Electric assistance makes carrying cargo by bicycle easy, if you’re after an electric bike you can check out our buyers guide on the best electric bikes available to buy. With a motor and battery now driving most cargo bikes, almost anyone can transport loads that would otherwise require a car or van to move. This development has boosted the utility of existing cargo-capable designs and spawned a host of new styles. The result? Cargo is now one of the most important, fastest-growing and exciting trends in the electric bike market.
If it’s a cargo bike you’re after then we have you covered by the best electric cargo bikes to buy.
Carried away by cargo bikes
Imagine a city where individuals and families on bikes nip along unclogged streets and deliveries are made with zero emissions. The ability to carry luggage and multiple passengers is an area where cars have long outclassed bicycles. If bikes are going to take on a greater share of journeys, they’re going to need transport not only riders but their luggage too.
Thankfully the changes needed for this to become common are well underway, helped in part by the advent of electric assistance. There are now bikes able to carry everything from a couple of kids and the weekly shop to supermarket deliveries for multiple customers.
To find out more our first port of call was the Battersea London branch of The Electric Bike Shop. Here the Cycling Electric team swapped our everyday rides for a fleet of cargo bikes covering the most common styles. With the gear we needed for photography nestled in the basket of the largest, we set off for a day of navigating the city’s streets.
Fully loaded
I draw the long straw and mount the most oversized bike in our fleet, the Cube Cargo Sport Hybrid 500. It’s a front-loading model and the sort of machine you might have seen transporting families, making deliveries or drawing the ire of Adrian Chiles in The Guardian. They’re big, expensive and very versatile.
It has been a while since I rode a bike in this style. The first thing I’m reminded of is how specific a skill piloting one is. Heavy and with a wider turning circle, it requires some planning to navigate through traffic. Having the cargo area ahead of you also takes a minute to get used to, while the bike’s broader profile demands a degree of mindfulness.
At the same time, the motor assistance prevents the bike from wobbling, and if anything it feels even more stable thanks to its extra mass and low centre of gravity. Certainly there is a notable difference between a cargo bike without a motor and this more controlled experience. I have fully regained my confidence by the time we make it to the park and our first photoshoot location.
Unpacking the camera gear highlights another benefit. Unlike with panniers, you can simply throw your luggage in the massive cargo area, an ability aided by the sturdy central stand. This saves time packing and means larger cargo bikes can carry a huge range of bulky or awkwardly shaped items. The bikes we borrowed have open-top compartments that can accommodate lots of accessories, including kids’ seats. However, delivery firms including Ocado employ bikes in this style with closed containers to ensure your shopping reaches you in pristine condition.
I’m convinced life as a bike-enabled delivery driver must be less stressful than being stuck in a van all day. The high visibility and ability to use cycle lanes has also made these bikes popular with small businesses, plus they’re ideal for anyone looking for an eco-friendly alternative to delivering by van while making a positive impression on the local community. On the flipside, they’re a significant investment and occupy a serious chunk of space when not used.
Personal or business use?
Time to swap bikes and downsize to a more conventional machine in the form of a longtail. This style resembles a traditional bike but uses an elongated profile to support a sizable rack where you can hang a range of panniers or two child seats, and these bikes can sometimes even carry an adult pinion passenger. There are also options for fixing extra luggage at the front of the bike, making them useful for business users and tradespeople. But they’re most popular with families looking to replace a car for daily errands.
Compared to the front-loader, riding the longtail Tern GSD is a carefree experience – or at least it is until you load it up. Adding panniers renders the handling slightly sluggish and makes manoeuvring the bike while stationary trickier. Past experience also tells me that adding child seats reduces stability as the bike’s centre of gravity moves upwards. Yet bikes like the GSD work hard to mitigate these effects, notably by dropping the height of the frame and using more compact wheels. This provides a platform that’s as low to the ground as possible to help you maintain equilibrium.
This is one reason why the Tern makes a better alternative to adding a rack to a regular hybrid. A high and upright riding position also offers maximum leverage on the bars, keeping you comfortable and making it easier to stop the bike from tipping. Similarly, the low frame means plenty of room for the rider to step on and off without losing balance. The lockable centre stand also stabilises the bike while you secure cargo or young passengers.
Nevertheless, any bicycle will require more upper-body strength to manage once loaded. Even unloaded, the bike is around 6-8kg heavier than a regular e-bike. This isn’t noticeable when you’re on the road but gets more troublesome if you have to carry the bike. On the plus side, most longtails have wheelbases only a few centimetres longer than conventional alternatives, meaning they’re not much more difficult to store.
