Cargo eBikes for long, somewhat bulky items

[Scramjett]

Hello,

I’ve been thinking of getting a cargo e-bike to further limit my need for a car. However, there is still one use case that I have yet to figure out how to replace my car. I practice martial arts that includes weapons training. I keep my long weapons in a sort of long weapon bag, the longest of which is 7 - 8 feet long. Most types of cargo bikes don’t really cut it for carrying something like that (even my main weapons bag is 5’ x 2’ and a bit awkward on a bike). Any thoughts on what could hold these items? I was thinking the Yuba Supermarché could work (there is even a local bike shop that sells them) but it is pretty expensive. I was hoping for something around $3000 to $4000 max. Any thoughts from anyone?

My area is mostly flat terrain with a mediterranean climate (triple digit summers, 30s winters, the rest of the year mild). I’d probably ride about 3 to 4 miles one way tops.

Thanks!

 

[E-Wheels]

Hello,

I’ve been thinking of getting a cargo e-bike to further limit my need for a car. However, there is still one use case that I have yet to figure out how to replace my car. I practice martial arts that includes weapons training. I keep my long weapons in a sort of long weapon bag, the longest of which is 7 - 8 feet long. Most types of cargo bikes don’t really cut it for carrying something like that (even my main weapons bag is 5’ x 2’ and a bit awkward on a bike). Any thoughts on what could hold these items? I was thinking the Yuba Supermarché could work (there is even a local bike shop that sells them) but it is pretty expensive. I was hoping for something around $3000 to $4000 max. Any thoughts from anyone?

My area is mostly flat terrain with a mediterranean climate (triple digit summers, 30s winters, the rest of the year mild). I’d probably ride about 3 to 4 miles one way tops.

Thanks!

Overhead Bike Surf Racks Carry Boards, Block Sun

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[6zfshdb]

Rather than limit your choice of bikes to the cargo type, why not consider a bike trailer? There are many reasonably priced models out there including this one from Burley:

Coho XC Single Wheel Suspension Cargo Bike Trailer

The Burley Coho XC Single Wheel Trailer gets your gear where you need to go, so whether you're bikepacking for a weekend or a month you can be prepared. The single-wheel design easily moves over everything from pavement to singletrack, so you don't have to worry about the terrain you'll be...

www.backcountry.com

 

[Luto]

I am in the same boat (bike?) with a yumi (long bow). Here is the solution I am looking at. All the other things can work out and I did not want to get a dedicated bike just for gear because it was too much money for this purpose. I have used these on my boat and they are VERY stable and would add:

• safety flag up high
• strap mid height,
• extension inside the tube
• pool noodles for protection
• heavy duty back Rack and panniers for the rest.

Amazon.com: RAM Mounts RAP-119-404U RAM TUBE FISHING ROD HOLDER TOUGH CLAW: Automotive

I would ride about 8 miles on pavement with a gravel ebike. I think having something long extended out back (with no "hinge") is no good because you cannot turn corners without hitting something. Try it. Going slanted upwards is the best I have seen for guns and fishing rods. Emulating a safety flag is my current thinking.

 

[indianajo]

I carry 8'x8" boards and 10' pipe stock on the Yuba bodaboda left. I have a 30.5" x 22" aluminum angle rack screwed to the back book (child) rack. The side rails are longer than the cross pieces since the book rack is not that long. I built it to support a L78-15 pickup wheel on the way to the tire store. the support works on 32" flat TV's (3 weeks ago) or 6000 BTU air conditioners (4 years ago). The 2017 bodaboda has 8 threaded 5 mm screw bosses in the book rack for hanging stuff. My Brightz rear light is hung from the rear bosses with a piece of plastic screwed over it to keep the rain off.
Then I built a 20" long rack hung from the front bosses in the bodaboda frame out of aluminum angle. It was orginally to support 3 each 2 liter soda bottles, but when I electrified the bike I put the battery on that to weigh down the front wheel. The rack doesn't steer with the wheel, which helps handling. The front bosses are not threaded but accept a 1/4" or 6 mm diameter screw. I use stainless bolt & nuts, with elastic stop nuts, counter torqued to not fall off. mcmaster.com
The load can be tied in 2 places on the back rack with string, and to the front rack, right of the seat post. I have also been known to hang these loads in a string loop hung off the handle bar. The load goes through my legs. The main problem is getting my leg over the load as I'm age 70 and not as flexible as I was age 55. Pedaling is not a problem unless the 8" board turns flat to the ground, which I handled by motoring home electrically under control of the throttle.
Don't forget a red rag tied to front or back, if it hang over much. I have the tips of both racks painted day-glo green to match the bicycle and distinguish the gray aluminum from the gray asphalt of the road.
The unpowered bodaboda was $1500 with panniers front basket (too wide) and double leg stand. the electrical conversion was $840 with the first motor and a 17.5 AH luna battery, but that $221 ebikeling motor wore out @ 4500 miles and I now have a $700 Mac12 geared hubmotor on the front. I run 2.1" knobby tires about 45-50 lb for some cushioning. Note the seat post on the bodaboda will not fit spring suspensions.

