Can this ‘SUV of bikes’ change your automotive? You could be stunned

execs and cons

Professionals

• Large hauling capability
• Excellent design
• Easy shifting

Cons

• Finicky moving into a motorcycle rack

extra shopping for decisions

The most effective gear marries design and performance right into a seamless bundle, and the exemplars of any class do that in an iconic manner. It has to look good, make you look good, and do a variety of work to satisfy the challenges of each day life. This is applicable equally to non-public computer systems, tennis racquets, and toaster ovens.

On the danger of falling into romantic opining, nice gear can also be more and more onerous to search out. What number of issues have you ever bought not too long ago that you simply count on to be providing you with good service in a decade? 20 years?

That prime-handed preface is resulting in an equally high-handed thesis: I discovered a cargo bike that solves a serious conveyance drawback for me and my household. It’s from an OG model, technically refined, fully rugged, and absurdly tailor-made to our specific use case. Additionally it is designed and constructed with an old-school ethos: Make great things that may work properly for a very long time. 

Importantly, this assessment will likely be from the attitude of that use case, from my specific physique kind and driving fashion, and you must pay shut consideration to these particulars, which I elucidate under and which can differ in necessary methods from yours. This bike is ideal … for me. And whereas it’s a Swiss Military knife of a machine, it most positively shouldn’t be one-size-fits all.

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Learn on to search out out why, and if you happen to’re contemplating a cargo bike, this assessment ought to aid you dial in on the related issues, alternatives, and pitfalls. 

Rider profile

My household lives outdoor. I imply that just about actually … we name an enormous outdated sailboat residence and reside dockside in a marina in Southern California.

Residing on a ship is nice, however dwelling on a ship with two youngsters requires some planning. Children want to maneuver, and although our WWII-era sailboat is a beast designed to hold troops, cargo, and tons of fish, the fact is we have to get off the boat early and sometimes to maintain our sanity. Which means frequent outings to parks, the seashore, farmer’s markets, faculty, and each number of sports activities apply, errand, and appointment conceivable.

In Los Angeles, meaning numerous time in vehicles. Automobiles are handy however when driving in them turns into a way of life one thing feels off. That is the place a motorcycle with a helpful cargo capability is available in. Is it doable to dump a good portion of your car-bound life to sustainable, lifestyle-boosting bike commuting?

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Given the above constraints (two kiddos, gear, city surroundings) the bike must be rugged, have a large cargo capability, and be flexibly set as much as accommodate issues as diverse as groceries, wiggly youngsters, and random boat components. It must have good visibility and ideally some sort of cool issue (in spite of everything, Los Angeles).

Add to the combo my private rider profile. I am 6’4″, so I want an enormous bike. I take pleasure in a street bike stance over a extra vertically aligned seashore cruiser or informal commuter. Having ridden bikes for years, I am additionally extra tolerant of a heavy bike in terms of maneuverability in tight areas.

The construct

The Yuba Mundo Lux is billed because the SUV of bikes, and with good purpose. It is strong (but has a classy look), performs equally properly on the road or on a fireplace street, and might carry gobs of drugs and goofball youngsters.

Yuba is among the unique cargo bike corporations and it has perfected the artwork of the full-sized cargo bike within the Mundo Lux, which it has been producing in varied variations for over a decade. The bike I examined was the sixth model, a longtail that may carry as much as 550 kilos and three youngsters.

It is instantly obvious that this bike is engineered to final. It has a chromoly body (quick for chromium-molybdenum) that makes it tremendous sturdy and proof against corrosion, which is very necessary within the marine surroundings the place we reside. 

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The bike is heavy at 57.9 kilos inventory. The body is undeniably beefy and so are the 26″ wheels, which make this a really tall journey. Countering the load are hydraulic disc breaks and thru-axles, in addition to a spring-dampened steering system for ease of management.

Cargo capability on this factor is basically wild — I genuinely did not know a motorcycle may carry this a lot stuff. With 160 liters of rear cargo capability and a beneficiant elective entrance basket, the bike can haul every week’s price of groceries simply. By including extra equipment, such because the Go-Getter bag, you’ll be able to improve the carrying capability by as a lot as 80 liters.

