Best Cargo Bikes 2022 – Cargo Bike Reviews

We previously had the Rad Power Bikes RadWagon 4 on this list. However, it was recently recalled due to a faulty part that could lead to a crash. We have removed this product from this list for the time being.

Losing riding time to run unavoidable errands sucks. Luckily, electrically assisted cargo bikes make it easier to quit driving and pedal (almost) everywhere. The latest generation is more customizable and wieldy than ever; e-assist and modular mounting systems mean today’s bakfiets and longtails are increasingly viable trade-ins for your gas-guzzling SUV. The United Parcel Service and disaster relief managers across the globe use cargo bikes to transport goods where cars can’t go, and it’s freeing to breeze by traffic in the bike lane with a week’s worth of groceries packed onto your ride. Whether you’re picking up supplies or furnishing a room from Ikea, there’s a cargo bike to help you portage past the vehicular masses.

Cargo Bike Layouts

Domestic and international cargo bike popularity has exploded in the past decade, says Xtracycles founder and . Yet a few basic designs dominate the segment. There are bakfiets (“box bike” in Dutch), also known as Long Johns, which position the cargo box between the rider and the front axle using a low-slung frame and a steering linkage that runs from the handlebar to the fork. The longtail design is like a tandem, but with space behind the rider for cargo rather than a second saddle. Midtails are shortened longtails. These latter two designs maneuver more like traditional bicycles, but bakfiets tend to provide more cargo capacity.

To Electrify or Not?

To make sense of the recent cargo bike boom, look to e-bikes. “Electricity and cargo bikes go together like PB&J,” Evans says. Schlepping hundreds of pounds on a bike is great if you’re looking for a workout, but e-cargo bikes like the Tern GSD and Benno Boost E use pedal-assist electric motors with more than 50 miles of range to make cargo bikes more accessible to riders who aren’t trying to break a sweat. The tech comes at a price, however. If you’re running a cost-benefit analysis of the electric premium, bikes like the Yuba Spicy Curry Bosch come in electric and non-electric formats.

Accessorize to Fit Your Needs

Once you’ve purchased a cargo bike, you’ll want the right accessories to maximize its utility. Start on the manufacturer’s website: Brands like Tern and Benno sell panniers, racks, and child seats to match their cargo bikes. Alternatively, if your style is more “dump it and go,” bakfiets like the Riese & Müller Load 60 use a single spacious box that’ll fit all your stuff in any manner of organization (there are still seat belts for your kids, though). The best way to figure out which you prefer is by getting out there and hauling.

How We Tested

Each of these bikes has been thoroughly tested by a Bicycling editor. We’ve used them to fetch groceries and take kids to school, riding them as often as possible to find out whether they can replace our cars for daily use. We’ve also interviewed the product managers who build these bikes and compared them to competitors in the market. Have a question about one of these rides or why a bike you may love didn’t make the list? Let us know in the comments.

Tern GSD S00

A high-powered hauler with commuter-focused features

The Tern GSD S10 won Bicycling’s Gear of the Year award in 2018 for its car-replacing versatility and range. The GSD S00 builds upon the original’s success with a Bosch Performance Line CX motor, which provides more torque and features walk-assist for easier off-the-bike maneuvering. There’s also an Enviolo internally geared hub (compared to the S10’s Shimano Deore groupset), allowing riders to shift gears while sitting at a stoplight. Like its predecessor, the GSD S00 holds two Bosch battery packs—buying both extends the range to a 155-mile maximum but adds $800 to the price.

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Benno Boost E

This graceful midtail proves form and function aren’t mutually exclusive

The Benno Boost E won Bicycling’s Editors’ Choice award in 2017 for its simplicity and ease of use—we think it’s one of the best-looking cargo bikes around, too. The midtail design made it easy to maneuver, and the (relatively) low 58.1-pound claimed weight means it wasn’t terrible to pedal when the battery runs out. The Bosch Performance Line motor and Bosch Purion computer provide five riding modes (four levels of e-assist and “off”), and using the optional front tray helped us balance out heavy loads. During testing, the integrated lights, ergonomically pleasing integrated seat handle, and weeklong battery life (as we used the bike for day-to-day errands) impressed us.

