My Electric Family Cargo Bike (That Holds 3 Kids!)

I am shocked at how simple and fun it is! It is an electric assist bike, so it is maybe 5 times easier than peddling on a regular bike. It’s literally easier for me to pedal all 3 kids on this e-bike than it is for me to pedal a regular bike by myself. Without pedal assist, I would die! 

I can do hills with no problem on the e-bike, I just break a little bit of a sweat. Flat roads are effortless. I am not particularly athletic, and it is very doable for me. It’s also a good core workout keeping the kids balanced while riding. 

The hardest part is getting on the e-bike when all 3 kids are on and I’ve pushed up the kickstand. Takes good arm and core muscles, and make sure you tell the kids to not move and wiggle, ha! But extremely doable. We’ve never tipped over. And I’m not particularly strong, haha!

They LOVE it! This is the perfect e-bike for kids. They fight way less than when we’re in the car. Their friends all think it is the coolest! They feel like such cool kids getting dropped off and picked up on the e-bike.

We got this e-bike when Luke was 7 months old and able to sit up all on his own (and obviously hold his head up). I feel like this would be fine as soon as your baby can hold their head up and fit into a helmet. Maybe 6 months. This will vary a lot depending on your baby.

YES! That’s the main reason I got it! I’m able to cut the dreaded car pickup line, which is such a lifesaver and timesaver! I get to cut right to the front and pick up my kid. It makes it so much more efficient door-to-door, it’s actually faster than being in a car. If I were to drive, I have to allow 20 minutes from leaving my house to having my kid in the car. On the e-bike, it’s just 8 minutes! Not waiting in the car line is one of the best perks! Their book bags fit perfectly in the front basket.

I am hoping Luke will be able to fit in this seat until he is 2. By that time Josh (my oldest) will be 7. So hopefully by then, Josh can pedal along on his own bike. It’s also possible to maybe have Josh and Ryan (my middle) sit on soft seats and have Luke in a Yepp seat. Also possible to hitch a bike cargo trailer to the back, which would be great if we have another kid, haha! To be determined!

I am on the bike for maybe 1.5 hours a day doing pickup and drop-off for school each day. Sometimes longer if doing other errands. After 2 days of riding the battery gets to 30% and then I charge it. Amazing battery life!

My sister and her husband have e-bikes, so for now Shawn has been borrowing one of theirs and we all go on rides together! I think an e-bike is in his very near future!

Our town is extremely bike friendly. We have this trail called The Iron Horse Trail that goes straight through town. It was the railroad, but they paved over it. It is just a walking and biking trail, so no cars. We live just 3 blocks from it, so we are only next to cars for a *very* short time. So I feel super safe since we can be on the Iron Horse Trail so much.

To avoid fighting! Ryan (the middle boy) was getting jealous that Josh wasn’t buckled and was sitting on a soft seat. And it was becoming a whole *thing*. So! We got 2 Yepp seats and the problem was solved! Feels even safer to have them both buckled anyway. Josh (5 years old) I totally trust to be on a soft seat. But! Ryan is 3 and still might fall asleep on longer rides after a long day at school. I love knowing he is strapped in and safe just in case.

Yes! I tried a ton! The Spicy Curry felt the *most* like a regular bike to me. Almost no learning curve to pedal it with all 3 kids on it. It’s just a tad bit longer in the back, so pedaling and turning felt exactly the same to me.

There are lower-priced models by Yuba, but I liked the stronger Bosch battery and brake assist of the Spicy Curry. Carrying all these kids it was worth the extra money to get the best motor for the easiest, most carefree rides! We went to Blue Heron Bikes in Berkeley and were able to test-drive a bunch of cargo bikes. Here are the ones I tried and my thoughts:

Urban Arrow front load bike: This was very tricky for me to maneuver. It was hard getting used to the SUPER long front. Plus, I worried the kids would fight a ton all squished in there and get into kicking fights.

Tern GSD cargo bike: This was my 2nd favorite! The only difference was the Tern bike had a smaller front tire, which felt different maneuvering. The Spicy Curry has a bigger front tire than a regular bike and was much more natural to me. And great going over bumps and curves which we go over a lot heading into school zones.

RadWagon cargo bike: I wasn’t able to test drive this one since they’re not in many stores. But these have a great price point! They do have the smaller front tire like Tern bikes, but still easy enough to maneuver.

NONE! Besides the electricity to charge the battery. No gas! No insurance! It is saving us SO MUCH MONEY! I was filling up my Chevy Tahoe with almost $100 worth of gas every 5 days. And we weren’t even driving it that much, just school and playgrounds all in a 3-mile radius of our house. Now? I’ve only had to fill up my gas tank once a month. We’re rarely in the car. PLUS! My family cargo bike is so much better for the environment!