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@tconnolly9820 Thanks, glad you enjoyed the video! The price is certainly a bit difficult to look past, especially when you compare it to similar setups from other brands, but it is cool and distinctive and that's enough justification for some folk. But I agree that pricing is wild in general and I think it's the main thing holding cargo bikes back from being more widely adopted. I've seen top spec Riese & Müller and Ca Go models advertised for sale for over €11k!

@@RobRidesCargoBikes Thanks for the reply and I really didn't know about the €11k R&M. Ouch! I just bought a Cube Kathmandu One as a commuter and as a "lite" cargo bike and to use with my existing pretty large trailers I have been doing all the same with for several years using an ordinary hybrid bike. I'm in Ireland and a mostly rural area so infrastructure is not what you are used to but I persist. Just on e-bike pricing and affordability. Compared to car manufacturers, companies like R&M, Cube, Urban Arrow are literally garage startups in scale. We need a major manufacturer/s to literally build by the millions, just like Toyota, Ford or Volkswagen a variety of well made e-bike models at more affordable prices that will be reliable and endurable over the long term. That means also repairable and upgradeable with easily obtained parts and components for the future. Replacing individual battery cells or the BMS controller instead of buying a whole new battery pack. Individual components any bike motor mechanic can obtain. Making their motors more water resistant for a start. Water ingress is one of the biggest killers of e-bike motors currently. That is just not good enough for something so expensive. Currently it's still small scale and companies like Bosch (and others) are very protective and anticompetitive about their spare parts and repairs. They want to sell you a whole new €900+ battery pack instead of a replacement component for a BMS. This is definitely an area where Brussels needs to make legislation guaranteeing right to repair AND guaranteed availability of parts and components. Sustainable micro mobility is supposed to be one of the EU's major ambitions, isn't it? The Chinese brands are selling cheaper products but in 5 years time, will you be able to get any replacement parts for any of these bikes? Assuming the EU doesn't put tariffs on them to protect the overpriced European manufacturers? Just like they are doing with the Chinese cars which are undercutting overly expensive European e-car manufacturers right now. Currently the buyer is getting very little for too much cost especially for cargo bikes. Sorry for the rant but I'm not working today and this is one of my biking bug bears that really annoys me. Bike security and preventing theft is another one but that's for another day. Easily solved but no one gives a damn. Great video and keep up the good work 👏👏👏

I just looked again, it’s been reduced to €9500 now, bargain😅: max-cargobike.de/collections/unser-sortiment/products/riese-muller-packster-70-automatic Nice, hope you’re enjoying your Cube! I used to live in a village in North Wales so am very familiar with rural infrastructure 😂😂 The bike industry is crazy for proprietary parts and designs. I’ve been riding all my life, mostly mountain bikes, and it’s insane how many incompatibility issues there are or manufacturers not selling service kits for parts and deeming them replaceable if you blow a seal or tweak something in a motor. I’ve recently had to replace a whole Shimano Saint brake caliper due to a cracked piston because Shimano won’t sell brake pistons or seal kits separately, how is that sustainable? I’ve also lost count of the amount of stories I’ve heard of folks having to replace 3-4 motors in a warranty period on an ebike. I wonder how many of those could have just been repaired if the brands would allow it. I’d welcome some regulation on ebike motor mount standardisation and would also like to see a right to repair on ebike motors and batteries as you mentioned. I don’t know enough about the import tariffs and laws around Chinese manufacturing to comment with any authority, but I’m currently working on a video with a brand that makes no bones about the fact their frames are made in China and they are doing very well. I also spoke to several brands at Eurobike this year about the established Chinese motor companies (Bafang etc) gaining popularity and the brands I spoke to were certainly open to using them. It seems one of the big problems is getting consumers to see the quality and to quash the stereotype of bad Chinese quality. Some brands even mentioned that they could reduce the cost of their cargo bikes by over €1000 if they specced a Bafang motor system instead of a Bosch, but that they wouldn’t be able to sell them very well because of the Chinese quality stereotype. Ha ha, no need to apologise for commenting, I love that this little channel sparks debate! 🙌

