Comments on: Electric Ute official debut, Trek coming

By: Don

Don — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 05:52:49 +0000

Thanks for the note. I was especially interested to hear about your experience demoing the Transport. I haven’t had a chance to ride even the non-assisted version, so your first-hand account is helpful. Given what I know of my BionX motor, I think you’ve made a good choice. I’ll bet you will be pleased with its performance, especially at this price. I’m not happy about the long lead time on the Transport+ either, but if there’s a silver lining, at least you won’t be learning how to ride this bike in wet winter weather. Even if you’re an experienced cyclist, there’s still a short learning curve when you start adding cargo weight and motor assistance.

I like the idea of the rear disc brake. This will be an after-market upgrade, right? I will be interested to hear if it’s an easy/affordable change.

By: John

John — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 01:37:44 +0000

Thanks for such a great site. After weeks of research and questioning, I just pulled the trigger and put a deposit on the Trek Transport+. After considering the Big Dummy/Stokemonkey option (too expensive) and the Kona Ute (front brake question, not enough power), the Transport+ seemed like a solid option. Our local bike store just got in the non-electrified 17″ Transport model, and I’ve got to say, it’s sweet. The design quality is excellent, it’s light, and with the bionx 350 watt motor, it will have plenty of power for the one steep section of hill that we climb to our home. I’ve ridden it a couple of times and I think it’s a winner. With the right sized stem both my wife (5’6″) and I (6’0″) can ride this bike comfortably. The down-side, the Transport+ is not expected to arrive in the bike shop until early March. I’ll be swapping out the stock caliper rear brake for a disc brake. Looking forward to spring!

By: More News from the Cargo Bike World | PHEW! – Philly Electric Wheels

More News from the Cargo Bike World | PHEW! – Philly Electric Wheels — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 16:54:08 +0000

[...] what other players in the bike biz would come out with an electric cargo bike. I just found out via mycargobike.net that Kona, another major bike manufacturer, has thrown their hat into the ring with the electric [...]

By: Don

Don — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 15:30:11 +0000

Thanks, Mark. Researching these various bikes has been a fun hobby.

I’m sure Trek marketers would cringe at the Transport+ being referred to as a “ladies bike”, but I agree it could be a comfortable bike for women who want to carry loads with electric assistance. I recently corresponded with Trek and they told me the bike weighs about 60 pounds with all the accessories included. That’s pretty good. But if you are focused on lightness and balance, the Ute is probably still the champion in that category. Putting the motor in front and the battery in back keeps the center of balance near the center of the bike. With both motor and battery in the rear, the Transport+ will probably feel more like my bike – pretty heavy in the tail. Not a big deal most of the time, but I notice it when I try to load the bike into my mini-van by myself.

It seems like it would be an easy thing for Trek to substitute the 250W BionX motor they use elsewhere in their product line to comply with Australia’s limits on electric assistance. However, that would compromise the bike’s ability to climb hills with a load. Perhaps the Transport+ will provide impetus for Australia to revisit that limit. Ideally, the law should focus on limiting the speed that the motor provides and braking ability, rather than just the wattage of the motor.

By: Mark

Mark — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 01:09:32 +0000

The trek looks like a perfect “ladies bike”. Lighter, low stepover height (26inch wheels?) Nice simple electric assistance. If it makes it to Australia I would be a certain customer. Thank for the information Don. I recon you are now the world best information source for Electric Cargo Bikes!

By: Don

Don — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 14:50:38 +0000

Thanks for the clarification! I haved revised my article to avoid confusion for readers who don’t get down to the comments.

By: Trek Marketing

Trek Marketing — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 14:05:07 +0000

“However, Trek lists a bunch of accessories at the bottom of their web page, and it’s not clear whether these are included in the base price: folding rear load racks, front rack, Bontrager Transport cargo bag, fender, wide-stance kickstand, front and rear lights.”

Everything listed is included in the base price. The kickstand is a double-legged telescoping kickstand. Very practical. Happy hauling!