2000 Miles on 2020 Benno Boost

2wheels

Member
We have about 1700 miles on this bike and I have tried to reserve judgment on this bike until we reach 2000 miles. That being said, the chain and cassette have not required to be replaced yet in contrast to the Brose Specialized motor on my Vado 5.0 which required replacing the chain and cassette every 700 miles. I plan to write more when I have more time. We bought this bike from Propel in Long Beach. Again I will state the value of buying your bike from a local bike shop. We are fortunate Propel has a location near us. They did this video of me taking our kids to school in the South Bay - (Los Angeles Beach Cities - Torrance, Redondo Beach, Manhattan Beach)
 
Last edited:
Someone on the Specialized Vado Channel asked me about our Benno Boost - durability, style, braking system, range, gripes and kids in the rear rack. I typed this out over there and copied it over here.

RE: Scrunched kids at Benno Utility Rear Rack #3 and Thule Yepp Nexxt Maxi Rack
I'm 6'-4", my wife is 6'-1". Though this type of bike is designed to size most everyone (pg 23), at the tall side, I think it might trail off around 6'-1" or 6'-2". I have a 36" inseam and my wife has a taller inseam. This is a long way of saying that we had to switch out the stem and seat post. I was concerned about this switch in geometry but it has made a big improvement for my comfort with no downsides. Should anyone find themselves in this situation, I recommend the Ganopper 31.8 Stem 60 mm 30 degree Riser Short handlebar Stem for 31.8 Bike. It's a nice design and does not distract at all from the design of the bike. I did research about seat posts, but I don't think those matter too much. We got one 450 mm (17.7" long.) This is 100 mm (approx. 4") longer than the post that comes with the bike.

The design of the bike pushes the rider further back the longer the seat post. I have not measured it, but I bet I'm 3.5" taller and 2" further back than what the tallest setting would offer on the standard seat post. My kids do not notice and do not care. They are now 5 and 3 and just talk to each other and people we pass the whole way. A greater challenge for my wife and I was when my 5 year old was 3 and his feet did not reach the platforms of the Benno Utility Rack; he sat in the front on the Rack Pad with the Yepp seat in back. His feet would dangle and hit our feet during a pedal stroke. I researched how to address this and got help from a shop in Australia named CargoCycles who recommended foot pegs. I bought these pegs and attached them to the Utility rack and then trained my 3 year old to keep his toes on the pedals. That fixed that challenge. This occurred during deep dark covid times in the fall of 2020 when people were afraid to unpack their groceries. I messaged Benno Bikes on Instagram about this challenge and none other than Benno Baenziger wrote back and stated he would create an accessory to address this, stay tuned.

I've been taking my 3 year old on the mac ride on my Vado and he now only wants to ride that bike 'in front'. He's likely only got a few more days in the Yepp seat before I transfer him to the Rack Pad and more pegs.

RE: Durability
As stated above, I hesitate to give full throttle reviews until the bike mileage reaches 2000 miles. That being said, we are now at 1940 miles or so and it is near time to offer my review. This is my second electric bike after 20,000+ miles on the Vado so I will compare the two. The Boost has a Bosch Speed Motor, while the Vado has a Brose motor tuned by Specialized. I loved the Brose motor in 2018 for how quiet it was. I wanted an electric bike that did not look like or sound like an electric bike. The Brose motor has failed me about every 2000 miles while requiring changes in the chain every 700 miles, and cassettes every 700 to 1400 miles. The Bosch motor makes more noise than the Brose but has been much less maintenance. I'm still using the original chain and cassette on the bike with minimized wear on the drivetrain, that is amazing to me considering the loads I carry; and though I hear the motor on the Boost, it does not bother me. Electric bikes are more common now and I don't have the same concern for stealthiness. If anyone gets this bike I recommend getting the motor that assists you to 28 mph. Once you get used to the high speed motors, you don't want anything else. And especially with a heavy load on the cargo bikes.

