I put a relatively low power (250W) mid-drive conversion kit on my commuter bike last year, along with a decent front rack and a child seat for my 18 month year old.
It's incredibly useful for doing short journeys. The motor doesn't make the bike any quicker than a normal bike, but it makes hills a breeze and removes that "can I be bothered" feeling from cycling. If I'm feeling more energetic I drop the assist down to 0 or 1 and it turns into a regular cycle ride. If I'm feeling lazy I blast it to max.
There's a lot of negativity around ebikes here, but I think they're heralding a revolution in city transport. Cycling is a great way to get around, but if you're tired or hungry or going uphill it can be a chore. Ebikes remove all that drudgery, and enable people to ride much heavier cargo bikes. Anecdotally I've seen absolutely loads of people riding cargo bikes in my part of London over the last year - way more than ever before. Bikes like the Tern GSD or the Bakfiets can carry multiple kids or a full food shop uphill with minimal effort. They are actually more useful than a car in a lot of situations.
Once I have a secure place to store it, I'm seriously considering getting a long tail cargo bike like the Radwagon or Tern GSD soon. Driving is so much effort compared to a bike.
i have a long tail cargo, non-electric, Yuba Sweet Curry.
It is awesome, the kids go on the back and have a blast. Way better than a three wheel cargo bike. Much lighter and can pop up on the footpath.
It's incredibly useful for doing short journeys. The motor doesn't make the bike any quicker than a normal bike, but it makes hills a breeze and removes that "can I be bothered" feeling from cycling. If I'm feeling more energetic I drop the assist down to 0 or 1 and it turns into a regular cycle ride. If I'm feeling lazy I blast it to max.
There's a lot of negativity around ebikes here, but I think they're heralding a revolution in city transport. Cycling is a great way to get around, but if you're tired or hungry or going uphill it can be a chore. Ebikes remove all that drudgery, and enable people to ride much heavier cargo bikes. Anecdotally I've seen absolutely loads of people riding cargo bikes in my part of London over the last year - way more than ever before. Bikes like the Tern GSD or the Bakfiets can carry multiple kids or a full food shop uphill with minimal effort. They are actually more useful than a car in a lot of situations.
Once I have a secure place to store it, I'm seriously considering getting a long tail cargo bike like the Radwagon or Tern GSD soon. Driving is so much effort compared to a bike.