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.