The frame is strong. I recommend the front Utility Front Tray as a required accessory, it is amazing. I common load for me on the weekend is two kids (70#), a zoom 3 bike supported by the front rack with ratchet straps over our Basil basket, our lunch in the front bucket and two scooters attached to the back to the rear rack. I only ride on city streets, but the bike is durable enough to go off curbs, through potholes, and 'off roading' at the local park, with no concern that the bike is being challenged.

I recommend this bike for motor, bike accessory and frame durability.

RE: Braking system
The braking system is definitely strong enough for a controlled stop under load (270#) down a steep hill. I changed the brake pads around 1000 miles. I think the bike came with resin pads, I switched to shimano G04S metal pads for more power.

RE: Range
Range is affected by load, wind, hills, and assist power. That being said, I've biked 30-35 miles with 270# on the bike for 30-35 miles with mid to high assist on flat ground and minimal wind. The bosch battery is great. I recommend to anyone buying an electric bike they buy from a brand that has some history in the bike world and from a local shop. I bought my cargo bike from Propel in Long Beach. They are great for lots of reasons, including service.

RE: Gripes
It is likely just life with a cargo bike but the following are items I would advise people to look out for
1. Get the most expensive kickstand you can find. When these bikes are loaded and not on level ground, they will tip. Expensive kickstands help. I have the Benno Dual Kickstand which works great, but I've been tempted to get the Rolling Jack Ass. My kids have tipped twice. It's dramatic and people / kids will freak out, but it will be fine - see messages below, I no longer think the Rolling Jack Ass will work with the Benno Boost which has a battery on the down tube.
2. With the rear rack and wheel guards it can be kind of tricky to service the rear brake. It just takes more time.
3. The mods I made for taller riders and dangling legs were kind of annoying but ultimately fun to figure out.
4. For the type of riding I do (suburban and urban LA), I need a horn. An integrated, volume adjusting, horn would be nice. I currently use this Toptrek horn on my Vado and Boost.
5. More integration with the Bosch motor control display would be nice, but the Purion display does not bother me.
6. In my imagination, I think thru axles should be required for any bike with disk brakes but especially ones with heavy loads. I've not experienced any problems with the axles that came with the bike.
7. An integrated café lock would be nice. We use an abus folding lock which I am able to carry with the bike attached to the frame. Buy the longest folding lock. Cargo bikes need longer locks.
8. These bikes are heavy. With the battery and accessories, our bike weighs about 79#. I can carry them and load them on bike racks and maintenance stands but it is a challenge that requires some advanced planning. I do not notice the weight while riding.

The above items are more of a wish list. They do not distract me from enjoying the bike. It is an amazing bike.

RE: Style
I am an architect and get paid to tell people what is beautiful / sexy. I also have to worry about the water intrusion into buildings we design for 10 years. I am comfortable talking about well designed objects. We bought this bike for my wife, we live in a beach community. Styling of the bike was important to us. I love that the bike and its accessories have clean lines and not a lot of branding. I think the bike looks great even with the rear and front rack all loaded up. This is a well designed bike that did not sacrifice function to achieve beauty.

I hope this helps. I'll copy this over the Benno Channel on EBR Forum. Let me know if you have any other questions.
 
Last edited:
I received the questions below on my Specialized Vado Channel from Packfiller where I posted the Boost Ride to school with my kids video, see link above. I copy / pasted them below for Benno Boost reasons. I will make the questions blue to aid reading questions / answers.
********************
Thank you so much for the detailed response and especially including the links! This is probably the best answer I've ever got to an internet question. I also think this is one of the few times that I'm glad I'm not your height as I'm 5'8 (the other being in economy seating in an airplane). A few follow up questions:

1. As far as your kid's feet dangling, despite having the wheel guards and the pegs and the foot rest with the rack pads, have there ever been any close calls with them accidentally flailing their feet into the spokes or is it sufficiently covered?

