cargo ebike for heavier riders

[dmcmillin75]

I am looking for an ebike to take with me on a perm basis to the big island of hawaii. Some requirements (after having owned a sinch step through), multiple batteries are a must. I learned the hard way that as a tall, big boned rider I need to make sure I get where I want to go (I sit between 210-225 on average and am 6'3sh) and I generally haul about 40# of fishing gear and a backup power source to recharge my bike while I fish) and also drinks/food since I generally spend all day when I go out.

The big island besides the coastal area's is pretty flat. I am as it stands doing about 20-30 miles round trip on my sinch and need to charge it between stops or use my second battery *right now I put all my stuff into a burley nomad* I would like to not need my burley and have all that stuff in a cargo type system that's on the bike for simplicity. it's not large items, just bulky/heavy. The problem is when I put it on my e-bike as is I lost about 30% of my battery.

Price range is depending on if I need to take a loan out or not. if no loan then 3-4k, but I would like to not need more than 10k if I can avoid it. Thanks for your time. currently mainland usa.

 

[PedalUma]

I make custom eBikes for locals in Northern California. The most important factor is wheel strength. And you will want high quality cargo tires. Good cargo wheels have more spokes that are thicker than those on regular bikes. The hubs, axles and bearings are all heavy duty. There are some bikes that look a lot like cargo bikes but have flimsy wheels. Avoid those. You can get a good used non-electric cargo bike for $750 and then install a motor between the pedals and upgrade the tires.

 

[Brendon@OEB]

I am looking for an ebike to take with me on a perm basis to the big island of hawaii. Some requirements (after having owned a sinch step through), multiple batteries are a must. I learned the hard way that as a tall, big boned rider I need to make sure I get where I want to go (I sit between 210-225 on average and am 6'3sh) and I generally haul about 40# of fishing gear and a backup power source to recharge my bike while I fish) and also drinks/food since I generally spend all day when I go out.

The big island besides the coastal area's is pretty flat. I am as it stands doing about 20-30 miles round trip on my sinch and need to charge it between stops or use my second battery *right now I put all my stuff into a burley nomad* I would like to not need my burley and have all that stuff in a cargo type system that's on the bike for simplicity. it's not large items, just bulky/heavy. The problem is when I put it on my e-bike as is I lost about 30% of my battery.

Price range is depending on if I need to take a loan out or not. if no loan then 3-4k, but I would like to not need more than 10k if I can avoid it. Thanks for your time. currently mainland usa.

Yuba Spicy Curry sounds like a great fit for you! Can easily haul the weight, has a dual battery option too. That way you use both batteries at the same time and charge them with one charger too. Accessories offered should get you dialed in for your gear!

Tern GSD is another great option with a few different drivetrain options. Given where you're going a belt drive wouldn't be a bad thought, higher price point though.

 

[m@Robertson]

210-225 and 6'3" you aren't so much a heavy rider as you are a tall one. Getting a proper fit to your inseam is going to be a challenge. Consider something like a long Thudbuster where you can get one that is 450mm long. You'll want something extra long so you keep a lot of seatpost inside the frame.

For a tall rider, the Surly Big Dummy is a good option. I have a Medium/Large Mongoose Envoy that would work well for someone your size. Same with my Size Medium Surly Big Fat Dummy, although that bike is no longer in production. The Mongoose is a project bike. You use it as a donor frame and replace everything, but the advantage there is you can replace as your budget allows. Still, the budget on a bike like that is small. The issue is you have to do the work.

Mongoose Envoy – Chapter 8 (Low Cost Builds)

Introduction: The Mongoose Envoy Project Chapter 1: The Raised Rear Deck Chapter 2: Better Brakes Chapter 3: What Kind of Motor? Chapter 4: Motor Choice Chap…

talesontwowheels.com

I'd sell you mine cheap if you wanted it . Its a full conversion with top end parts everywhere, including indestructible custom wheels that are running more comfortable 26x2.8 tires. Remember that lots of tire sidewall (which combined with air pressure increases total system capacity just like it does on a car) is as important as a strong wheel build. I have had mine to over 400 lbs total. this pic was taken before I went to the bigger tires.

Last but not least, there is nothing like a front-loader for convenience. No packing. Just chuck your stuff in and go, with no concern for load balancing or even packing. However, now you are getting up into the big leagues, budgetwise.

