utility cycling

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A partial car substitute? Trek’s new cargo bike, reviewed (arstechnica.com)

submitted 1 year ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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[–] [email protected] 9 points 1 year ago (12 children)

Cargo bikes are obscenely expensive (the cheapest I’ve seen was double what I paid for my car)

The Lectric Xpedition starts at $1400.

I bought one (chosen specifically because it was the cheapest I could find, although I ended up springing for dual batteries and some accessories) and love it. In particular, it was a great upgrade from my old formerly-rusty (until I had it powder-coated) mountain bike with an old Instep trailer.

which seems like a more sensible solution given the trailer can be swapped between bikes or even reconfigured depending on needs

Incidentally, if I need to carry a lot for some reason, I can still hitch the old trailer up to the new cargo bike. In theory, I could haul four kids at once!

In other words, the cargo bike isn't an alternative, less "sensible solution" to the trailer, but rather a straight upgrade.

[–] LucyLastic 1 points 1 year ago (11 children)

Sorry but here 1400 for a bike is obscenely expensive for me and many other people

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (6 children)

The average American drives ~14,000 miles per year. People who get electric cargo bikes tend to be able to substitute the bike for about 20% of those, or 2800 miles. Counting gas and vehicle depreciation you can expect to spend $0.65/mile to drive, so choosing the bike avoids $1820 in expenses. You'll probably need to spend $100 or so on things like electricity, replacement tires, chain lubricants, and maybe a shifter cable or something in that time, so you end up with about $300 in your pocket you didn't have, along with a big smile.

You'll then end up with around $1800/year for the useful life of the bike.

This is an insanely good deal.

[–] LucyLastic 1 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

I'm in Spain. I mostly ride a 125 motorbike that gets 2.1l/100km and cost less than your cargo bike ... last week I covered 2000km on it.

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