Compact cargo bikes
Storage at home isn’t an issue for my next bike, the Tern HSD. With its small wheels and folding handlebar, it’s more diminutive than most conventional alternatives. At the same time, it borrows many features from the longtail. Again you get an in-built rear rack and front carrier fixing, yet it rides like a conventional e-bike, with a barely increased weight and uncompromised handling when unloaded.
One of the great benefits of a bike like this is that there’s no penalty when riding without any cargo – it’s a great everyday commuter. It’s stable when loaded up at both ends, and it benefits from a chunky 170kg maximum gross vehicle weight. If carrying a child is your sole concern, a bike like this is perfect. Many manufacturers produce proprietary accessories, in this case seating options for older children and a sedan chair-like arrangement that offers passengers complete protection from the weather.
Like the other bikes, the HSD comes in a single size. This allows riders between 195cm and 150cm to share one machine and is ideal for families and businesses who want to pool a bike. In common with most cargo bikes, this compact version still goes big on accessories. Items to look out for include hardwired lights, mudguards and the robust and low-maintenance hydraulic disc brakes needed to stop heavily laden bikes. Some form of immobiliser and a rugged kickstand also make sense. After all, if you’re going to replace a car, you’ll want things that make life as convenient as possible.
What we learned
The front loader provided massive capabilities but required time to get used to. There’s also the extra cost to consider, while piloting it needs care and forethought. As such, it’s likely to attract consumers lured purely by the ample and versatile cargo space.
The longtail was the most surprising. Although capable of carrying almost as much stuff as the front loader, it offered conventional handling for minimal extra weight and would be easy to live with as a day-to-day ride.
Finally, the compact bike was so normal that it made us question why more makers don’t try to add proper cargo-carrying capacity.
It seems there are now cargo bikes for everyone. And even if carrying capacity isn’t something you’re interested in now, the efficiency of the smaller bikes mean it’s still worth insuring yourself against changes in your future circumstances.
Which style suits you?
Let’s take a look at some of the best electric cargo bikes which may suit your needs.
Short tail cargo bikes: Tern HSD P9
£3,200 (RRP £3,700) | VIEW OFFER
When we first divided the bikes among ourselves, the shop staff suggested the rider with the least cargo bike experience start with the short tail. It’s good advice. The Tern HSD we tried has a wheelbase similar to a conventional bicycle, which means the handling and turning circle are instantly familiar. In fact, the low frame and small wheels make it more stable than many regular bikes. As a result, it’s ideal for carrying a child seat or large panniers, which will fit easily onto the large integrated rear rack. There’s also a dedicated mount at the front for carrying a rack or a basket.
The HSD has a maximum gross vehicle weight of 170kg – you can add cargo up to this limit once you subtract the weight of the bike and rider. It competes with many larger cargo bikes in terms of carrying capacity, yet smaller wheels and a folding handlebar assembly mean it takes up less room when parked than most conventional bikes.
Longtail cargo bikes: Tern GSD S10 LX
£5,600 | VIEW OFFER
The GSD sits a level up in the Tern hierarchy. This longtail bike uses an extended wheelbase to support a rear rack capable of carrying multiple child seats or huge bucket-style panniers. Again it features a mount for a front carrier and offers a maximum gross vehicle weight of 200kg.
Its steady handling is easy to get along with, although the bike’s weight can be noticeable when manoeuvering, and you’ll need a strong arm to lift it. The GSD includes a two-legged central kickstand to help make loading and unloading safer and easier, and the GSD is nippy enough to be enjoyable to ride even when not transporting cargo.
You can also fold down the handlebars for storage, but the increased size, weight and pricetag mean this bike is less likely to appeal to users who regularly ride without cargo. On the plus side, it will transport up to three people plus cargo and could well replace a car.
Bucket: Cube Cargo Sport Hybrid 500
£3,499 | VIEW OFFER
If carrying maximum cargo is your sole concern, opt for a bike with built-in storage. The front-mounted bucket style is among the most common and user-friendly.
While models with additional wheels make for rock-solid stability when static, a standard two-wheeled configuration will offer greater manoeuvrability. As well as the Cube Cargo Hybrid we tried a Raleigh Stride, and both offer open-topped storage for easy loading. Finding enclosed hutches is also possible, while the cargo area can be adapted for small passengers.
These bikes can transport up to 100kg of cargo, but the bikes themselves can weigh upwards of 50kg, pretty much gluing them to the road. The handling takes a little getting used to, particularly the radically increased turning circle. And while the motor means spindly legs won’t be a problem, you’ll need a degree of upper-body strength to steer safely.
With thanks to The Electric Bike Shop.