All it took was me hauling all three of our kids on an electric bike to get my wife to dust off her road bike and go out for an evening ride with us. From start to finish the kids had grins on their faces, pointing out things left and right—trucks, cars, other people on bikes, birds, water, everything that would just flit by outside their window if they were in a car.
No one was holding a phone, no one was shouting for a device to watch Peppa Pig on, no one was whining. It was a small slice of freedom and a bit of exercise for me aboard Yuba Bikes’ Electric Supermarché.
The Electric Supermarché is a front-loading electric cargo bike capable of hauling 300 pounds. The step-through frame makes getting on and off the bike easy, and an integrated rear rack makes mounting a Yepp child seat just as simple. Pack the Open Loader canvas front box with two kids, plus some groceries or anything else you need to move.
The bike is built to haul anything, and it’s an amazing tool to transport three kids. Carrying a trio of little ones around town can be a challenge, but the Electric Supermarché makes it fun for everyone. It’s available in one size and can be adjusted to fit anyone from 4-foot-9 to 6-foot-5.
Upon the first ride, the Electric Supermarché is notably big and the front wheel is way out front. Its cable-actuated steering is different from a normal frame and fork, but after one ride around the block you will be comfortable. Fully loaded with the electric assist off, it can be difficult to get the bike going without veering in one direction or another. But turning on the 250W Bosch Performance CX mid-motor even on the lowest setting makes smooth, straight launches much easier.
After one day I felt comfortable riding the bike around town fully loaded with three kids. It’s approachable for anyone to ride, and the assist is more than powerful enough to make for a comfortable ride. Even in jeans, sneakers, and a hoodie, I found it a breeze to make the 10-mile round trip to my kids’ day care.
While it took me about 10 to 15 minutes longer on the bike than in the car, I am saving that time easily on the kids’ excitement to get on the bike and go for a ride versus getting them buckled into the car and heading out.
With the motor off I could go 20 mph and the momentum would keep me moving on the flats. When I hit a teeny bump—a bump, not even a hill—I could very much tell I was moving around 500 pounds of bike, rider, and passengers altogether. The click of a button on the left-side five-speed control unit delivers instant power from the Bosch mid-drive motor, making light work of anything uphill on a cargo bike with three kids loaded on it.
The Electric Supermarché is a rock-solid ebike that makes riding with cargo easy. It rides very comfortably on Schwalbe Super Moto 2.4-inch-wide tires—train tracks and small bumps are not an issue. The rocker kickstand makes loading and unloading the bike very easy, and not a concern of tipping over even with all three kids on it.
The only thing I disliked was how the Bosch motor handles the speed governing. Power assist comes on smoothly, but as you approach the 20 mph governed speed limit the motor cuts power, leaving you with a bit of an empty pedal stroke every once in a while. Changing your assist level down a couple of settings smooths this out, and I found myself using the assist levels like I would a front derailleur.
Be prepared to draw attention with the Electric Supermarché. With all three of my kids on the bike, parents can’t help but ask questions, and almost every passing driver smiles at us. It’s a great adventure every time we go out, and I highly recommend it to anyone with kids or a need to haul cargo around town.
The Electric Supermarché currently sells on Yuba’s website for $5,500, marked down from $6,250. The price includes a bamboo baseboard for the front cargo area and the Open Loader front cargo box. Yuba also sells through more than 100 US independent bicycle dealers. For more information, visit the Yuba website.
