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Is this the perfect farm cargo bike?

D Nikolls

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posted 5 years ago

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https://surlybikes.com/bikes/big_fat_dummy

This looks like pretty well exactly what I think I want. But electified with a mid-drive plus front hub drive, and front suspension fork, and rigid cargo boxes with a flatdeck over top. And a trailer. I can do all that stuff though..

The price point is an issue. But otherwise this looks amazing.

I need the fat tires as a lot of my farm is mud much of the year.

The goal is an EV that can get me back to the far end about 1.5KM away, in crappy weather, with gear. Or take the same road at higher speed without gear when I have trespasser issues. Transport wheel-barrow scale things at higher speed with less effort. Fetch a deer or a couple beaver out of the bush. Take a load of diesel and oil and tools out to the excavator. Move the chop saw and compact table saw between barn and project site. Etc..

Think there's a better option around?

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Skandi Rogers

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posted 5 years ago

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I would say try riding a bike with tires like that on different surfaces, also I cannot find any mention of the weight capacity of that cargo area, since you yourself are also on that wheel it's going to be limited. When it's loaded how does it stand up? I can't see a kick stand holding that up especially if the ground is soft as you imply. The weight of the bike alone is massive as well 24kg for the medium size by the time you've added electric drive battery etc your looking at one very heavy bike to cycle.
there are many electric cargo bikes you could look at, the wheels can always be changed to fit your needs better if that is why that bike looks so enticing, or a straight mountain bike with a trailer?

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Sebastian Köln

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posted 5 years ago

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Riding with on a bike in mud is somewhere between very difficult and impossible… without cargo. I have tried it – a lot.
I have not personally driven with a trailer, but I imagine it would remove most of the advantages of a bike. (Small, light, thin.)

Maybe an electric quad/ATV would be better suited?

D Nikolls

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posted 4 years ago

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I appreciate the votes for caution, and admit I haven't tried a fat-tired bike in mud; have either of you?

But, I have seen fairly convincing videos..

The fat-tire wheels are definitely too large to install on to the other cargo bikes I have seen, without what look to be pretty major mods... Take a look at the comparison of the frame on this one, to the regular tired version..

The kickstand would definitely need to be robust as heck!

Cargo capacity is.rated at 400lbs including rider, so for me that is about 225lbs available for cargo, plus trailer of needed, minus hitch load.

I used a 400cc honda foreman on someone else's farm. It was stronger and faster, by far; we towed about 1500lbs with it, regularly! It was loud as hell, and pretty environmentally unfriendly. I felt kind of shitty every time I got on it for any task that I could do by hand in more time.

A UTV would solve the crappy cargo capacity of the ATV but we're now talking about something nearly the size and weight of a small car.

The electric options for both ATVs and UTVs are underwhelming and overpriced, IMO. See the saga at the lab...

I am dependent on my modest solar setup for electrical, so charging a large battery bank on an electric UTV may entail a large bonus expense of adding a bunch more solar. My current setup is maxed out, so no cheap and quick upgrades are possible.

I take great pains to make efficient use of my infernal combustion truck, tractor, and excavator. I can't remotely afford to replace any of these with an electric version. But I would really like the most commonly used vehicle to be pretty well emission free... and quiet.

Sebastian Köln

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posted 4 years ago

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If I had to build one…
Probably 4x4 with hub motors or chain drives. We have terrible "roads" so a tricycle would not be ideal. (You are lucky if you can find a bath for the pair of wheels, needing 3 paths would make it even more difficult.)
But a tricycle with two powered rear wheels could work fine. There are motors and wheels on Aliexpress that work for that.
I don't think you can get away with less than 2000W.

Gearing: Probably best avoided if possible… You need to figure out what torque/force is needed at most.

Devin Lavign

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posted 4 years ago

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Radpower bikes gets a lot of praise for their ebikes https://www.radpowerbikes.com/

both the Radrover https://www.radpowerbikes.com/products/radrover-electric-fat-bike and the Radwagon https://www.radpowerbikes.com/products/radwagon-electric-cargo-bike get a lot of positive reviews.

The Radrover is fat tire while the wagon is not. Both are priced the same at $1500. Significantly less than the other option you gave.

A good resource for electric bikes is Electric Bike Review (EBR) website https://electricbikereview.com/ or on youtube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcJGe_WM6xKnB_J8ynIYx2A

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R Scott

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posted 4 years ago

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A fat tire, dual motor, electric bike is on my dream list. But I think I want it light. A surly can haul a LOT, but it is like riding a tandem bike with the passenger not helping peddle. Definitely would benefit from electric assist, but that LONG wheelbase still isn't easy on tight trails.

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D Nikolls

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R Scott wrote:A fat tire, dual motor, electric bike is on my dream list. But I think I want it light. A surly can haul a LOT, but it is like riding a tandem bike with the passenger not helping peddle. Definitely would benefit from electric assist, but that LONG wheelbase still isn't easy on tight trails.

Roger. Maybe I will look for a tandem to get a feel for that aspect..

But, my trails are generally old logging roads or skidder trails. As I add to and improve them, the target is a generous truck width. So the main obstacle is that they mostly never have and never will get careful gradingn, gravel, or ditches, not any lack of space.

My property is big by local standards, but even so, the perimeter is maybe 4-5KM, and a couple trips to the very farthest point and back, about the same. So even a modest battery pack would likely be sufficient for the electric to do most of the work..

D Nikolls

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Devin Lavign wrote:Radpower bikes gets a lot of praise for their ebikes https://www.radpowerbikes.com/

both the Radrover https://www.radpowerbikes.com/products/radrover-electric-fat-bike and the Radwagon https://www.radpowerbikes.com/products/radwagon-electric-cargo-bike get a lot of positive reviews.

The Radrover is fat tire while the wagon is not. Both are priced the same at $1500. Significantly less than the other option you gave.

A good resource for electric bikes is Electric Bike Review (EBR) website https://electricbikereview.com/ or on youtube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcJGe_WM6xKnB_J8ynIYx2A

I consider both the longer cargo area and the fat tires essential for my application.. if they combined them, I'd certainly take a real good look!

I haven't yet seen other options combining both features, except some even more expensive than the surly...

Robert Ray

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posted 4 years ago

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I'd give a thumbs up to the Rad cargo bike. I was looking for just a pedal cargo bike like the Surly but the Rad Power bikes seem to be an affordable altenative. Two friends have Rad Power Bikes but not the cargo model and they love them.

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posted 3 years ago

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Did you find a solution?

Cargo bikes are cool

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Devin Lavign

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posted 3 years ago

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So my thoughts have evolved a bit. While Rad does come with an amazing customer service their is a new guy in town.

Himiway, they have virtually they same bike as the Rad Rover but it is actually a real 750 watt motor rather than the Rad 500 watt 750 peak! Here is a link to their site https://himiwaybike.com/

Now for cargo bikes I started looking at the Blix Packa Genie. Something cool about them is they have the option to have two batteries. Their website is https://blixbike.com/products/packa-electric-cargo-bike

I am waiting to build my house before I get an electric bike. Just need a place to store it and recharge the batteries, rather than the trailer I am in now.

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