Urban Arrow Shorty

This front-loading e-bike has space for big hauls and growing kids

This snub-nose, front-loading e-cargo bike is so sensible it had to be designed by Europeans. But you don’t need to live in Copenhagen or Amsterdam, where Urban Arrow’s HQ is, to enjoy the Shorty. The front box has an upper section for freight or mounting a child seat and a lower compartment for stashing even more stuff. The box is made of expanded polypropylene, a lightweight material that’s surprisingly durable and helps the bike maintain a low center of gravity. A Bosch Performance CX motor provides smooth power and 75Nm of torque, helping ease the bike’s 100-plus-pound weight coming off the line. At 80 inches long, the Shorty has a laughably poor turning radius, but it’s an easy enough bike to maneuver once you’re up to speed. And the centered position of the cargo hold means adding weight won’t throw off the handling too much, so load it up to your heart’s desire.

Benno eJoy

More of an e-utility bike than an e-cargo, the eJoy still hauls a lot

eJoy 9D

eJoy 9D

Now 66% Off

$1,074 at Jenson USA

Pros

Cons

There’s something about the eJoy 9D that makes you want to take care of it like a new pet, to dress it up not in silly sweaters but in accessories like a front tray or panniers or even a child seat (it comes stock with a big-ass rear rack). You’ll find yourself admiring it, using your own spit to remove smudges. It’ll become your go-to compact e-cargo bike for running errands, zipping around at the beach, even commuting when the time comes (it gets up to 80 miles on one charge). You’ll never toss it in your garage too close to the mower; you’ll use its massive kickstand to park it carefully. You’ll encourage friends and family to “go ahead, take it for a spin” because you want to share the joy it brings. And with its extremely low standover and stable balloon tires, even mom won’t be deterred by its capacity to reach 20mph. You might not notice at first, but you’ll come to appreciate its integrated lights and lock and the fact that its wheelbase is about six inches shorter than a typical cargo bike (a space-saving feature). Add the eJoy 9D to your life and you will love it unconditionally.

Xtracycle RFA Utility

An adjustable wheelbase and loads of available accessories

The Xtracycle RFA Utility is designed to evolve around your changing needs. Its adjustable dropouts allow you to shorten and lengthen the wheelbase by 5.5 inches. The shorter layout, dubbed the RFA Sport, comes with a smaller rear deck. We’d opt for the RFA Utility with its longer rack (might as well have a longer rack, right?), but you can always change the wheelbase length yourself in about an hour. The bike feels sturdy and stiff, and the component spec is similarly customizable, with options for motors, batteries, and accessories.

The fat 24-inch tires dampen road vibration and make you feel like you can run over almost anything, an admirable trait on a bike designed to carry hundreds of pounds of cargo. Our test bike had the Bosch Performance Line Speed motor, which takes you up to 28 mph rather quickly. Minor sticking points were the inconveniently long kickstand legs, lack of stock fenders, and minimal clearance between your heels and the seat stays. Otherwise, it’s a quality platform for customization and years of use.

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Tern HSD

Almost all of the capability of the GSD in a more manageable size

HSD S8i

HSD S8i

$4,099 at ternbicycles.com

Pros

Cons

Tern’s older GSD cargo bike deserves every bit of the love we’ve lavished upon its kid-hauling, load-bearing frame. But it’s a big bike, overkill if you’re not a nuclear family—with a couple of kids—looking to replace a car. The HSD is a midsize cargo bike that shares many features with the GSD. Fold down the HSD’s handlebar unit and it stands on its rear rack, taking up about as much space as a floor lamp. The fat 55mm Schwalbe tires on 20-inch wheels roll smoothly, with a custom Suntour suspension fork providing a bit of extra comfort and control. Topping out at 20 mph, the Bosch Active Line Plus motor is glassy smooth and nearly silent, as is the low-maintenance Gates belt drive and Shimano Nexus 8-speed internally geared hub. A 400Wh battery provides up to 69 miles of range and is secured by the same key that locks the built-in ring lock. The HSD can handle up to 374 pounds, accepts one child seat, and works with a variety of cargo accessories for the front and rear for all your commuting and errand-running pleasure.