A motorcycle that at any given time could or will not be carrying a whole lot of kilos of drugs wants one thing extra stable than a kickstand. Motorcyclists will acknowledge the swing-arm-style kickstand, which easily levers the bike backward, even with a heavy load, lifting one wheel off the bottom to supply a tripod help that feels steady sufficient to load and unload youngsters.

My bike additionally got here with a pedal-powered entrance and rear gentle, that are good touches, magnificently snug grips and saddle, a bell, and fenders which can be snazzy and useful for warding off street spray.

Add-ons 

The philosophy behind cargo bikes is that they seem to be a platform, a basis, the proper clean canvas on which to construct your final biking expertise. 

As such, the add-ons are an enormous deal. Yuba is high of the heap in terms of add-on choices, and getting the recipe proper is the key sauce to creating your bike a fully good marriage of design, efficiency, and performance for you. 

My add-ons replicate my major cargo: groceries and children. This is what I am rocking:

Monkey Bars: Lik guard rails for kiddos, the monkey bars create a framework across the cargo tail to supply hand holds and to maintain the youngsters in place. In addition they present a helpful scaffolding for protecting baggage of groceries on the tail, though warning is required (and so are some bungees) in any other case the floppy baggage are liable to slide by way of the hole under the bars.

Bamboo Boards: These are the first foot platforms for long-limbed passengers. My seven-year-old is almost tall sufficient to achieve them.

Comfortable Spot: This can be a good seat that goes over the cargo tail. It is soft for the tushy of any passengers.

Leg up: These are foot pegs for the tiny passenger that sits ahead most on the cargo tail (in my case a four-year-old).

Go Getter Bag: That is an easy-on, easy-off facet bag that takes benefit of the Mundo Lux’s top to extend storage considerably. The best half is how simply it clips and unclips from the bike, for taking it with you when leaving the bike unattended.

Bread Basket: A entrance basket that is rated for 50 kilos and two instances of beer. Good!

The above system is ideal for metropolis journey. Yuba has different add-ons that make its varied bikes appropriate for the whole lot from tenting to hauling full-sized kegs (no, actually!). You possibly can take a look at the full add-ons line right here. 

Electrical help vs. guide transmission

The inventory Mundo Lux is pedal energy solely, however Yuba makes an e-bike model known as the EP8. With the brackets already put in, the Mundo Lux can simply be transformed to an e-bike or e-assist utilizing a wide range of aftermarket setups, and Yuba estimates that 70% of Mundo Lux’s find yourself with motors in some unspecified time in the future.

It is easy to see why. The bike’s top and weight conspire to make it difficult to get going from a lifeless cease, particularly when carrying tiny passengers. The middle of gravity is excessive, and whereas the bike is easy to maintain up with two ft planted firmly on the bottom, the transition from a full cease to a cushty pedal will be nerve-wracking with two youngsters on again. If you aren’t getting a superb push with that first pedal, or in case your foot slips off, you are caught attempting to awkwardly straighten and catch your bike earlier than your treasured cargo crashes to the street.

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Despite the above, nonetheless, I am holding off on electrical help. Whereas I get the practicality, the Mundo Lux feels like a motorcycle ought to really feel. It is a piece of apparatus that is meant for use onerous and put away moist, that I do not thoughts wrenching on myself, and that I really feel competent sufficient to repair ought to one thing break (nothing has but, by the best way, despite months of onerous use). 

If you add a motor and a battery to the equation, issues get extra sophisticated. It is a new system to take care of and fuss over, and it is one I am not notably accustomed to. There’s additionally a way of self-reliance that is simple to eye-roll at however makes me benefit from the bike that rather more. I have not taken my bike on any lengthy multi-day journeys but, however I like the concept that I can do this with the system I’ve now, with out fear about charging tools or eradicating it for particular use instances. Which will sound romantic, however it makes me really feel linked to the bike, and that makes me need to use it much more.

