I have seen a couple of cargo bikes around Mill Valley, whether it’s parents taking their kids to school or someone heading to the grocery store. Although we have a pretty good bike lane and multi-use path network through the heart of the city, the real problem is hills. In general, cargo bikes are heavy so not so easy to pedal fully loaded back up to your house from school or the store around here. The obvious answer is electric assist — I wouldn’t be riding my huge front loader cargo bike without it.
Yuba is slowly helping us to ditch our cars for those short haul trips by adding pedal assist to their awesome line of cargo bikes. The latest to get the treatment? The compact, nine-speed Boda Boda.
The Electric Boda Boda features an e6000 Shimano Steps electric kit with 3 levels of assist (high, normal, eco) for riding plus a walk assistance mode if you need to push a heavy load like your kids through a school parking lot (the bike itself weighs 60 pounds so you will be thankful for the walk assist). The motor delivers an output torque of 50Nm, meaning the assist kicks in quickly so you aren’t left pedaling squares on the verge of tipping over off the stop sign.
An integrated cycling computer mounted on the handlebars shows you speed, distance, trip time, clock, gear, estimated range, and battery level indication. The lithium ion battery will charge 80% in 2 hours, or go from dead to 100% in 4 hours. Each full charge delivers 20 – 93 miles of range, depending on how much assist you use.
The traditional-style rear cargo space has a capacity of 220 pounds, making it suitable for carrying kids (you can get up to two kids on the back), pets, groceries and more. Standard features include fenders, wheelskirts, chain guards, and LED lights.
The Electric Boda Boda retails for $3,399 and is available with a traditional or step-thru frame style. Is it too much to want two cargo bikes in my arsenal? The huge front loader is overkill sometimes so this would make a great addition for quick trips to grab coffee or even ride into the city.