An unadorned ebike is a blank canvas. Here, get tips for maximizing its cargo-hauling and person-carrying capabilities.
When my wife and I bought our first ebike—a Radwagon 4 by the Seattle-based Rad Power Bikes—four years ago, we did so to replace one of our two family cars. For in-town trips of 5 miles or less, we figured we could (and should!) use the bicycle. At the time, our kids were very young, so we needed a bike capable of safely carting them around and also handling whatever we were hauling on a given day.
The Radwagon answered those needs; the direct-to-consumer company allowed me to configure the bike to suit my exact needs during the ordering process. I selected a front basket, a rear pad seat for my son, and a Thule Yepp 2 Maxi seat to secure my then-toddler daughter. I also bought a few safety lights and a bell from my local bike shop (more on those accessories below).
Once the bike arrived and was assembled, my wife and I used it to tote our kids all over town. We rode to and from school and daycare, playdates, and doctor’s appointments; made quick grocery runs; and went anywhere else we needed to go that was relatively close to home.
On any given day, the front basket continues to function as a cornucopia holding whatever we might need for the task or errand at hand. On a recent trip to a nearby playground, my ebike’s basket held the following: a small soccer ball, my wife’s small shoulder bag, my bike lock and cable, two bottles of water (in addition to a third bottle of water in the bike’s bottle cage), three baseball caps, two baseball gloves, one baseball, a small tin lunch box full of snacks, and two binders full of Pokémon trading cards. The basket has also successfully transported two large grocery bags or three smaller ones, and, on one occasion, a small guitar amp I found at our local thrift store.
The bike is still useful and functional, but my family’s needs have changed since we bought it. My now-4-year-old daughter is too big to fit in her Yepp seat, and my now-8-year-old son is a bit too self-conscious to be seen on the back of his dad’s big ebike. (Not to mention, he’s now strong enough to ride all over town on his own bike.)
With my kids outgrowing the beloved family ebike, I’ve been thinking about its next iteration as a serious cargo schlepper—a Grocery Getter, if you will—and how I can set it up to haul as much stuff as possible. Ebikes now make up a huge category, serving mountain bikers and commuters, folding and cruising to fit various needs. There are strategic ways to maximize your ebike’s capabilities for each of those purposes, but here I’m going to stick to outlining the two I know best: carting a family (the Family Wagon) and hauling lots of stuff (the Grocery Getter).
Photograph: Michael Venutolo-Mantovani
If you use your ebike to transport your kids, you’ll want comfortable, safe, and age-appropriate seating for them.
