BSG №1 - Cargo Bike Reviews, New Tech & Resources

Bike advocacy wins, braking tips, and reviews from Tern, Aventon, Riese & Müller, Woom, and more 🙌

Hi all,

This is the first attempt at a weekly roundup of ideas and products to help you replace car trips with bike trips when possible.

As a reminder, you’ll get one of these summaries a week and one standalone in-depth article. I would love to hear from you to prevent me from mumbling into the internet void without any feedback. Leave a comment or reply and join the conversation! 

It is the weekend after a life-changing election cycle, and I’m writing this from a purple state in the United States. I’m left angry but more motivated than ever to do my small part in being the change I want to see.

Build community, replace car trips, and enjoy the way of life you can’t find behind a windshield.

Stay well,
BSG

Bike Advocacy Wins

Across the United States, this election had huge bike/walk advocacy wins. My college town voted for bonds on affordable housing, greenways, sidewalk repair, and more; San Fran voted to close a section of the Great Highway permanently; Nashville, TN, passed a transit referendum; and more! Have a win? Let me know!

I share all this first before all the product talk because, at the end of the day - bike advocacy wins happen locally. Yes, national lobbying is significant, but if you want that protected bike lane in front of your house, it will be up to you and your neighbors to make an argument and prove the data.

The country can feel very divided right now, but more than ever, “Bikes make sense,” as Dale Aguas from Tern Bicycles says every few weeks. In some of the most conservative towns in our nation, bikes are proving to make sense. Don’t make it a culture clash. Bring your neighbors' worries to the table, take them for a bike ride or walk, and build the community we all desperately need—locally!

REVIEWS

Tern Quick Haul Long Electric Cargo Bike: VERY In-depth Review

The Tern Quick Haul Long is a midtail electric cargo bike checking off many boxes for folks looking for a Bosch-equipped cargo bike with the most power available. Do the pros outweigh the odd nuances, and who is this bike really for? Let's dig in or start shopping

Aventon Abound SR Review: A Smart, Affordable Shorttail Cargo eBike with Room for Improvement

Aventon’s latest eBike release brings a $2,199 shorttail electric cargo bike to the masses with the new Aventon Abound SR. This is the “little sister” to the Aventon Abound Cargo Bike, and it is a knockout of the park for a hub-based motor cargo bike minus a few nuances they can quickly fix with a software update and basic part change. Read my initial review or start shopping

Riese & Müller Carrie Compact Front Loading Cargo Bike: Initial Review

The Riese & Müller Carrie compact front loader is one of the most exciting cargo bikes of 2024. It takes all the advantages of a front loader, but it is more compact than anything else on the market in North America and has a very sleek aesthetic that will appeal to a new market. Read my initial review

Woom NOW 4 Kid’s Cargo Bike – The bike I wanted to love

As my kids bike to school daily, I love the idea of having a bike designed for the job. Woom launched their NOW series a couple of years ago, and I’ve had the good fortune to review one. Unfortunately, it hasn’t been the perfect bike for my family, but maybe it is for yours. Read my review

New City Biking Tech I’m Excited About

Lumos Nyxel - A new smart bike helmet with a city bike vibe from Lumos with built-in lights, Quin-powered crash detection, and eBike version with NTA 8776 safety rating

Trek BellBeats - A handlebar-mounted bicycle bell and Bluetooth speaker that my family has been enjoying. You can switch between bell sounds for the digital bell. It doesn’t look much like a speaker, so I’m not worried about it being stolen in my sleepy college town.

Resources