 

[Scramjett]

Hello all! Thanks for the quick responses!

@6zfshdb - I had considered a trailer but I was not sure how easy it would be to hook up to my Juiced CrossCurrent X. It would be the less expensive route but Juiced, so far, does not play nicely with non-proprietary accessories. I wasn't able to get a good look at how the trailer you recommended hooks up to a bike but it looks like it hooks up to the rear stays? I've had difficulty attaching things to the rear stays on my Juiced but I might see if I can find a trailer that hitches to a seat post or some other means.

@indianajo - wow, that's quite a setup! It may be a little too involved for me. Ideally I'd like to just load it up and go, or at least use a couple of quick attachment points. But that's great that your setup works well for you!

@Luto - I can't quite visualize how your setup works. Do you have a pic that shows how you're employing the RAM Mount? But I do agree that a dedicated bike is a bit much for something I'd likely only be using once a week tops.

Thanks again for all of the great feedback!

 

[Scramjett]

Btw, I dislocated my shoulder the other day so I'll be out of cycling and martial arts for awhile anyway. I'll probably pick this research up again early next year. In any case, thanks for the great feedback!

 

[Sierratim]

Sorry to hear about your shoulder.

A few final thoughts to consider when you're back to this topic:

The Coho XC trailer is a great product. I researched it for an unsupported ebike tour we were going to do before COVID hit. Hopefully next year. It's rear fender and front handle are intended to secure long items. It's two point kickstand allows you to easily ride away from the loaded trailer, etc.

With that said, a rear hub motor makes trailer attachment problematic. A Juiced rep on this thread recommends not attaching anything to the motor axle;

Thread 'Bike trailer and CrossCurrent' https://electricbikereview.com/forums/threads/bike-trailer-and-crosscurrent.28869/

Others have posted videos with customized adapters that work for them. YRMV.

Good luck with that shoulder.

 

[Scramjett]

Sorry to hear about your shoulder.

A few final thoughts to consider when you're back to this topic:

The Coho XC trailer is a great product. I researched it for an unsupported ebike tour we were going to do before COVID hit. Hopefully next year. It's rear fender and front handle are intended to secure long items. It's two point kickstand allows you to easily ride away from the loaded trailer, etc.

With that said, a rear hub motor makes trailer attachment problematic. A Juiced rep on this thread recommends not attaching anything to the motor axle;

Thread 'Bike trailer and CrossCurrent' https://electricbikereview.com/forums/threads/bike-trailer-and-crosscurrent.28869/

Others have posted videos with customized adapters that work for them. YRMV.

Good luck with that shoulder.

Thanks! Unfortunately this is not my first rodeo. But this was the easiest it has popped out so I don't know what my doctor is going to say about that.

I looked at some of the different bike trailers and it seems like they all connect at the axle which is problematic for e-bikes with rear hub motors like my CCX. The QuietCat trailer (found in one of the forums) looks promising even though it's meant for their branded bikes. It looks like they designed it to bolt into the stays and fit over the axle nut. When my shoulder gets better, I'll have to take a look at the rear axle assembly to see if that would work for my CCX.

Thanks again!

 

[Sierratim]

Thanks! Unfortunately this is not my first rodeo. But this was the easiest it has popped out so I don't know what my doctor is going to say about that.

