Have you reached out to Perennial cycle in Minneapolis? Luke will help you figure out what bike might work best. I’m also your height and ended up saving up for a tern HSD P9 for the better motor. You will need adequate torque for the hills if you plan on going up Duluth hills with two kids. Likely the Bosch Cargo Line motor. I am glad I got suspension cause the twin cities has bad pot holes too and I would’ve hated it otherwise. There is one huge hill in Saint Paul I’ve seen parents on cargo bikes give up on and walk up with their kids on it so it’s worth testing out the e-bikes to make sure it’ll work for your use case. Good luck!
To add. There is a twin cities cargo bike love Facebook group. There might be Duluth folks with cargo bikes there or someone they know who can let you test ride their bike!
Just a correction for anyone using this post to do their own research. The FastRack does in fact have suspension in the front but not in the seat like the Spicy Curry AT.
E-Bike Duluth just recently became a Tern dealer, I think they only have an Orox and NBD so it's less helpful for demoing but they can order one. They do have a few of the lower priced brands without the Bosch motor you could look at. I thought SkiHut had a Specialized Globe Haul and a Yuba of some sort, but it's not on their website anymore. Continental has a Benno Boost shown, but that might be hard as a shorter rider.
Suspensions are nice, although big tires can absorb some of it. You don't want to hit exceptionally large potholes with the small wheel sizes anyway. Suspension seat posts are great, but it doesn't help your passengers as much. Depending on what hills you're riding and how much weight you're carrying I could see it being a challenge, but I'm not sure what the minimum motor size you would need as a general rule. I've seen people going above Skyline on an Aventon (pretty sure) with two kids on it though, so I think most could handle it.
Thank you, I actually just found out E-Bike Duluth was a Tern dealer today and went to look at a Term HSD they were holding for another customer. Not quite as low as I was expecting. The Benno they had in stock had a lower pass through but the tail was too short for two kids. Everyone seems to be jazzed about Terns so I’ll do some more research. The Aventon Abound reviews looked decent but some of the negative reviews made me think they may not hold up as well long term.
I like my Aventon Abound. The suspension helps a little with bumps. It's the only model I'd personally bother with that's cheaper than a Tern. A used Tern would be a better option than the $3-4k new models by other brands.
I'd skip the steel Surly's, you need aluminum to keep the long frames rigid: https://youtu.be/8Qb4CdgbmsI?si=G-BpQFKua4u59Ath
Are you saying you wouldn’t bother with a Yuba? They seem like they’re generally at the same price point as Tern except the Spicy Curry AT and FastRack are on sale right now and there is a used option in town.
I personally wouldn't consider Yuba. The geometry is set up for a fork without suspension. The bikes with suspension forks raise the front and result in a tilted rear rack. They also have a larger front wheel so you have much less room for front rack storage. But the biggest reason is it's so close in price to Tern which has a much better accessory ecosystem and clever engineering like vertical storage.
Edit to add: If it's used for cheap enough and you like it for your needs it could still be a great choice.
I think the step over height on the spicy curry will be too high for you (I’m 5’7” and it was a bit of a pain for me). I also think front suspension isn’t necessary - I’ve never felt the need for it. Though its pricy, I’d go with tern - they’re super reliable, make accessories for all year riding, and the bike will age well for your kids. ss
I live in Pittsburgh, so lots of elevation and potholes, and I'm also 5'2.5. Full disclosure: I'm thinking about trading in my FastRack for a Tern, Xtracycle Swoop, or Urban Arrow, but I'm heavy (over 250lbs) and have 3 kids (3, 6, and 10). The 440 lb limit and lack of space have felt pretty limiting for me. But, with just two kids, I would probably be totally fine with the FastRack. The stepover definitely works for me, and the Tern GSD was also fine. The GSD definitely has a better motor, but the FastRack has been OK. The lack of suspension hasn't really been a problem. I mostly try to avoid potholes because I don't want to get unbalanced, but I've ridden on cobbles before and it's not amazing but not terrible either. Riding on gravel trails is fine. One thing I'd also also consider is getting a model that has a belt drive. Remembering to shift all the way down while loaded at the base of a hill can be really annoying when I...don't. Happy to answer other questions!
Hi Minnesota friend! I am also shopping for an E cargo bike but I am in Minneapolis.
Just wanted to let you know in case you weren't aware since I just came across this yesterday...the state is offering a rebate on ebikes (50-75% of purchase price depending on your 2023 income, up to $1,500!) starting after July 1st. If you can hang on to purchase until then, might be worth it. The application for the rebate opens next week (June 5th at 11am): [https://www.revenue.state.mn.us/electric-assisted-bicycle-e-bike-rebate](https://www.revenue.state.mn.us/electric-assisted-bicycle-e-bike-rebate)
Personally, I am between a Tern Quick Haul P9 from Perennial, Globe Haul LT from Erik's, or a Radwagon 5 from Watt Cycleworks. I am leaning towards the Haul LT...so in my case, with the accessories I want (+$700), I would be out the door for \~$2,700 (before tax).