Adjusting to the brand new journey

My typical commute has me navigating busy Los Angeles site visitors to and from faculty drop off. Using in site visitors with two kiddos on the again takes some getting used to. I am transitioning from pulling a motorcycle trailer and it took me a number of rides to begin to really feel snug with the brand new weight dynamics.

Take into account this: The wheels of the Yuba Mundo Lux are a stable 26″. Add the tail top and cushion and you have a reasonably excessive heart of gravity to your cargo. This has a pair completely different results. First, it means you’ll be able to’t throw the bike facet to facet, which I am accustomed to doing throughout take off when standing as much as pedal. The primary time I attempted that with the brand new configuration I felt on the verge of dropping management of the bike. 

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When coming to a cease, I additionally really feel the necessity to drop a foot extra rapidly and solidly than earlier than, understanding that if there’s any lean to the bike at relaxation I am going to have to maintain that weight up. On my regular street bike I just like the seat put up adjusted excessive sufficient to provide me close to full extension of my legs throughout pedaling. This implies I’ve to return properly off the seat to place my foot on the street. At first I attempted an identical seat top on the Mundo Lux. The pedaling felt nice, however coming to a cease with youngsters on the again was a unique story. I felt like I had an excessive amount of distance to make up between my seated posture and my resting stance. With my youngsters on the road, I opted to decrease the seat a superb 3-5 inches, which took a bit of getting used to whereas driving however makes me far more snug in begin/cease conditions.

Nonetheless, together with the difficult dynamics comes a variety of confidence. Towing a trailer in heavy site visitors, even one with an absurdly tall brightly coloured flag, feels fairly sketchy. However on the Mundo Lux I do know my youngsters are proper consistent with me, which suggests I could make security and maneuvering choices far more naturally.

After a couple of week experimenting with and dialing within the bike, the match, and my driving fashion, the entire thing feels completely pure. The kiddos love their perch behind dad. In addition they love the passenger bell on the Monkey Bars, which they enjoyment of ringing at any time when they need my consideration. 

Each day driving experiences 

The unimaginable factor concerning the Mundo Lux, which has supplanted my truck for lots of day-to-day Los Angeles driving, is its versatility. I’ve hauled groceries and lumber on the identical day. I’ve ferried kiddos to highschool earlier than going to conferences or peeling off on city adventures. 

In a variety of methods the bike has opened up a a brand new facet of Los Angeles to me. I have been taking my kiddos to highschool on a motorcycle for a very long time, however towing a trailer has often required a fast return residence — these issues are simply too tough to take care of on day-long outings. 

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With the Yuba I can take the youngsters to highschool after which deal with errands or go for a hike. The utility is constructed into the rock stable body and is expansible with kick butt peripherals and add-ons. The Go Getter Bag is incessantly on my shoulder and doubles as my purchasing bag and briefcase once I’m out and about. I’ve bought bungees and tie downs all around the bike, and the journey is burly sufficient that I do not thoughts filling up propane tanks or the dinghy fuel can and strapping them to the tail. 

Oh yeah, and it is a head turner. Utility is the purpose right here, however it’s fairly cool to get the “good bike” nod from fellow commuters, together with the hardcore fixie crowd. I do my greatest to provide a cool nod again. My youngsters often blow it for me. 

Backside line 

There are a variety of cargo bike choices on the market. Should you’re a tall rider and are in search of a motorcycle that’ll final properly previous your youngsters’ childhood, I’ve seen no higher possibility than the Yuba Mundo Lux. Should you’re shorter or are in search of one thing extra compact and light-weight, you would possibly need to take a look at Yuba’s Kombi or Spicy Curry fashions. The model has one thing for each rider kind and magnificence, and it makes one of the best gear within the recreation. Should you do not need to take my phrase for it, ask your native bike store professional. That is how I ended up with a Yuba.

Alternate options to contemplate 

A pocketbook-friendly compact cargo bike from Yuba.

Prices as a lot as a bike, however it’s a beast wherever your adventures take you.

A classy entrance loader that makes for a sensible different to a automotive in suburban and concrete settings.