If I had it to do over again, I would go straight to the frontloader. There is so much convenience associated with a big bucket, and which does not affect your balance no matter how heavy you load it. I have done 500+ lb total system loads on my Surly and it is almost un-rideable thanks to all the weight hanging off the sides. Not the bike's fault... its just physics.

Mid Tail, Long Tail or Front Loader (which cargo bike do I choose)?

I never planned on building three different classes of cargo bike, but I did. What are their strengths and weaknesses?

talesontwowheels.com

 

[Bicyclista]

Yuba Spicy Curry sounds like a great fit for you! Can easily haul the weight, has a dual battery option too. That way you use both batteries at the same time and charge them with one charger too. Accessories offered should get you dialed in for your gear!

Tern GSD is another great option with a few different drivetrain options. Given where you're going a belt drive wouldn't be a bad thought, higher price point though.

I ride the Yuba Spicy Curry AT (all terrain). Differences from the regular Spicy Curry: front suspension, knobby tires, Thudbuster seat post, longer reach (because it comes with a fixed stem). According to Yuba it can accomodate riders up to 6'3" (but a 6'-2" rider claimed it was borderline small for him; try it for size before you buy), and carry up to 440 lbs. including rider(s). I ordered mine with dual batteries, and it gives me a range of about 80 to 100 miles. Obviously, range depends on terrain, wind, level of assist, etc. I've had mine for a year and I like it a lot. With Yuba panniers, side boards (required to hold the Yuba panniers), front basket, and aforementioned dual batteries, it was about $7,500, if I remember correctly.

Make sure the cargo bike you get has a strong motor such as the Bosch Cargo Line (85Nm of torque) in the Yuba Spicy Curry AT. Other Bosch motors (i.e. those with less than 85Nm of torque), such as the one in my girlfriends Tern HSD are too wimpy for cargo. Yamaha motors are also strong, specially upon start-up from a dead stop.

Spicy Curries have a 26" wheel in front and a 20" wheel in back. The larger wheel in front is great for riding over obstacles as well as having better rolling resistance, and the smaller wheel in back lowers the cargo center of gravity and provides greater acceleration.

 

[Brendon@OEB]

I ride the Yuba Spicy Curry AT (all terrain). Differences from the regular Spicy Curry: front suspension, knobby tires, Thudbuster seat post, longer reach (because it comes with a fixed stem). According to Yuba it can accomodate riders up to 6'3" (but a 6'-2" rider claimed it was borderline small for him; try it for size before you buy), and carry up to 440 lbs. including rider(s). I ordered mine with dual batteries, and it gives me a range of about 80 to 100 miles. Obviously, range depends on terrain, wind, level of assist, etc. I've had mine for a year and I like it a lot. With Yuba panniers, side boards (required to hold the Yuba panniers), front basket, and aforementioned dual batteries, it was about $7,500, if I remember correctly.

Make sure the cargo bike you get has a strong motor such as the Bosch Cargo Line (85Nm of torque) in the Yuba Spicy Curry AT. Other Bosch motors (i.e. those with less than 85Nm of torque), such as the one in my girlfriends Tern HSD are too wimpy for cargo. Yamaha motors are also strong, specially upon start-up from a dead stop.

Spicy Curries have a 26" wheel in front and a 20" wheel in back. The larger wheel in front is great for riding over obstacles as well as having better rolling resistance, and the smaller wheel in back lowers the cargo center of gravity and provides greater acceleration.

Also worth noting the Yuba SC AT is a class 3 Bosch Cargo Speed motor versus the class 1 Cargo motor in the SC City. The 85nm comes on a bit stronger down low with the class 1 motor I've noticed. Same overall torque, but it's punchier out of the gate. Can be nice if you're carrying quite a bit of stuff with you. That said the Cargo Speed motor is super nice if you're riding with traffic in bike lanes. Yuba also has a longer seatpost available for taller riders too.

 

[m@Robertson]

A Bafang hub motor like what is in the Gin X has only 35-55Nm of torque, depending on what its connected up to. Considering the small battery size of the Gin-X and its high mileage claims, I'd guess its closer to the 35Nm side since it would have to be sipping power gently to make a small battery like that last a long time.

EDIT: Never mind I see from your other post you are a shill for this brand and not actually trying to help anyone make a proper choice.