There have been no close calls of feet or articles of clothing having gotten caught in spokes. My kids squirm and do all sorts of things in the back with many different articles of clothing and nothing has gotten caught in the spokes.

2. Do you ever use panniers on your bike? There's certainly a markup for Benno branded stuff, at least here is where we can have a bit of flexibility.

The installation of the Thule Yepp Maxi Rack and two kids in back does not work with panniers that are filled. Before we received the Yepp Maxi, we did use Ortielb Back Roller Pro Plus Panniers (for our trips to the beach, when the parking lots were closed during Covid.) It was a process that we never quite perfected. The design of the utility rack requires some extra skill to utilize the ortlieb one hand release from the rack, its not easy. This week we removed the Yepp Maxi Rack to allow our three year old to ride on the rack pad (per his request). I look forward to revisiting the pannier storage option. I am frugal, but have learned to pay top dollar for bike items. The rattling from the road, the rain, the sun, the sand damages bikes. Bike designers take time and experience to address these challenges, which often leads to more expensive gear. That being said, I don't presently own any Benno panniers.

3. When your bike tipped over, was it because you kids were squirming around or because you were on uneven ground? I'm assuming the high rail took the brunt of the collision? Did it dislodge the rail system? Did you have the pool noodles on the sidebars?

Squirming plus uneven ground increases the chances of tripping. More recently, when the dual bike kick stand is deployed and I'm lifting my kids out, I find myself stepping on one of the feet of the dual kickstand to gauge the stability of the bike. I can respond more quickly with my foot on the kickstand because I can feel the stability of the bike with the pressure exerted on my foot by the kick stand. I have learned to become more sensitive to slopes and to park the bike in the direction of the slopes with the rear of the bike at a down slope position. I also remember where to and where not to park the bike on my routines. The bike could tip on flat ground if someone squirmed enough. The bike does not tip frontwards. I once sat on the rack pad with my 2 kids and felt it tipping backwards. Today I left my 5 year old alone with the bike and he tried to climb in, the bike tipped, he did not get hurt. Ultimately you need to train your kids about appropriate behavior on the bike ('toes on the pedals') and train yourself to be more sensitive to slopes and what unwatched children might do. The high rail plus is designed to take the fall. I've called it our roll cage. Kids' hands naturally go to the inner bar based upon how the bars are positioned. When the outer bar hits the ground / wall, it protects the kids hands from impact. Our bike has tipped with my kids in the back twice. Both times I was off the bike. One time was flat ground with lots of squirming. The other time was with sloped pavement. It is traumatic, but no one got hurt. Beyond that, the bike has tipped 6-8 times for various reasons. The high rail was never dislodged from any of these impacts. We've never used pool noodles on the sidebars.

4. Do you think the Benno Dual kickstand is a bit too narrow? Have you seen any other alternatives besides the rolling jack ass? I talked with the distributor for the Urus kickstands that I saw on a Riese and Mueller that I was really impressed by. They aren't sure if there's will fit on the Benno, they are going to check to see if this fits. Theirs are all single bolt attachment to the frame while the Benno has this interesting two bolt system.

I knew a kickstand was important and did not flinch at the $120 price for the benno dual kickstand. I understand the base width of the kickstand is important, but have not questioned its outside dimensions. After some of our first tips, I researched the Rolling Jack Ass, but ultimately became a more informed user of the bike/my kids and limits of slope vs stability. The benno dual kickstand on my bike has a single bolt sandwiching two plates on either side of the frame. I think the image used with the marketing of it is a concept rendering. Attached to the dual kickstand is the the chain roller which is a required element of the drivetrain with the dual kick stand. This looks to be a critical design element of any dual kickstand placed on the benno boost. I appreciate you concern about the kickstand, but I think you will fine w/ the benno dual kickstand.

