit analysis of the electric premium, bikes like the Yuba Spicy Curry Bosch come in electric and non-electric formats.

Accessorize to Fit Your Needs

Once you’ve purchased a cargo bike, you’ll want the right accessories to maximize its utility. Start on the manufacturer’s website: Brands like Tern and Benno sell panniers, racks, and child seats to match their cargo bikes. Alternatively, if your style is more “chuck it and go,” bakfiets like the Riese & Müller Load 60 use a single spacious box that’ll fit all your stuff in any manner of organization (there’s still seat belts for your kids, though). The best way to figure out the logistics is getting out there and hauling, so start with one of these velo-freighters and get to portaging.

Why You Can Trust Us

Each of these bikes has been thoroughly tested by a Bicycling editor. We’ve used them to fetch groceries and take kids to school, riding them as often as possible to find out whether they can replace our cars for daily use. We’ve also interviewed the product managers who build these bikes and compared them to competitors in the market. Have a question about one of these rides or wish we’d review a bike not on this list? Let us know in the comments.

[…]

Benno Boost E

Form and function aren’t mutually exclusive, proves this graceful longtail.

Price: $3,999

bennobikes.com

• Maneuverable mid-tail design
• Clean look and light weight make it great for non-cargo use, too

The Benno Boost E won Bicycling’s Editor’s Choice award in 2017 for its simplicity and ease of use—we think it’s one of the best-looking cargo bikes around, too. The midtail design makes it easy to maneuver, and the (relatively) low 58.1-pound claimed weight means it’s not terrible to pedal when the battery runs out. The Bosch Performance Line motor and Bosch Purion computer provide five riding modes (four levels of e-assist and “off”), and using the optional front tray helped testers balance out heavy loads. During testing, the integrated lights, ergonomically pleasing integrated seat handle, and weeklong battery life (using the bike for day-to-day errands) impressed us.

Content retrieved from: https://www.bicycling.com/bikes-gear/a25054215/best-cargo-bikes/.

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Find the one that will make you fall in love with riding again.

Jun 28, 2019

The post The Best Beginner Bikes to Start Riding Now appeared first on Benno Bikes LLC.

For more information about the Boost E, Etility Design, and the other cool Etility bikes made by Benno, visit the bennobikes.com website.To learn more about Air Zermatt, visit their website. If you visit the Swiss Alps, you don’t have to fall in a crevasse to get a ride with Air Zermatt – they also do scenic flights.

Benno Bikes ad in Bicycling Magazine

Benno Bikes ad in Bicycling Magazine

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BY JENNIFER SHERRY (www.bicycling.com)

This is not the first time Benno founder and owner Benno Baenziger has brought joy into my life. In 2004, he and his then-partner and cofounder at Electra Bicycle Company visited BICYCLING with a fleet of stylish, innovative cruiser bikes. I couldn’t take my eyes off the three-speed Revil—a red chopper with orange flames and an ape-hanger handlebar. I’d never seen a bike quite like it.

But those cool cruisers were more than just a novelty. They were a huge leap toward a lofty goal: “to get more people on bikes,” says Benno. To do that, Electra used two ingredients: comfort and style. “It always bothered me, though, that our bikes couldn’t do more,” he said.

Fast-forward to today. E-bikes have become a top choice for two-wheeled urban mobility, promising to get you to your destination a little bit (or a lot of bits) faster. Here’s the catch: Your choices mostly include traditional-looking townies that don’t transport much more than the rider, and cargo models that some of us (ahem) find more cumbersome than fun—or, let’s be honest, just don’t have room to store.

The aluminum, step-through eJoy is the happy medium. With 26-inch wheels, full fenders, a Shimano Alivio nine-speed drivetrain and disc brakes, a wheelbase similar to the average townie, and a big, comfy seat, it has the appearance of a practical everyday cruiser. But its oversize rear rack, silent (yes, silent) Bosch Active Line motor, heavyduty head tube with front-tray mounts (the tray is an add-on) and integrated Supernova E3 lights hurtle it into hmm-thiscould-actually-replace-my-car status. It’s one of the quietest, most convenient, and easiest-to-operate e-bikes I’ve ever ridden.

So, back to that word “more.” Whether you translate that as being able to carry more stuff, inspiring more people to rely less on their car, getting places more quickly, or just having more reasons to ride, Benno is still in the business of getting more people on bikes—and for bringing more (e) joy to their lives.

Click on the images below to view the pages from the printed issue of BICYCLING (April 2018)

For the full Benno eJoy review, click the link below.

Go to digital article: https://www.bicycling.com/bikes-gear/a19595658/benno-ejoy-9d-ebike/

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BY THE EDITORS OF BICYCLING

The Benno Boost quickly became one of our favorite e-cargo bikes. It’s well balanced and nimble – the mid-length cargo-bike wheelbase helped its handling immensely over other, longer bikes. We loved the extended battery life: One charge gave us over a week of cargo hauling and toting the kids to school. And when the batteries tanked, it wasn’t a chore to ride it around like it can be with some other bikes of equal capability. It has integrated lights, solid mount points for cargo, and a dedicated rack on the front that added to the balance of the bike and helped distribute loads when carrying heavy stuff. Testers also loved the seat’s integrated handle: It’s a seemingly minor detail that is actually a huge advantage when it comes to living with this electric cargo bike.

What the Editors Said: “Of all the e-bikes I’ve ridden, this is the most versatile one.” “This is a very smart design. Everything works—the handle under the saddle, the kickstand placement, the rack.” “Aesthetically, it’s beautiful too.” (» online article source)

Click on the images below to read the full article from the printed issue of Bicycling (June 2017)

For the full Benno Boost review, click the link below.

Go to digital article: https://www.bicycling.com/bikes-gear/recommended/the-benno-boost-e-brings-beauty-to-e-cargo-bikes

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