All the details on my family cargo bike! A “fits my whole family” electric bike that I ride with all three of my kids. Super fun to ride, saves a ton of money on gas, and is cheaper than a car! In this guide, I’ll share my bike details, add-ons, and gear, and answer all of your burning questions. 

a mom riding on her family cargo bike with three kids this recipe

Meet my Family Cargo Bike

Meet my e-bike! Or what I like to call my MommE-Bike! I love it so much. I’ve barely driven my car since I got it.

Once you’re a mom of small children, you realize your whole life is pretty much in a 3-mile radius around your home: school, playgrounds, grocery store, farmers market, library, coffee shop, ice cream parlor, the end.

We live in a super bike-friendly town, and I’d been wanting a cargo ebike forever. I live in California, where the weather is always pretty amazing, and even when the weather conditions aren’t great, it doesn’t last too long. “Bad weather” to us is nothing like the rest of the country! 

We absolutely love to be outside in nature, and knew that this new bike would grow with us from young children to older kids, help with school runs, go on fun rides, shopping trips, parking in tight spaces, and help us get around town with our busy schedule! 

How I Found the Perfect Family Cargo Bike

I ran into another family at the playground who had a family bike with just 2 kids on the back. I freaked out and asked them a million questions. I had no idea an e-bike could carry multiple kids without a cargo trailer! After talking with them, I went looking! 

Side note: if you live in the Bay Area I highly recommend heading to Blue Heron bike shop in Berkeley! They have tons of cargo bicycles you can test ride with your kids to see what you’re most comfortable with. They also have awesome customer service, a wide range of accessories, and are super knowledgeable. After tons of research, and test riding a bunch of different bikes, see what I decided on below!

My Family Cargo Electric Bike Setup

I test rode A LOT of bikes. I wanted to make sure I felt comfortable, especially riding around with all three of my kids and could manage heavy loads!. It was important for me to find the ride add-ons and the best helmets to make this family bike safe and functional for all of my needs. 

  • Family Cargo Bike:
    • Yuba Spicy Curry: Our electric cargo bike in White. SUCH a smooth ride! It was a more comfortable ride than other models I found. There are many affordable cargo bikes out there so I really recommend test driving and finding what works for YOU. 
  • Bike Add On’s:
  • Helmets:
    • Infant helmet: This is what Luke is wearing, he’s 7 months old in this picture and wearing the size XS 45-49cm. 
    • Adult helmet: What I’m wearing in a size Large.
    • Toddler/Kid helmet: What the big boys are wearing, they decorated them with stickers, ha!

Common Reader Questions

I had a ton of questions. That family at the park probably thought I was crazy. But they were so sweet to answer all of them and now I want to return the favor. Here are all of the most common questions I had, and some that people have asked me about my family cargo bike. 

Is it hard to peddle with all 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!

Do the kids like it?

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.

How old was Luke (the baby) when he started riding it?

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.

Do you use it to take the kids to school?

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.

What will you do when Luke gets bigger and can’t ride in the front?

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!

How long does the battery last?

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!

What does Shawn do when you’re all on the e-bike?

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!

Do you feel safe riding it near cars?

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.

Why 2 Yepp seats? Couldn’t Josh (your oldest) do a soft seat?

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.

Did you try any other family cargo bikes? Why Yuba Spicy Curry?

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.

Are there any other costs?

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!

Final Thoughts on a Family Cargo Bike

It’s so win-win!

Funner, cheaper, good bit of a workout, is more time efficient for school drop-offs, lowers our carbon footprint, and is a great chance to be in nature and enjoy the good California weather. I didn’t even mention how nice it is to park RIGHT at the front of grocery stores right next to the door when I go grocery shopping! (I can fit 2 full grocery bags in the cargo basket). Plus! So much better for the planet!

I just love the fun memories I’m making with my boys while we’re out riding all over town. They chat way more on the bike and ask questions and tell me all about their day and I just love it so! HIGHLY recommend getting one if it sounds like it would work for your family!

Any other questions? Let me know in the comments below!

Any other questions? Let me know in the comments below!