5. I also saw on another thread you trying to put your bike on your rack for your accord, I also have a Thule T2 pro with a. 2" hitch. Do you think if you took off the front rack you could put the arm over the fender and push against the frame to keep it stabilized? I'm also curious as to why Thule says there's a 60lb limit on the carrier/bike. To me, total weight would be more important rather than individual. Any ideas why this is?

Placing the armature of the Thule T2 pro on the front fender creates an unsecure connection and potentially damages the fender. The benno bike fender is used to locate the front light which is one reason not to remove it. Propel reps recommended sticking styrofoam or rags between the space of the tire and the rim to avoid crushing the fender. I attempted this a few times, but never found it easily achievable. The armature that supports the actual bike is likely what limits the load to 60#. These are design limits within safety standards that the company felt comfortable with. The rack can hold more, but if the rack fails, you will be at fault for the damage to the bike and any carnage you create from a cargo bike tumbling down the road behind your car. Check out the tongue weight supported by your car as well. I found this info in my car's manual. My 2004 accord can only carry 100# TW (include weight of rack).

6. Do you use inserts in your tires? They seem to make quite a bit of sense however, it seems crazy how much they are charging for what is essentially a pool noodle, but that's capitalism I suppose.

I had never heard of tire inserts until you mentioned them. I've gotten 1 flat in 2000 miles.

Anyway, I absolutely agree with you that the 28 mph motor is the way to go. I have a van moof eBike that was given to me by my work and it maxes out at 20 and it just seems too tame which is why I'm looking at the Benno. The only other long tail cargo I could find that goes up to 28 was a Riese and Mueller but those things are not cheap. There's definitely a tangible difference in ride quality and experience but for the price of a small car, I don't think I could justify spending that much on a bike, not to mention you are looking at late summer for delivery of a bike from R+M.

I test road a few R&M bikes when I wanted to learn more about the rholoff internal geared hub (IGH) for my Vado. The bikes are nice and do cost more. I think part of that is material and electronics. R+M bikes weigh more and have higher end electronics. Other than the integration of electronics into the bike, I don't have strong feelings about interface design of the motor system. I think the Boost is a mid tail cargo bike, the Boost wheel base matches that of a standard bike, which I appreciate.
 
Last edited:
hi there!
I am Nathanael, I am french, and I am the owner of a Benno Boost E 2020 since few months.
I have done 1500km with my bike now and i am using it mainly to go to work or to carry my 2 kids on the back with 2 Yepp seats.
I am quite happy with this bike and it looks robust.
but I am a bit concerned with something I recently realized.
on the rear left triangle, I discovered that it is bent. in contrary, the rear right triangle is straight.
I don t know if it is normal, to let enough space for break system maintenance or if there is an issue with my bike.
I put some pics in attachment.
would you be kind enough to check on your own bike and tell me if you have the same curve on your rear left triangle?
many thanks!
 

Attachments

  • comparison triangles BENNO E 2020.pdf
    3.7 MB · Views: 469
Hi Nathanael,
I like the color of your bike!
I looked at my bike to see if I could help you out, see attached pics.
On left side of our bike with the brake caliper the seatstay is bent. On the right side of our bike with the cassette, the seatstay is straight.
I like your brake system access idea. I've found it more challenging to adjust my brakes on this bike, perhaps the designers saw this coming and wanted to make it easier.
I've experienced something similar when staring at my bikes late at night.
In summary, the clean lines of the boost our broken to clear the wide tires.
I hope this helps you out.
If you have any questions / suggestions let me know.
 