@@RobRidesCargoBikes The very best quality and the very worst quality both come from China. Bafang and Engwe and others are as good as you will get. It's the long term availability of parts and components I would be more concerned about. A few years ago neighbours bought a pair of matching generic e-bikes for occasional leisure riding. Less than two years later they were both posh recycling. But that example of one consumer having to replace the motor several times within the two year warranty period is diabolical. Not because the manufacturer honoured the warranty and replaced the whole unit each time possibly for just a repairable fault. But because this seems to be a persistent fault within that particular motor and when this fault happens again outside of the warranty, the poor customer is probably going to have to face the choice of replacing the entire motor themselves at their own expense or scrapping the entire bike and buying something else to cut their losses. Quality control leaves an awful lot to be desired. E-bikes with all of their faults and reduced longevity AND lack of independent repairers and availability of components makes them much more expensive in the long term than their positive self promotion likes to make us all believe. But when everything works the way it should, they really are a middle ground for the average cyclist between an ordinary bike and a car. And despite my cynicism, I've just got my first one a few weeks ago. Which actually came with a few faults I'm having to get sorted out with the battery cover and the derailleur through the local shop I bought it from. There's a lot to be said for buying from an actual bricks and mortar local seller. And Cube lack of quality control? 🤷‍♂️ That's me done. I'll leave you in peace.

@@tconnolly9820 It’s not just the one consumer I’ve heard of having to replace that many motors, it’s quite a few! Admittedly it’s in the mountain biking world where arguably the motors take a bit more of a beating than a cargo or city bike, but still ridiculous. I think that regardless of personal opinion (and there are MANY passionate folks out there on this topic!), that e-bikes are the future of cycling and they open up cycling to so many who otherwise wouldn’t be interested. I think it’s a net gain for all cyclists as it’ll increase infrastructure spending and prices of bikes will eventually fall. However, the growing pains we’re seeing now with a lack of standardisation, brands being very protective over repairing and servicing motors and the increasing pressure from legitimate Chinese manufacturers bringing good products to market but being shunned by many established Western brands isn’t really helping progress. I often think about what happens to older ebikes that have become uneconomical to repair or that have been rendered obsolete because of a lack of serviceable/replaceable parts. In the case of a mid-motor bike, I’ve seen homemade solutions where people have replaced the motor with a bottom bracket adapter plate so at least the bike can live on as a useful bike. I do think though that we’re approaching a time where earlier generations of ebikes are going to start failing more regularly and I’d love to come up with a mass-produced solution to at least adapt them to be regular bikes, but I don’t have the time or resources to go down that rabbit hole! Then let’s not get started about the whole Vanmoof smart ebike company going bust leaving all their bikes basically unusable until someone open sourced a controller to make them work again! Quality control is certainly an issue also. A family member recently bought a gravel bike for almost €2k and it’s been back to the shop several times already for a recurring derailleur issue. It’s a concern that often bike shops aren’t able to repair or properly diagnose issues, and adding the complications of sophisticated motors and electronics isn’t going to help there either. I understand that things get knocked about and bent during shipping, but it’s not very heartening to know that a manufacturer pre-delivery inspection and a shop pre-sale inspection can both miss issues like this. Sorry to hear you’re having problems with your Cube, hopefully they can be rectified quickly!

Looks like I'm going to have to make a visit to Soulcycles when I'm in the UK at some point!

Absolutely! It was great to talk to him and his partner Ceri for the evening, an inspiring couple!

This is the kind of crazy thing I will never do but what a great guy and I'm pretty sure he (and Ceri) are having a great time.

@@tconnolly9820 They are both great people! We spent most of the evening talking after the sun had set and they make doing such epic rides sound way less daunting and more achievable so don't count yourself out yet 😉

@@RobRidesCargoBikes No, I know my limitations. I'm way too creaky for anything like that. Not to mention disorganised! Something much more sedate and moderate for me I'm afraid. Which to be fair, is still more than most. Keep on pushing one pedal in front of the other! 😎🚴

@@tconnolly9820 Sounds like you've got a good idea of your limits, I respect that! And yes absolutely, keep pushing those pedals, it's all we can do!

You'll be waiting a while, and that's just for me to start the ride, let alone finish it 😅😅

Are you coming with us? 😉

@@RobRidesCargoBikes im in fck yes

@@Samsderbilly Yes! Ok, let me just take 2 years to plan it and I'll get right back to you 😉🤣

@@RobRidesCargoBikes can we make 3 years of it!? That i can get in better shape whit my Bullitt 😅😅😅

@@Samsderbilly Yeah sure, I could also do with getting into shape 😅😅🤣

I love the enthusiasm, thanks for watching! 🙌

Thanks! I've had it for over 2 years now and I still get excited when I swing a leg over it!

Come on over! It's not the easiest to travel with a cargo bike, but the community is fantastic and you'd likely find a way. You might even be able to borrow a bike from someone! We're lucky that these races are run by some very passionate folks as without them, the race scene would be pretty limited.