Yuba Spicy Curry Bosch

A low-riding longtail for all your errands

Spicy Curry Bosch

Spicy Curry Bosch

$5,199 at yubabikes.com

Pros

Cons

The Yuba Spicy Curry Bosch is a utilitarian electric cargo bike. Customize it with the proprietary monkey bars, sideboards, cargo bags, and basket, and you’ll end up with as close to a two-wheeled minivan as you can get. “I’ll ride the bike with my son to drop him off at school,” says Bicycling video production manager Jimmy Cavalieri. “The Bosch motor helps me climb the 600-foot hill between my home and work, and I’ll load it up after my grocery stop on the way home.” The low-rider rear rack lowers your cargo’s center of gravity to improve handling.

Surly Big Easy

This overbuilt longtail handles up to 400 pounds

Surly Big Easy

Surly Big Easy

$5,000 at surlybikes.com

Pros

Cons

The Surly Big Easy is the company’s newest e-cargo bike. It’s a massive longtail with a chromoly steel frame, 26×2.5-inch tires, and a highly customizable rear rack. The Bosch Performance Line CX motor boasts impressive torque, which enables you to load the bike up to its 400-pound weight limit and blast up hills. The SRAM GX 11-speed drivetrain shifts crisply and the Tektro four-piston hydraulic brakes help bring the 67-pound rig to a controlled stop. The Big Easy feels stable at speed, and despite its seven-foot length, it’s manageable in traffic, too. The bike doesn’t have lights or fenders (you can add those later), but it does come with a pair of Surly’s expansive Dummy bags to get you started.

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Riese & Müller Load 60 Touring HS

A smooth ride for cargo and cyclist

Load 60 Touring HS

Load 60 Touring HS

$9,329 at r-m.de

Pros

Cons

The Load 60 Touring HS is the BMW of bakfiets: There’s a torquey Bosch Performance Line CX motor and full suspension to smooth out the bumps and hold your cargo steady. For the bike’s 60cm-long cargo area, Riese & Müller makes boxes with low and high sidewalls, and child transport boxes that hold up to three kids. Like offerings from Tern, there’s an optional second battery pack for a total of 1,000 watt-hours of pedal-assist power. The Load 60 tops out at 28 mph. For shifting at a standstill, spring for the internally geared hub on the $8,689 Load 60 Vario HS.

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Riese & Müller Multicharger GX Touring HS

A fully loaded, go-fast cargo bike

Riese & Müller Multicharger

Riese & Müller Multicharger

$5,939 at Riese & Müller

Pros

Cons

Riese and Müller builds some of our favorite utilitarian e-bikes. There’s the Load above, and now the Multicharger, a mid-tail wünderbike. It can haul a lot—132 pounds on the back, 10 pounds in the front—and with the optional dual battery, it has a maximum range of about 100 miles, making it camping- and touring-friendly. It has a purposefully elegant frame and a suspension fork and suspension seat post, and it comes with a lock, a bright headlight, a brake light, a horn, Ergon grips, and the sturdiest kickstand known to mankind. The GX Touring HS model is the class-3 (assist cuts off at 28mph) version with knobby tires. Despite its top speed, the 70-pound bike is heavy enough that it doesn’t feel particularly zippy (especially with a load), though it does trundle up to speed eventually.

But utility is this bike’s purpose, and that it offers. The bags are cavernous and have multiple ways to fit awkward loads. The footpegs and handlebar of the passenger kit are well-designed, though we’re a bit hesitant to recommend anyone fly along at nearly 30 with a small person clinging to the back. The weight and speed of the Multicharger make it feel more like a moped that a bicycle. Its handling is deliberate, and it can feel big and awkward if you’re used to a bicycle’s compact nimbleness. But it’s less massive, less sluggish, and much easier to maneuver than a longtail cargo bike, with most of the utility. If longtail cargo bikes are the minivans of the bike world, the Multicharger is a station wagon: almost as utilitarian, but way cooler.