Tern's new compact cargo eBike

[emco5]

Cargo bikes tend to be big and heavy, and when used to haul groceries and other cargo they can sometimes be challenging. Tern has come out with a brilliant solution.

https://tinyurl.com/y8pohk4t

 

[rich c]

If I know kids, it will be challenging to ride with two little ones wiggling around back there. Getting all that passenger weight up high will be difficult to ride, let alone stopping and leaning the bike a little when you try to lean over on one leg. I do love the look and design of the bike, but I sure don't like the kid hauling. Look at the front kid, she just gets to hold on to the bottom of the saddle and dangle her feet? Foot pegs should be a minimum!

 

[Mr. Coffee]

The small wheels and low-slung design would produce a pretty low center of gravity. I've had some conversations with bike shops about e-bike rentals and I'm of the opinion that the sweet spot for such rentals is compact cargo bikes like this one with a child seat on the rear.

Oh, and from the press release the bike comes with two sets of foot pegs for the kids, and those humungous panniers.

 

[Sonoboy]

Totally off subject observance...

While I think this is a neat bike, I was captivated by the objet d’art in the background. It's not often one sees something like that occupying a spot on a muddy looking stream bank. Anyone know where this is?

 

[rich c]

Could be anywhere in the world. The company is based in Taipei, Taiwan and has offices in the US, China, Finland, and the UK. I would guess Finland based on the general look of the riders. But they had a press release announcing the partnership with Australian bike company, Dutch cargo bike, for this bike. So the picture could easily be in Australia.

 

[maybe]

Wow, this looks like it could be a practical car replacement for me...
I could haul groceries, laundry, etc. that I currently load on my Travoy trailer (which I like, but can be a pain w/stuff getting caught against the wheels on occasion.) I don't have to worry about my Travoy being stolen.
I need range, tho- I wonder if the specs will be accurate? 150 miles with a load sounds unrealistic. I'm waiting, as I'm considering a small motorcycle (Suzuki Vanvan 200 or Tdub) to replace my old car and 50 miles of ebike range won't cut it.
It will need a Thudbuster seatpost or something equivalent. I had a Tern and those small wheels can be brutal, especially on dirt roads. I suppose that this will be stronger than their regular folders, which Tern recommends not to ride on the dirt. The aluminum welds on their folders have sometimes failed.

 

[Ravi Kempaiah]

Totally off subject observance...

While I think this is a neat bike, I was captivated by the objet d’art in the background. It's not often one sees something like that occupying a spot on a muddy looking stream bank. Anyone know where this is?

It was shot in Netherlands, the biking capital of the world.

 

[rich c]

Wow, this looks like it could be a practical car replacement for me...
I could haul groceries, laundry, etc. that I currently load on my Travoy trailer (which I like, but can be a pain w/stuff getting caught against the wheels on occasion.) I don't have to worry about my Travoy being stolen.
I need range, tho- I wonder if the specs will be accurate? 150 miles with a load sounds unrealistic. I'm waiting, as I'm considering a small motorcycle (Suzuki Vanvan 200 or Tdub) to replace my old car and 50 miles of ebike range won't cut it.
It will need a Thudbuster seatpost or something equivalent. I had a Tern and those small wheels can be brutal, especially on dirt roads. I suppose that this will be stronger than their regular folders, which Tern recommends not to ride on the dirt. The aluminum welds on their folders have sometimes failed.

That advertised range is "with up to two batteries". Pedaling in economy mode, with my 240 pounds, up to 400 pounds of cargo, plus bike weight, would not be a fun 150 mile ride! I wonder what the weight limit is on the wheels and tires?

 

[mid drive merv]

Wow, this looks like it could be a practical car replacement for me...
I could haul groceries, laundry, etc. that I currently load on my Travoy trailer (which I like, but can be a pain w/stuff getting caught against the wheels on occasion.) I don't have to worry about my Travoy being stolen.
I need range, tho- I wonder if the specs will be accurate? 150 miles with a load sounds unrealistic. I'm waiting, as I'm considering a small motorcycle (Suzuki Vanvan 200 or Tdub) to replace my old car and 50 miles of ebike range won't cut it.
It will need a Thudbuster seatpost or something equivalent. I had a Tern and those small wheels can be brutal, especially on dirt roads. I suppose that this will be stronger than their regular folders, which Tern recommends not to ride on the dirt. The aluminum welds on their folders have sometimes failed.

 

[mid drive merv]

I like my Travoy too, but that was a definite design flaw that you referenced with the Travoy wheels rubbing against cargo. Burley provided a fix for the issue, but did not offer it at even a slight discount to owners who had purchased the flawed Travoy. Responsible companies will usually say thanks for spending your hard earned money by making concessions to owners who bought in good faith a product that was sold with such an irritating and pervasive flaw. The fix works well and can be found on Ebay and Amazon for about twenty U.S. dollars.

 

[Mr. Coffee]

My first thought when I watched their video(s) about the Tern GSD was, "damn, I could haul five dogs with that bike!"

 

[Dewey]

It was shot in Netherlands, the biking capital of the world.
View attachment 17870

That makes sense, the Hoge Veluwe park an hour from Amsterdam has a modern art museum in the middle of flat sandy dunes, miles of trails, and hundreds of free bikes to ride. Glorious.

 

[maybe]

That advertised range is "with up to two batteries". Pedaling in economy mode, with my 240 pounds, up to 400 pounds of cargo, plus bike weight, would not be a fun 150 mile ride! I wonder what the weight limit is on the wheels and tires?

20" wheels are pretty strong, so I bet the total weight limit of 400 lbs won't exceed the limit of the wheels. I'm looking for something that can haul my IK and camping gear out to the local reservoir, about 47 miles one way with a couple of steep hills. Will that be pleasant? No, but I'd have the option with a small cargo bike like this of putting it on the train part of the way. That's what I like about this rather than a larger cargo bike- I can load it on a train, or maybe a bus if the rack isn't too high.

 

[maybe]

I like my Travoy too, but that was a definite design flaw that you referenced with the Travoy wheels rubbing against cargo. Burley provided a fix for the issue, but did not offer it at even a slight discount to owners who had purchased the flawed Travoy. Responsible companies will usually say thanks for spending your hard earned money by making concessions to owners who bought in good faith a product that was sold with such an irritating and pervasive flaw. The fix works well and can be found on Ebay and Amazon for about twenty U.S. dollars.

I thought about doing what one Amazon customer described by using spacers and the 16" wheels off the Nomad, or another who used a larger axle w/new wheels, but both options are kind of monkeying around. If the Travoy could carry 100 lbs I'd have no problem. It is really nice to be able to wheel my stuff with me and not leave it in panniers on the bike.

 

[maybe]

My first thought when I watched their video(s) about the Tern GSD was, "damn, I could haul five dogs with that bike!"

My first thought was, Yeah! My IK goes with me! It w/accessories exceeds the weight limit of the trailer I have now, not to mention its bulk. It'd dry out before I got home!

 

[Chris Nolte]

We're super excited about this bike. I think it's just what families are looking for in cities with limited space.