This is the muscle class so none of the bikes have motors. There is a pedelec class for street legal ebikes (up to 25kph assistance), then there is also an open class for non-street legal bikes.

Thank you Nils!

Thanks, glad you enjoyed it!

Thanks Tom, I thought you'd appreciate the hat reference!

"Technically" - I'll take it 😅😅😂😂

Right?! 😅😅 It took a few takes to get one good enough to post 😂

Thanks! I'd definitely recommend entering a cargo bike race if you can, they are so much fun!

@@RobRidesCargoBikes I’d love to, but I don’t have one, and I live in Tokyo, and I’ve never found a shop that sells them.

Oh wow, that's a bit out of my wheelhouse! I'd love to be able to help, but I don't know of any distributors for cargo bikes in Tokyo. I did see this Instagram post from Larry Vs Harry not too long ago, perhaps you could reach out to them and ask if they know of any cargo bike shops in Tokyo? instagram.com/p/C0OIYAZRB-j/?hl=en

@@RobRidesCargoBikes thanks, I’ll look into it.

What didn't you like?

Thanks Celo, glad you enjoyed it!

Hi Olly, glad you liked the video, thank you! I got the rubber feet from Amazon, though I imagine any place that sells wheelchairs, walkers and zimmerframes etc will have them. You'll need the 25mm tube diameter version, ideally with a metal washer in the bottom so you don't wear through it really quickly.

@@RobRidesCargoBikes ah thanks for your reply, that's super helpful. Much appreciated!

Thanks Ron, glad you enjoyed the video! 🙌

I had a lot of fun on it during my short time with the bike!

I just priced up an Iumentum as cheaply as possible and got it down to €2289 for a complete bike (without a stand though)! I'm not going to deny these prices are quite high, but when you consider that you could spend almost €11,000 on a Riese & Müller Packster or Ca Go FS200, I think it shows there's a market for it and it brings some prices into perspective a bit.

Well below the average usage for an ebike! As I mentioned in the video though, I was over the motor assistance level quite a lot, was in the lowest assistance mode the whole time and even had a tailwind for most of the day so all that definitely helped a lot, but still impressive nonetheless I think!

@@RobRidesCargoBikes yes it's very efficient. on the city bike with similar conditions i get about 3 when i'm in the mood to pedal pretty hard to help the motor, at 25 km / h average maybe 300 metres elevation every 100 km, rider weight 70 kg, bike 25. going much under 3 i think is road bike territory

@@markifi Yeah it's certainly impressive for a cargo bike, especially as I weigh just over 100kg and I had fairly decent load with my camera stuff, food and drinks.

It was a tough one to swallow 😣🤣 Thanks, glad you were able to discover a new brand!

Thanks Sam!

Ok that settles it, Döner party when I get to 1000 subscribers 🤣

Ha ha thanks, I'll keep it in mind! I can't pay much, but the kebab will be on me 😉

Yeah the inability to safely carry another person bigger than a toddler is probably the biggest minus point for me about the bike, otherwise it's great! You'd likely save a bit of money over the e-version getting a non-motorised one and converting it yourself too, though I can see it may be a bit too much work for some folks to do a DIY conversion. Maybe a topic for a future video!

Thank you! It's probably for the best we didn't stop, we'd have had less riding shots after a greasy lunch break anyway 😬😬

Emotional damage 😥😥🥙

Hi! Great you’re enjoying your bike, good to hear! I’m not sure exactly what rear hub spacing is on the Clamber Cheetah, so you’d need to measure that, as well as what axle type it is (though it looks like a QR axle I think). Then it’s a case of finding something in your budget that suits. I’ve not had many problems with Shimano hubs over the years and a lot of their stuff gets specced on city bikes and ebikes so they should have plenty of options to suit your hub spacing and axle type. If you wanted to spend more, then you could look at Hope hubs from the UK (though also available from the US), or perhaps a Spank Industries complete wheel if the hub spacing and axle type is available.

@@RobRidesCargoBikes thanks Rob I will try the Spank wheel I see lot of German Bullitt owners used that brand wheel.

Great choice! Just watch your dropout sizing and you should be fine. Yes, they're a popular aftermarket wheel over here for sure.

If you buy a brand new bike then you will be able to get a new motor under warranty if it breaks, but a new motor needs to be programmed with a dealer login that isn't publicly accessible. Once you're out of warranty then it can still be done but it will be quite pricey. My Bullitt has the E6000 motor which has a different motor mount to the current EP6/EP8 motors (and the older E6100/E8000) motors so I really don't know what I'd do if my motor broke. E6000 motors are still available to buy from some corners of the web, but I wouldn't be able to program it so I don't know if it would even work. I think the only way to truly safeguard yourself from a broken motor rendering a bike useless is to get a mechanical bike and convert it with a DIY kit, but that's a whole other can of worms with many pros and cons.

