All the details on my family cargo electric bike that can hold my 3 kids!

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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 little kids, 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. Haha!

We live in a super bike friendly town, and I’d been wanting an ebike forever. I actually ran in to another family at the playground who had a similar 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! It really got me excited, because we just love to be outside in nature, and knew my kids would love to go on rides on the bike. I live in California, where the weather is always pretty amazing.

After tons of research, and test riding a bunch of different bikes (if you live in the Bay Area I highly recommend heading to Blue Heron Bikes in Berkeley! They have tons of cargo bikes you can test ride with your kids to see what you’re most comfortable with!), here is what I went with!

My Family Cargo Electric Bike Setup:

Top Asked Questions:

Q. Is it hard to peddle with all 3 kids?
A. I am shocked at how simple and fun it is! It is a pedal assist bike, so it is maybe 5 times easier than 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. I can do hills no problem on the e-bike, I just break a little bit of a sweat. Flat roads is 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 bike when all 3 kids are on and I’ve pushed up the kickstand. Takes good arm and core muscles, and making 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!

Q. Do the kids like it?
A. They LOVE it! 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.

Q. How old was Luke (the baby) when he started riding it?
A. We got this 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? Will vary a lot depending on your baby.

Q. Do you use it to take the kids to school?
A. 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 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.

Q. What will you do when Luke get’s bigger and can’t ride in the front?
A. Hoping Luke will be able to fit in this seat until he is 2? By that time Josh (my oldest) will be 7. So maybe 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!

Q. How long does the battery last?
A. 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!

Q. What does Shawn do when you’re all on the e-bike?
A. 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!

Q. Do you feel safe riding it near cars?
A. 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.

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

Q. Did you try any other Cargo e-bikes? Why Yuba Spicy Curry?
A. 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 care free rides! We went to Blue Heron Bikes in Berkeley and were able to test drive a bunch of cargo bikes. Here are ones I tried and my thoughts:

  1. 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 in kicking fights?
  2. 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 like a regular bike and was much more natural to me. And great going over bumps and curves which we go over a lot heading in to school zones.
  3. 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.

Q. Any other costs?
A. 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! It’s so much better for the environment!

Final Thoughts

It’s so win win!

Funner, cheaper, good bit of a workout, more time efficient for school drop offs, 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!

Just loving 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!