Attachments

  • Benno Left - brake caliper.jpg
    Benno Left - brake caliper.jpg
    209.6 KB · Views: 348
  • Benno Right - cassette.jpg
    Benno Right - cassette.jpg
    222.2 KB · Views: 368
On March 6, 2022, when removing my rear wheel to replace the rear rotor, I had the unfortunate experience of bending my derailleur hanger. I knew this was trouble right away as I sensed this would be a difficult item to track down. I contacted my local bike shop, Propel the next day. I also researched replacements from third parties but could not find a match. That week, I got impatient and bought a derailleur hanger straightener from Parktool. This video made the repair look easy and it was. By the following weekend, I was back on my bike (March 13, 2022). Propel had to order the part from QBP. It has now been 5+ weeks and I have not yet received the derailleur hanger I paid for on March 30, 2022. I'm glad I got the park tool derailleur hanger straightener, 5+ weeks without our benno boost would have been too long. The straightener works and the repair has been durable. Any other stories out there regarding pandemic shopping for bike parts. Hopefully I will receive my new derailleur hanger next week, 1 month after I repaired the bike hanger myself.
 

Attachments

  • benno derailleur hanger outside.jpg
    benno derailleur hanger outside.jpg
    259.7 KB · Views: 310
  • benno derailleur hanger inside.jpg
    benno derailleur hanger inside.jpg
    260.6 KB · Views: 310
Someone on the Specialized Vado Channel asked me about our Benno Boost - durability, style, braking system, range, gripes and kids in the rear rack. I typed this out over there and copied it over here.

RE: Scrunched kids at Benno Utility Rear Rack #3 and Thule Yepp Nexxt Maxi Rack
I'm 6'-4", my wife is 6'-1". Though this type of bike is designed to size most everyone (pg 23), at the tall side, I think it might trail off around 6'-1" or 6'-2". I have a 36" inseam and my wife has a taller inseam. This is a long way of saying that we had to switch out the stem and seat post. I was concerned about this switch in geometry but it has made a big improvement for my comfort with no downsides. Should anyone find themselves in this situation, I recommend the Ganopper 31.8 Stem 60 mm 30 degree Riser Short handlebar Stem for 31.8 Bike. It's a nice design and does not distract at all from the design of the bike. I did research about seat posts, but I don't think those matter too much. We got one 450 mm (17.7" long.) This is 100 mm (approx. 4") longer than the post that comes with the bike.

The design of the bike pushes the rider further back the longer the seat post. I have not measured it, but I bet I'm 3.5" taller and 2" further back than what the tallest setting would offer on the standard seat post. My kids do not notice and do not care. They are now 5 and 3 and just talk to each other and people we pass the whole way. A greater challenge for my wife and I was when my 5 year old was 3 and his feet did not reach the platforms of the Benno Utility Rack; he sat in the front on the Rack Pad with the Yepp seat in back. His feet would dangle and hit our feet during a pedal stroke. I researched how to address this and got help from a shop in Australia named CargoCycles who recommended foot pegs. I bought these pegs and attached them to the Utility rack and then trained my 3 year old to keep his toes on the pedals. That fixed that challenge. This occurred during deep dark covid times in the fall of 2020 when people were afraid to unpack their groceries. I messaged Benno Bikes on Instagram about this challenge and none other than Benno Baenziger wrote back and stated he would create an accessory to address this, stay tuned.

I've been taking my 3 year old on the mac ride on my Vado and he now only wants to ride that bike 'in front'. He's likely only got a few more days in the Yepp seat before I transfer him to the Rack Pad and more pegs.

RE: Durability
As stated above, I hesitate to give full throttle reviews until the bike mileage reaches 2000 miles. That being said, we are now at 1940 miles or so and it is near time to offer my review. This is my second electric bike after 20,000+ miles on the Vado so I will compare the two. The Boost has a Bosch Speed Motor, while the Vado has a Brose motor tuned by Specialized. I loved the Brose motor in 2018 for how quiet it was. I wanted an electric bike that did not look like or sound like an electric bike. The Brose motor has failed me about every 2000 miles while requiring changes in the chain every 700 miles, and cassettes every 700 to 1400 miles. The Bosch motor makes more noise than the Brose but has been much less maintenance. I'm still using the original chain and cassette on the bike with minimized wear on the drivetrain, that is amazing to me considering the loads I carry; and though I hear the motor on the Boost, it does not bother me. Electric bikes are more common now and I don't have the same concern for stealthiness. If anyone gets this bike I recommend getting the motor that assists you to 28 mph. Once you get used to the high speed motors, you don't want anything else. And especially with a heavy load on the cargo bikes.