I looked at some of the different bike trailers and it seems like they all connect at the axle which is problematic for e-bikes with rear hub motors like my CCX. The QuietCat trailer (found in one of the forums) looks promising even though it's meant for their branded bikes. It looks like they designed it to bolt into the stays and fit over the axle nut. When my shoulder gets better, I'll have to take a look at the rear axle assembly to see if that would work for my CCX.

Thanks again!

It looks like the ebikes recommended as compatible with the QuietCat Trailer are all mid-drive ebikes equipped with thru axles. They're actually referring you to the Robert Axle Project for the necessary 12mm thru axle. Seems that it uses the same set up as BOB trailers.

 

[legsofbeer]

the longest of which is 7 - 8 feet long. Most types of cargo bikes don’t really cut it for carrying something like that (even my main weapons bag is 5’ x 2’ and a bit awkward on a bike).

Look for a bike kayak trailer. They're quite lightweight for their bulk capacity, and the long arm connecting to the bike is usually adjustable length. Buddy of mine did this for a few months; I can find out the brand if you like.

 

[Luto]

Just FYI. On my bike the through axle threads have the same pitch as the RAP solution, but not the same depth. So I am unable to use these axle solutions. Onward to a rack attachment or Seat Post attachments

 

[Luto]

@Luto - I can't quite visualize how your setup works. Do you have a pic that shows how you're employing the RAM Mount? But I do agree that a dedicated bike is a bit much for something I'd likely only be using once a week tops.

Thanks again for all of the great feedback!

It would attach to a stay in the back and then act as a "cup-pole " holder with the item sticking upward like a safety flag.

 

[Scramjett]

Look for a bike kayak trailer. They're quite lightweight for their bulk capacity, and the long arm connecting to the bike is usually adjustable length. Buddy of mine did this for a few months; I can find out the brand if you like.

I would appreciate that. Thanks!

 

[Scramjett]

It would attach to a stay in the back and then act as a "cup-pole " holder with the item sticking upward like a safety flag.

I have a similar problem. My bike has a hub motor (something I really should of thought of before getting it), so through axles are a no go for me. I am really concerned about the quality of the stays on my bike so I’d be a little worried about putting any kind of load on them. I had to have the rack replaced after it was delivered. When Juiced sent me a new one, it was a real PITA fitting the new one on the bike. I don’t think they did a particularly good job designing the bike to fit their own proprietary racks let alone a universal rack! The front portion of the rack is pretty useless for any kind of storage or cargo. I don’t think much of their proprietary panniers either.

The point is that I am a little leary of adding any kind of appreciable weight to the stays. I don’t think a seat connected trailer would work either because there is so little room between the bottom of the seat and the rack. Honestly, the issues I’ve had recently make me want to sell it back to Juiced or someone. They’re not even major issues. Just a bunch of little things that end up being a big deal if you plan to use it for anything other than just riding a bike.

Sorry, I didn’t mean for this to turn into a rant.

 

[Scramjett]

Rather than limit your choice of bikes to the cargo type, why not consider a bike trailer? There are many reasonably priced models out there including this one from Burley:
View attachment 73469

Coho XC Single Wheel Suspension Cargo Bike Trailer

The Burley Coho XC Single Wheel Trailer gets your gear where you need to go, so whether you're bikepacking for a weekend or a month you can be prepared. The single-wheel design easily moves over everything from pavement to singletrack, so you don't have to worry about the terrain you'll be...

www.backcountry.com

I’ve been looking at these recently and they look really nice. However, I think I’ll reserve them for my planned mountain bike purchase. I’d love to try bikepacking some day and these types of trailers appear to be designed for that type of activity (that and cyclocross).

 

[vincent]

burley travoy..??
it can be attached to the seatpost or the rack, they make an adapter to use the rack

 

[Scramjett]

burley travoy..??
it can be attached to the seatpost or the rack, they make an adapter to use the rack

That actually looks like something that would work out really well! I'll have to look at getting something like this once my shoulder is back in shape and I get my bike situation sorted.

Thanks for the suggestion!

PS - Sorry I didn't respond sooner. I actually thought I had until I checked back here just now.

 

[legsofbeer]

The aforementioned bike kayak trailer. Connects to seat post: https://salamanderpaddlegear.com/product/salamander-bike-trailer

 

[Taylor57]

I would buy a truck. I'm actually thinking of trading in my SUV for a truck. Now I know why my dad always owned a truck!