Turn-Key Electric Klunker Bikes
It seems that the people who read this blog [I am very thankful for all four of you!] prefer posts that include cargo bikes, electric bikes, or klunkers. So, I thought to myself, Why not feature all the electric cargo klunkers I can find? And I started the search.
The only one I had stored in my memory was available at Luna Cycle a few years ago...
It was a beast, but I haven't seen it on their site for quite a while.
You could buy it fully built or you could order a bare frame. For what it was, it was quite cheap and really wild..
As I kept searching, I decided it would just be smarter to seek out turn-key electric klunkers. And that didn't pan out too well either. So I searched for electric cruiser bikes and got a lot closer.
Two of the first klunker-ish electric bikes were from the same company - Vintage Electric Bikes. I've been a fan of VEB since I saw this video back in 2014. They are beautiful and powerful bikes but I seldom write about them since they fall well outside of the Mesquite Hugger budgetary requirements.
Too cool - none too cheap.
Too cooler - none too cheaper!
Next up was a bike I'd never noticed before, but I'm pretty intrigued. It's the Gravity XROD family, a house brand of bikes available from bikesdirect.com.
The base model is the XRod 7, which is a pretty sweet 27.5" klunker with V-Brakes. It'd be a great candidate for electrification and has a lot of nicer/mid-range components. For $100 more you can buy the XRod 8 which has hydraulic disc brakes (which makes it a much better candidate for electrification).
But wait, there's more...
You can also buy a reasonably priced electric version. At $1399 (shipped), you can get a pretty sweet electric ride with good quality components and a Bafang electric hub-motor setup. Not bad.
My only misgiving about this bike is that at 250 watts, it's underpowered for people my size or for people who need cargo bike hauling power. However, if you're under 200 pounds and are not hauling Saint Bernards around, this could be a great bike for you.
Of course, I'll take mine in matte black:
I learned about this here
How About A Turn-Key, Non-Electric Klunker Cargo Bike?
Find it on the clearance rack at Clever Cycles
I am sad to report that the closest thing I've seen to a turn-key cargo klunker is no more. I went
looking for the Boda Boda All-Terrain on the Yuba site and found it missing. While I drooled over it often, I can understand why it didn't survive in their line-up. At twice the price of the Yuba Mundo Classic, it would be hard for a lot of us cargo-bike junkies to plop down the $1999 required. The YBBAT was just too cool to live long - the James Dean of the cargo bike world.
Wait a minute, Mesquite Hugger; where's my Electric Cargo Klunker?
Since I did not find it as a turn-key, here's a suggested recipe:
Ingredients:
The $319 Retrospec Sully (very cool base, but you'll need more brakes)
1. Start with about 25 pounds of Retrospec Sulley or Gravity XRod 8 (or some cool used Felt or Kona or Transition Klunker)
2. Add a big helping of Xtracycle Leap.
3. Assemble and stir.
4. Add an electric drivetrain.
Two vendors I've dealt with and been happy with are
- Ebikeling.com for low-priced/mid-quality hub motor systems and
- Lunacycle.com for mid-drive and high-power/high-quality setups.
Both places are located in and ship from the US.
If you'd like to know more about the whole process and other vendors, check out Micah Toll's ebikeschool.com .
So there you have it - that's as close as I've been able to share with you a turn-key, electric, cargo klunker. Stay tuned for more on the DIY cargo bike. At this rate, it should be on the road by 2024.
May you find the right eco-friendly ride for you!
PS. for those of you more focused on the Turn-Key, Electric, and Cargo, Rad Power Bikes just announced a permanent price drop on the Radwagon (of my dreams), which reinforces the Radwagon's place as the best bang for the buck in cargo bikes.
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