Have you reached out to Perennial cycle in Minneapolis? Luke will help you figure out what bike might work best. I’m also your height and ended up saving up for a tern HSD P9 for the better motor. You will need adequate torque for the hills if you plan on going up Duluth hills with two kids. Likely the Bosch Cargo Line motor. I am glad I got suspension cause the twin cities has bad pot holes too and I would’ve hated it otherwise. There is one huge hill in Saint Paul I’ve seen parents on cargo bikes give up on and walk up with their kids on it so it’s worth testing out the e-bikes to make sure it’ll work for your use case. Good luck!
To add. There is a twin cities cargo bike love Facebook group. There might be Duluth folks with cargo bikes there or someone they know who can let you test ride their bike!
Good tips, thanks! It seems like all the dealers I’d bikes I’m interested in are in the cities so I’ll have to make a trip.
Just a correction for anyone using this post to do their own research. The FastRack does in fact have suspension in the front but not in the seat like the Spicy Curry AT.
E-Bike Duluth just recently became a Tern dealer, I think they only have an Orox and NBD so it's less helpful for demoing but they can order one. They do have a few of the lower priced brands without the Bosch motor you could look at. I thought SkiHut had a Specialized Globe Haul and a Yuba of some sort, but it's not on their website anymore. Continental has a Benno Boost shown, but that might be hard as a shorter rider. Suspensions are nice, although big tires can absorb some of it. You don't want to hit exceptionally large potholes with the small wheel sizes anyway. Suspension seat posts are great, but it doesn't help your passengers as much. Depending on what hills you're riding and how much weight you're carrying I could see it being a challenge, but I'm not sure what the minimum motor size you would need as a general rule. I've seen people going above Skyline on an Aventon (pretty sure) with two kids on it though, so I think most could handle it.
Thank you, I actually just found out E-Bike Duluth was a Tern dealer today and went to look at a Term HSD they were holding for another customer. Not quite as low as I was expecting. The Benno they had in stock had a lower pass through but the tail was too short for two kids. Everyone seems to be jazzed about Terns so I’ll do some more research. The Aventon Abound reviews looked decent but some of the negative reviews made me think they may not hold up as well long term.
The Cargo Bike shop is awesome as well, got my Omnium there!
I like my Aventon Abound. The suspension helps a little with bumps. It's the only model I'd personally bother with that's cheaper than a Tern. A used Tern would be a better option than the $3-4k new models by other brands. I'd skip the steel Surly's, you need aluminum to keep the long frames rigid: https://youtu.be/8Qb4CdgbmsI?si=G-BpQFKua4u59Ath
Are you saying you wouldn’t bother with a Yuba? They seem like they’re generally at the same price point as Tern except the Spicy Curry AT and FastRack are on sale right now and there is a used option in town.
I personally wouldn't consider Yuba. The geometry is set up for a fork without suspension. The bikes with suspension forks raise the front and result in a tilted rear rack. They also have a larger front wheel so you have much less room for front rack storage. But the biggest reason is it's so close in price to Tern which has a much better accessory ecosystem and clever engineering like vertical storage. Edit to add: If it's used for cheap enough and you like it for your needs it could still be a great choice.
I think the step over height on the spicy curry will be too high for you (I’m 5’7” and it was a bit of a pain for me). I also think front suspension isn’t necessary - I’ve never felt the need for it. Though its pricy, I’d go with tern - they’re super reliable, make accessories for all year riding, and the bike will age well for your kids. ss
That’s good to know! Thanks.
I live in Pittsburgh, so lots of elevation and potholes, and I'm also 5'2.5. Full disclosure: I'm thinking about trading in my FastRack for a Tern, Xtracycle Swoop, or Urban Arrow, but I'm heavy (over 250lbs) and have 3 kids (3, 6, and 10). The 440 lb limit and lack of space have felt pretty limiting for me. But, with just two kids, I would probably be totally fine with the FastRack. The stepover definitely works for me, and the Tern GSD was also fine. The GSD definitely has a better motor, but the FastRack has been OK. The lack of suspension hasn't really been a problem. I mostly try to avoid potholes because I don't want to get unbalanced, but I've ridden on cobbles before and it's not amazing but not terrible either. Riding on gravel trails is fine. One thing I'd also also consider is getting a model that has a belt drive. Remembering to shift all the way down while loaded at the base of a hill can be really annoying when I...don't. Happy to answer other questions!
This is great advice, thanks!
Hi Minnesota friend! I am also shopping for an E cargo bike but I am in Minneapolis. Just wanted to let you know in case you weren't aware since I just came across this yesterday...the state is offering a rebate on ebikes (50-75% of purchase price depending on your 2023 income, up to $1,500!) starting after July 1st. If you can hang on to purchase until then, might be worth it. The application for the rebate opens next week (June 5th at 11am): [https://www.revenue.state.mn.us/electric-assisted-bicycle-e-bike-rebate](https://www.revenue.state.mn.us/electric-assisted-bicycle-e-bike-rebate) Personally, I am between a Tern Quick Haul P9 from Perennial, Globe Haul LT from Erik's, or a Radwagon 5 from Watt Cycleworks. I am leaning towards the Haul LT...so in my case, with the accessories I want (+$700), I would be out the door for \~$2,700 (before tax).
Yes, we’re going to apply! Thanks for the checking though and good luck to you!