citizendelta
New Member
Hi there -
New to e-biking with a 5 mile one way commute with some decent elevation and hills (400/450 feet), through some pretty busy roads with heavy traffic. Area has four seasons, with a relatively short number of snow days.
We don't own a car. I currently commute to work on a motorcycle, which would normally suit me fine but we had a baby a few months ago and since I can't carry the kid on a motorcycle to day care and then leave for work, I'm starting to look into cargo bikes, which I'm hoping I can incorporate into a daily routine.
Things I'm looking for:
- Being able to bring a infant/toddler.
- Even better if I can bring the wife on the back as a passenger as well for weekend jaunts
- Pedal assist, throttle boost is a bonus: specifically I don't want to arrive to work sweaty and tired if I end up adopting this as my primary commute method.
- Errand running (hauling groceries in addition to the kid is great).
- Reliable, quality operation (i.e. it doesn't feel like a cheap chinese bike, doesn't feel like it's going to fall apart, doesn't need to be sent abroad for repairs)
It's been years since I've commuted regularly by bike - previously rode a tricross bike to school several years ago but never really loved the experience as I didn't have a lot of endurance and I also found the seat to be hard on the butt. Did it for a year, then sold it to get a motorcycle.
The ebike thing is different however - I recently test rode a Yuba Spicy Curry and found it to be really pleasant and fun - I could see myself commuting to work on it with the pedal assist, and maybe even gradually building up endurance to enjoy biking again. CONS: I didn't find the pedal assist to be particularly smooth when kicking in, and the shifting to be a little clunky, but I can't tell if that's simply because I hadn't ridden a bike in a long time and wasn't shifting well. The fact that the bike came naked at the price point and would require additional accessory purchase is also offputting.
My question focuses on whether there are notable differences between the Yuba Spicy Curry, the Yuba Spicy Curry Bosch, and the Radwagon that would make it worth selecting one over the other.
A local dealer is selling his last units of the Spicy Curry at $3500 to make room for the Spicy Curry Bosch which will come in within two weeks and be sold at $4500. I intend to test ride the Spicy Curry Bosch when it comes it; the EBR review seemed to show that it had some nice upgrades and features, but I risk losing out on the opportunity to purchase the Spicy Curry at $3500.
Past that, there's also the Radwagon, which seems to have similar if not better specs that the Spicy Curry Bosch in some contexts, but is significantly cheaper. I don't know if the cheaper price translates to worse build and ride quality, or that I need to spend a lot of extra money tinkering with it to get the Radwagon "nicer" with upgrades. I also don't know if what I perceive as better specs actually are better specs.
I'm willing to purchase the Yuba Spicy Curry Bosch if it really stands out compared to the remaining two, but without a Radwagon to see in person and test ride I can't say if it's worth the nearly $3k difference in price. Anyone able to offer any thoughts as to whether these bikes will suit my need, and whether the differences in price between the Radwagon, Spicy Curry, and Spicy Curry Bosch are genuinely worth the price differences? Will these bikes accomplish what I'm seeking to do as a kid hauler/commuter? Any recommendations for other bikes that can fulfill the things I'm looking for?
Thanks, happy to answer any questions.
New to e-biking with a 5 mile one way commute with some decent elevation and hills (400/450 feet), through some pretty busy roads with heavy traffic. Area has four seasons, with a relatively short number of snow days.
We don't own a car. I currently commute to work on a motorcycle, which would normally suit me fine but we had a baby a few months ago and since I can't carry the kid on a motorcycle to day care and then leave for work, I'm starting to look into cargo bikes, which I'm hoping I can incorporate into a daily routine.
Things I'm looking for:
- Being able to bring a infant/toddler.
- Even better if I can bring the wife on the back as a passenger as well for weekend jaunts
- Pedal assist, throttle boost is a bonus: specifically I don't want to arrive to work sweaty and tired if I end up adopting this as my primary commute method.
- Errand running (hauling groceries in addition to the kid is great).
- Reliable, quality operation (i.e. it doesn't feel like a cheap chinese bike, doesn't feel like it's going to fall apart, doesn't need to be sent abroad for repairs)
It's been years since I've commuted regularly by bike - previously rode a tricross bike to school several years ago but never really loved the experience as I didn't have a lot of endurance and I also found the seat to be hard on the butt. Did it for a year, then sold it to get a motorcycle.
The ebike thing is different however - I recently test rode a Yuba Spicy Curry and found it to be really pleasant and fun - I could see myself commuting to work on it with the pedal assist, and maybe even gradually building up endurance to enjoy biking again. CONS: I didn't find the pedal assist to be particularly smooth when kicking in, and the shifting to be a little clunky, but I can't tell if that's simply because I hadn't ridden a bike in a long time and wasn't shifting well. The fact that the bike came naked at the price point and would require additional accessory purchase is also offputting.
My question focuses on whether there are notable differences between the Yuba Spicy Curry, the Yuba Spicy Curry Bosch, and the Radwagon that would make it worth selecting one over the other.
A local dealer is selling his last units of the Spicy Curry at $3500 to make room for the Spicy Curry Bosch which will come in within two weeks and be sold at $4500. I intend to test ride the Spicy Curry Bosch when it comes it; the EBR review seemed to show that it had some nice upgrades and features, but I risk losing out on the opportunity to purchase the Spicy Curry at $3500.
Past that, there's also the Radwagon, which seems to have similar if not better specs that the Spicy Curry Bosch in some contexts, but is significantly cheaper. I don't know if the cheaper price translates to worse build and ride quality, or that I need to spend a lot of extra money tinkering with it to get the Radwagon "nicer" with upgrades. I also don't know if what I perceive as better specs actually are better specs.
I'm willing to purchase the Yuba Spicy Curry Bosch if it really stands out compared to the remaining two, but without a Radwagon to see in person and test ride I can't say if it's worth the nearly $3k difference in price. Anyone able to offer any thoughts as to whether these bikes will suit my need, and whether the differences in price between the Radwagon, Spicy Curry, and Spicy Curry Bosch are genuinely worth the price differences? Will these bikes accomplish what I'm seeking to do as a kid hauler/commuter? Any recommendations for other bikes that can fulfill the things I'm looking for?
Thanks, happy to answer any questions.