 

[Brendon@OEB]

Based on your requirements for a durable, reliable e-bike that can handle your weight and carry your fishing gear and other items, the GIN X e-bike could be a good fit for you. It has a powerful 250W Bafang motor, hydraulic brakes, and a 615 Wh battery that provides a range of 110 km. It also has a fat tire design, which can handle different terrains and a cargo system that can help you to carry your fishing gear and other items you need. The price of GIN X is quite affordable (£999) and it offers premium features that are equivalent to an industry average e-bike worth £1449 in the UK/US.

This is bad advice and not even on topic with regards to OP's question.

 

[solomonbaillie]

Roll Road Emma 3.0 is highly recommended! It has two 52V batteries, can haul 450 lbs payload, and attach a 9 gallon trunk on its back rack. It has a 1500W motor that is able to tackle 30% grade hills. Totally meet your needs. Oh, by the way, its price is $2099 now, give away a free trunk as per-order.

 

[m@Robertson]

I don't think people understand what a 30% grade actually is, and just how near-impossible it is for an ebike to make it up something like that. Especially not a hub motor bike of any stripe, but even a mid drive on its lowest gear can be a bit of a 'maybe'.

And lets be real on the Emma succeeding there. If you have gone up really REALLY steep hills rather than just talking about them on the internet, you know your front wheel pops up, even if you stand on the pedals and lean forward over the handlebars (the only way around this is with a longtail bike). An Emma is not a longtail, and to make matters worse it has a giant box up high and in the back BEHIND the rear wheel. And one of the batteries is over the rear wheel, so thats another handicap. Forget about that bike making it up a 30% hill on anything but paper no matter how powerful its motor claims to be (Its a Bafang, which is 80-85 Nm. Thats respectable but pretty mundane as power output goes).

Of the top 10 steepest streets in the US., I have done Eldred, personally. 33%. This was like a 3-5 mph pedal uphill with a BBSHD in a super low gear. The motor kept me from popping a blood vessel (pedaling was mild to medium effort) but the real challenge was the front wheel, and I had nothing on the back.

Where are the 11 steepest streets in the USA?

Hold on tight! The USA boasts 11 roads that defy gravity with the

www.dangerousroads.org

 

[m@Robertson]

Again on the Roll Road and BS performance claims: This pictured bike has two motors comparable to the Emma (Bafang Bigfoot 750's that are extra heavy duty internally and sadly no longer made). One on each axle. The front motor is going to be ballast only on a 30% grade. But each motor has its own 35a controller, and a 30ah 52v battery with a 90a continuous BMS. 58.8v x 35a = 2058w going to each motor so 500w more than the Emma is capable of with effectively the same motor from the same manufacturer. And I built this bike in 2018. And no, it can't go up a 30% grade unless I want to let the rear motor shred its nylon gears 'sooner' rather than 'never'.

The Emma has a 52v battery and 1500w output, so basic electrical math tells us that means it only has a 25a controller (58.8v*25a=1470w) which is decent but not particularly noteworthy.

Its a decent bike and people like it who have them, but it isn't going to be a miracle worker. The math (volts x watts = amps) and physics (regular length frame, high center of gravity loaded to the rear etc.) make that obvious over and above any bias any individual has for or against.

 

[m@Robertson]

Everything I have heard from R&M Load owners who have experience with other frontloaders is it is an awful ride.

The belt drive is going to mean you can only do an IGH in the back, and that in turn means you can only do lower-powered motor solutions with proprietary parts and name-brand dealer pricing. A belt drive with a Rohloff and a BBSHD would be ideal for torque up a hill but a Rohloff solution is going to be US$2000 once you total up everything. Just the Speedhub itself is going to be in the ballpark of $1400 and thats before you gear it. I toyed with the idea of doing a Rohloff+belt belt conversion on one of my Bullitts and it was just too much money for aesthetic - not functional - gain.

I had 4500 miles on a BBSHD with a derailleur, and those miles were adjustment-free. Same chain, too. That kind of longevity comes from a smart build and a disciplined riding technique, but still... Belt drives are neat but there's a reason they haven't taken over the world in the many years since their introduction. You'll have to spend about 10 minutes wiping that chain down with a solvent/lube like Rock And Roll every 3-4 weeks, but otherwise you will get hill climbing as good as it gets with only that added bit of maintenance.