The frame is strong. I recommend the front Utility Front Tray as a required accessory, it is amazing. I common load for me on the weekend is two kids (70#), a zoom 3 bike supported by the front rack with ratchet straps over our Basil basket, our lunch in the front bucket and two scooters attached to the back to the rear rack. I only ride on city streets, but the bike is durable enough to go off curbs, through potholes, and 'off roading' at the local park, with no concern that the bike is being challenged.

I recommend this bike for motor, bike accessory and frame durability.

RE: Braking system
The braking system is definitely strong enough for a controlled stop under load (270#) down a steep hill. I changed the brake pads around 1000 miles. I think the bike came with resin pads, I switched to shimano G04S metal pads for more power.

RE: Range
Range is affected by load, wind, hills, and assist power. That being said, I've biked 30-35 miles with 270# on the bike for 30-35 miles with mid to high assist on flat ground and minimal wind. The bosch battery is great. I recommend to anyone buying an electric bike they buy from a brand that has some history in the bike world and from a local shop. I bought my cargo bike from Propel in Long Beach. They are great for lots of reasons, including service.

RE: Gripes
It is likely just life with a cargo bike but the following are items I would advise people to look out for
1. Get the most expensive kickstand you can find. When these bikes are loaded and not on level ground, they will tip. Expensive kickstands help. I have the Benno Dual Kickstand which works great, but I've been tempted to get the Rolling Jack Ass. My kids have tipped twice. It's dramatic and people / kids will freak out, but it will be fine - see messages below, I no longer think the Rolling Jack Ass will work with the Benno Boost which has a battery on the down tube.
2. With the rear rack and wheel guards it can be kind of tricky to service the rear brake. It just takes more time.
3. The mods I made for taller riders and dangling legs were kind of annoying but ultimately fun to figure out.
4. For the type of riding I do (suburban and urban LA), I need a horn. An integrated, volume adjusting, horn would be nice. I currently use this Toptrek horn on my Vado and Boost.
5. More integration with the Bosch motor control display would be nice, but the Purion display does not bother me.
6. In my imagination, I think thru axles should be required for any bike with disk brakes but especially ones with heavy loads. I've not experienced any problems with the axles that came with the bike.
7. An integrated café lock would be nice. We use an abus folding lock which I am able to carry with the bike attached to the frame. Buy the longest folding lock. Cargo bikes need longer locks.
8. These bikes are heavy. With the battery and accessories, our bike weighs about 79#. I can carry them and load them on bike racks and maintenance stands but it is a challenge that requires some advanced planning. I do not notice the weight while riding.

The above items are more of a wish list. They do not distract me from enjoying the bike. It is an amazing bike.

RE: Style
I am an architect and get paid to tell people what is beautiful / sexy. I also have to worry about the water intrusion into buildings we design for 10 years. I am comfortable talking about well designed objects. We bought this bike for my wife, we live in a beach community. Styling of the bike was important to us. I love that the bike and its accessories have clean lines and not a lot of branding. I think the bike looks great even with the rear and front rack all loaded up. This is a well designed bike that did not sacrifice function to achieve beauty.

I hope this helps. I'll copy this over the Benno Channel on EBR Forum. Let me know if you have any other questions.
I really like this indepth post! I have had my Benno Boost for a year and a half now, and my 7 year old has finally agreed she will ride on the back of the bike at times (she also rides her own bike). I'm having to reconfigure, trying to keep my Benno full size pannier bags and have a place for her feet. I bought the foot pegs you recommended. Can you show me a photo of where you put them on?
 
Back