The load area is very modular, you can put whatever you'd like on there. The BBX side panel kit that I have on this Bullitt is bolted on so isn't something you can quickly remove, but there are lots of solutions out there for carrying dogs. I've seen a box with a door on the side for dogs to be able to easily jump in and out: shop.velogut.de/Bullitt-Zubehoer-Kein-Versand-von-Waren/Bullitt-VELOdogs/AMB-DOGbox-schwarz.html Or you could cut a door into any of the existing boxes already on the market. I've also seen folks mounting dog cages to the load area and also just having their dogs in an open box.

Thank you! Looking forward to the next time you beat me you mean 😉

Thanks, and thank you for organising! I'm still trying to figure out some Eurobike possibilities, maybe I'll have figured out what to do with the pool noodle by then 😅😅

@@RobRidesCargoBikes maybe you should switch the box? 😉

I have been thinking about it! Watching Markus throw everything in his box in a few seconds and getting a big lead was a bit of an eye opener!

You can load it however you like, in whatever order you like. Most of practise is usually spent trying to figure out the best way to carry the cargo and watching how other people load to try and pick up some tips. I did try during practise to put the pool noodle in first, but then it put everything else on top of it off balance and made the load really unstable. It might have been fine had it not been for the cable bridges jolting the cargo though! I may try just stuffing it up my t-shirt next time 🤣

While painful for me to watch back, it's an authentic retelling of the day at least! Maybe I'll start wrapping my bike in bubble wrap for future races 😅

I'll have to 3D print some aero shrouds for all the cameras for the next race 🤣🤣

Thank you! Yes they're so versatile, it's amazing! The weight capacity means the bikes are generally built tough too, which is just as well considering how much we put them through!

Just need to service the legs for the next round and I'll be set! 😂

Well it seems my efforts at securing the load were so bad that it probably still counts as an insecure load surely? 😬😅😂

@@RobRidesCargoBikes Haha yeah that chair didn't want to stay put!

See you at Velo... On the racetrack? 😉😉 Glad you came to support the race despite the terrible weather, thank you!

@@RobRidesCargoBikes Maybe in the relay again. Who knows ;)

Join the winning team next time 😉😉

@@RobRidesCargoBikes lol

That'd be a great option if I could get a BB shell welded in somehow! I'm not a fan of the Enviolo system personally, but I can certainly see the attraction. I'm glad you're happy with your setup!

@@RobRidesCargoBikes The Enviolo replaces the rear hub, so there is no welding involved. Just lace up the hub in your old rime. Easy Peasy.

@@bigwheelsturning Seems like a good option for if the motor on this bike ever gives up the ghost!

Thanks! The R&M Load bikes certainly have their place, but I think that's the beauty of cargo bikes - there's a tool for every job! Ha ha yeah, usually when you see videos of bikes like this then the bikes are all freshly cleaned, polished and tuned, but I don't think that's the reality for most cargo bikes. I'll be giving this one it's annual clean soon now we've just ticked over into Spring, so it'll look a bit better for about a week at least 😂

I found this one in the Bullitt Universal Owners group on Facebook, and there is also a Bullitt Buy/Sell group on Facebook. I've seen quite a few adverts from www.dba.dk/ for used Bullitts in Denmark, and there are a few used Bullitts on www.marktplaats.nl/ in the Netherlands.

Thanks, glad you liked it! Looking forward to more videos on your channel as well!

Ah thanks, what a nice comment, I appreciate you sharing! Yeah this bike certainly has a utilitarian feel to it with what I’ve done to it. Admittedly, some of the changes (such as changing from the Alfine setup to a derailleur setup and changing the swept back bars for an MTB riser bar) were purely personal preference, but the majority of it has been - Does it work and do what I need it to do? Ok, it’s done! The bolt pattern change from the earlier generation to the current motors is a bit frustrating, but I’m sure Shimano had their reasons. I’ve seen E6000 motors with 35,000km on them so I’m not super worried, and I’ve also seen homebrew bottom bracket adapters where eBullitts have been converted to muscle Bullitts, but an adapter to the current gen motors would be even better. Nice, that’s some serious mileage, good effort! I’m glad you’re happy with it and I hope you continue to enjoy it long into the future!