There's a major transition happening in transportation these days, where the default family minivans of yore are being replaced with electric cargo bikes. But for those of us living in cities that aren't quite bike-friendly, is this a realistic transition for a family?

In this video, I run an electric cargo bike through three typical suburban bike challenges, and we examine the family finances by comparing a bike and a Minivan with special guest Cailynn Klingbeil.

Thanks to Riese & Müller, who are sponsors of bike month this year at Shifter. Thanks to that sponsorship, this is the first in a series of videos exploring life with an electric cargo bike. Riese & Müller offered their support without having any influence over the content of these videos, so please show them your support as well: https://www.r-m.de

The bike I'm riding in this video is the Riese & Muller Load 75 (and it's pretty great).

0:00 Introduction
2:17 A trip to Costco
5:48 Taking the kid to hockey practice
8:06 How an e-cargo bike fits into a family's finances
13:49 A picnic

#cycling #bike #commuting

Big thanks to Two Wheel Gear for being Shifter’s bag and pannier sponsor. Not only are their products great, but they are also amazing people who care deeply about urban cycling. They support me, so please support them: https://www.twowheelgear.com/

Buy my book Frostbike: The Joy, Pain and Numbness of Winter Cycling: https://rmbooks.com/book/frostbike/

I don’t really do proper product reviews, but here are some products that I’ve tried on this channel that I like. (Of course you don’t need anything fancy to ride a bike, other than a bike, but these are Amazon affiliate links, and I get paid a small commission if you buy them 😉)

• Here's the winter bike I'm riding these days: https://bit.ly/2PhqUqF
• Cliq Smart Bike Light (nice rear brake light): https://amzn.to/39lfqwo
• RedShift Acrlight Smart LED Pedals (clever lights for your pedals): https://amzn.to/3NL1Npg
• Aftershokz Titanium bone-conducting headphones (if you want to listen while you ride): https://amzn.to/3e9Tofa
• JBL CLip 4 Waterproof Bluetooth Speaker (for your party-pace group rides): https://amzn.to/3pcMLPm
• Crane Bicycle Bell (the ding is sublime): https://amzn.to/3OwfZCu
• Ibex Merino Wool clothing (good for summer and winter): https://bit.ly/3xXkbEd
• Bicycle Cargo Net (why did it take so long for me to buy one of these?): https://amzn.to/31s1Ovu
• Vaude Cover II Rain Poncho (for higher-end, try Cleverhood or People’s Poncho): https://amzn.to/3jLkift
• Kryptonite U-Lock (your bike is going to get stolen eventually, sigh, but at least make it hard): https://amzn.to/3tPWcGi
• Peak Design phone case (the one I use, paired with the Peak Design phone mount): https://amzn.to/3HGM0FU

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