Xtracycle 10e or Felt Bruhaul for 6'1" male

[velolibris]

Hi!

My husband is looking into getting an e-bike to transport kids and groceries and possibly for commuting if he can find safe storage for it at work.

I am currently riding a Xtracycle 10e and love love love this bike. Unfortunately I need a S/M frame (I'm 5'2") so we can't share it comfortably.

Should he get an Xtracycle 10e or a Felt Bruhaul based on sizing? He loves the look of the Felt, but it seems like the Xtracycle 10e in a M/L might fit him better. The Felt only comes in one frame size.

If you are a Felt Bruhaul owner, please chime in! How are the 24inch wheels? We already know the Xtracycle is an amazing e-cargo bike and we are very familiar with it.

Also, are we missing any possibilities for transporting kids (must be able to haul 2 kids, and we prefer a longtail to a box bike, so that limits us).

Thanks!

 

[ophion]

Male, 5'-11", 40ish.

Purchase the Bruhaul for trip to the Canadian Rockies in September. Reason: VW Sportwagen couldn't fit 2 bikes in the up position, so only can take 1 bike. With front wheel off, Bruhaul will fit laying down.
-Main reason for Bruhaul over others, Bike is the lightest at 50 lbs. Everything else I saw at the time was over 60lb.
-From the shop, with the seat at the proper height the handle bar was a bit low for my 5'11" frame. It can be adjusted, but didn't because my wife wants to ride it too and likes it where it is . She is a tad shy or 5'4".
-The Bruhaul's payload is 400lb total (not sure if others are higher), but the back is rated to carry 200lbs which more than the 150lb most other cargo bikes allowed. That's plenty for 2 kids plus any grocery you might have.
-I think the top tube is a little higher than most other cargo bikes, so I tend to swing my leg back to dismount...its not good if you have cargo in the back...but I guess with a little practice, anyone can learn to do it the other way.
-Having 24" wheel in the rear, center of gravity is a lot higher than the bikes with 20" when carrying any kind of load. My wife and I almost wipe out the first time we went thru a fast blind S turn. But you get use to it after a while. It took us over 80 miles. Something to think about if your primary use is carrying cargos.
-With 10 speed and 24" wheels, even with the power assist cutting off at 20mph, I'm finding myself peddling/cruising at around 22mph. anything over 25mph the cadence is too high for me to keep up. I never tried any other cargo bikes with 20" rears, but I assume to get to the same cruising speed, a higher cadence will be required, and I can't imagine myself peddling so fast while cruising.
-Felt being new to the cargo bike segment means they only have a limited amount of accessories. I bought their foot plate and dress guards. I found their foot plate a little (way) over priced for the size it added, but it was something I needed for the trip so I bought it. Without the foot plate, the naked foot rest on the Bruhaul is just too small for an adult in the back for extended period of time. You don't need it if you're carrying small kids since they're too short to reach it anyways, instead, get the "stoker bar kit" (I thought it was like a handle bar kit for tandems), it's actually a monkey bar kit despite what Felt's description said. You can make your own dress guards with some plastic sheets and cable ties, but it was cheap enough not to bother.

Things they need to upgrade.
Pedals, please upgrade the pedals, it's slippery as hell when there's any kind of moisture between your shoe and pedal.
Quick Release for the seat post. I really don't know why this simple feature is omitted.

On one trip, we rode 40 miles (return) with about max payload (wife in back). There was a short steep climb, I would guess about 40% grade for maybe 35ft. I hit it going 20mph on the highest power assist and couldn't crest it with 3 feet to go. At the end of the trip, I lost 2 battery bars on the display.

The hydraulic disc brakes really helps on the down hill to keep the fully loaded bike under control.

The 2 Panniers was a nice touch, but considering the cost of the Bruhaul, they should have just included all the other accessories. IMO.

 

[Over50]

Hi!

...How are the 24inch wheels? ...
Also, are we missing any possibilities for transporting kids (must be able to haul 2 kids, and we prefer a longtail to a box bike, so that limits us)...

I have a human powered bike with 24 inch wheels (Tern Eclipse with wider Schwalbe tires) and I think they are great for a city bike primarily used for hauling groceries etc (mostly what I use mine for). For two kids and cargo did you check out the Tern GSD videos? From Court's Interbike video, it looks like they thought of just about everything when they designed that bike (dual battery, high weight limit, 2 kid capable, stand-up storage, highly adjustable...).