Electric Cargo Bikes
Used electric cargo bikes carry everything from the groceries to the children, with the motor doing the hard part. Cranxs connects buyers and sellers of new and second-hand e-cargo bikes across the UK, including popular models like the Riese & Müller Load 75, Tern GSD and Urban Arrow Family.
What can an electric cargo bike carry?
The point of an e-cargo bike is space and load capacity that a normal bike does not have: a weekly shop, everyday gear, or children on a bench seat. Assistance is what makes a heavy load workable, turning a bike you would struggle to move away from the lights into a genuine replacement for short car journeys.
Longtail or box bike?
A longtail such as the Tern GSD stretches the rear of the frame to make room for passengers and panniers, and rides much like a normal bike. A front-loading box bike such as the Urban Arrow Family or the Riese & Müller Load 75 puts the load ahead of you where you can see it, which suits carrying children but asks more of you in traffic until the steering feels natural. Ride both before deciding, because the handling difference is larger than the spec sheets suggest.
Is it legal to ride on UK roads?
To count as an electrically assisted pedal cycle in the UK, a bike needs a motor rated at no more than 250W, assistance that cuts out at 15.5mph, and a rider aged 14 or over. Bikes meeting that are ridden like any other bicycle, with no licence, tax or insurance required. Anything more powerful is legally a moped, so check what you are buying, particularly on imported or modified machines.
What should I check buying used?
The battery is the expensive part, so ask its age, how many charge cycles it has done and what range the seller actually gets. Look hard at the brakes and tyres, both of which wear faster under load, and check the frame and any cargo box for cracks or repairs around the mounting points. Ask for the original charger and keys.
Where will I keep it?
These bikes are long, heavy and generally will not go up a flight of stairs, so settle storage and charging before you buy: a ground-floor space, a shed with a socket nearby, or secure parking at work. If that is the sticking point, an electric folding bike solves storage at the cost of capacity, and the wider electric bikes range covers everything in between.