Do People Even Need a Cargo E-Bike? /// Hovsco Hovcart Review

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[@alanfisherextras]

If you do check out Hovsco, I do have a coupon for $100 off, use **URBANIST100** at checkout. Otherwise I'd love to hear your opinions on ebikes/cargo bikes and what you think is appropriate for most people.

[@Madwonk]

100% with the 20-30mph in traffic. Ebikes are so, so much safer for this reason in my experience, you don't have to compete with cars but simply be part of the traffic!

[@bobdobalina1419]

I have a rad power ebike, tops out at 20mph and very difficult to pedal without high assistance. I prefer an acoustic road bike in traffic! Really would like to switch to a Lectric cargo bike with the class 2/3 capability. Second battery slot sounds cool too.

[@Madwonk]

@@bobdobalina1419 I also have a Rad, if you have the LCD display you can usually increase the max limit with some settings!

[@swedneck]

meanwhile in europe they're 5km/h shy of even keeping up with the slowest residential street traffic.. At least electric mopeds exist.

[@bobdobalina1419]

@@swedneck yeah like I can understand the 250w power limit, but not the snail pace top speed

[@bobdobalina1419]

@@Madwonk yes i could do that if i had the premium display, but it would still have a single speed drivetrain, and it would still only get about 24/25mph max, based on the research I've done. Meanwhile, if you compare the Lectric XPedition dual battery, to the RadRunner 3 plus: They both come with fenders, hydraulic brakes, and 7 speed freewheel. The Rad gets the passenger seats and a suspension fork that don't come with the Lectric. The Lectric has a 450lbs load rating, as opposed to 350 for the Rad, and comes from the factory with class 3 capability, and advertised 30+mph off-road setting. The RR3+ is $2299 The XPDB is $1699. 600 is a good amount of room to get some of the features that the bike might be missing.

[@razkrunk3169]

When I was in a more bike friendly part of Florida, ebikes would routinely keep up with traffic and even catch up to me at red lights. They seem like the most viable form of transportation for most people.

[@SeanSL]

Yeah, getting an e-bike was one of the best things I ever did... but it also made me painfully aware of how lacking my municipality is when it comes to cycling infrastructure. It was enough to make me put up a video on my channel to share with my politicians! Another reason not to get fat tires: at least where I live, you can take regular bikes on the front of the bus, but not fat tire bikes. Also, I tend to prefer bikes with mid-drive motors, usually Bosch, because then most bike shops can work on them. I tried a Rad bike a while back, and no bike shops would touch it. In the end I settled on a Gazelle.

[@InventorZahran]

Good choice. Gazelle makes some very well-designed and high quality bikes!

[@setyourhandlex]

I'm a big advocate for e-bikes for accessibility reasons too. Not everyone has the fitness or ability to use an unpowered bike, and giving them more options to get around without using a car is a great thing in my book. Better bike infrastructure and ownership/maintenance subsidies would be amazing to helping improve the urban fabric of even places that are virtually lost causes like LA and Huston.

[@zoransteinmann2503]

I've been using (normal) bikes all my life here in the Netherlands. But I have also used a Stromer speed pedelec (limited at 45 km/h in the EU) for my commute from 2019 to 2022. From that experience I have learned two things: 1. Assume that people haven't seen you even if you're wearing the brightest outfit possible and 2. If you are absolutely sure people have seen you, then assume they won't be able to judge your speed accurately. In other words, ride extremely carefully when on a high speed e-bike. Other than that, it is a great way to cover distances between 15 and 40 kilometers (10 to 25 miles). We now own an Urban Arrow cargobike (bakfiets), and it's very convenient for shuttling our little kids around or doing groceries. If it wasn't for the price, I would recommend it to anyone. The type of e-bike you're riding looks pretty much like a regular ebike with fortified luggage racks. I am not sure whether that would transport much more than a normal Dutch ebike with a couple of bags on the back. But having said that, even though we own the Urban Arrow, I still use a regular bike with a couple of bags attached to the rear luggage rack for groceries several times a week. And you can carry a lot more than you'd initially think.

[@olavsantiago]

I would say the same, but with am urban arrow, the benefit is having the rain cover to keep the snow/rain off the shopping. Where as using other bikes, and your partner goes shopping then packs the bread (or any other soft easily miss-shaped item) on the bottom of the panniers with 5kgs potatoes, a bag of apples on top.

[@Nhkg17]

Interesting. In the EU, the limit in most countries is 25km/h (about 17mph). Faster electric vehicles have to meet the same conditions as motorbikes (number plates, helmet, insurance, no cycling on cycle paths, ...). So almost all electric bikes on sale turn off assistance at 25km/h.

[@matthewconstantine5015]

I'm definitely tempted by the cargo e-bike. Not sure I "need" it right now, but I'm tempted. I was in Philly a few weeks back for vacations (and maybe stealth recon for a place to move). I didn't get too far from Center City, but noticed the lack of and/or haphazard placement of bike infrastructure, or at least paint pretending to be infrastructure. I was wondering about that and if there is any real progress being made. Also, is there any talk about pedestrianizing streets. There were a lot of places south of Center City that screamed out to be blocked to cars. Places where I imagine the businesses would get a much needed boost and the locals would have a much higher quality of life, if the extremely limited space wasn't jammed with mostly parked cars.

[@johnt5222]

I have 2 e-bikes. One with a rack, but not a true cargo. Cargo models can replace cars on more trips. But any e-bike can do some trips, all the smiles. Less expensive, easier to store.

[@baronjutter]

In canada we're limited to 30 kph maximum for e-bikes assist, but we also have generally much lower speed limits. Most streets around me are either 30 or 40 so it works out.

[@VulcanLogic]

With good bike infrastructure i would not have to drive anywhere for anything. My doctor's office and pharmacy, five grocery stores, three major clothing retailers, 100 restaurants, and a Best Buy are within 2 miles by bike. I'd include my office in that radius but I now work from home. We could literally get rid of one of our cars, which would pay for the E-Bike in 6-7 months. If only it were safe to ride a bike here. It's not and likely not any time soon.

[@bboyosmu]

I've been on the fence for so long, thanks Alan!

[@DumbIdeaPresentedStupidly]

Got my hands on an lectric xp 3.0. Fantastic shit, good all around bike that can haul if need be, same company has a cargo version that can haul more

[@johnt5222]

The 3.0 is more versatile, less expensive, more features, more efficient, 80-90% of a cargo already.

[@AssBlasster]

I got the cheaper XP lite with lower battery life but does a great job when I ride 20-30 miles around the San Diego metro area (where it's surprisingly hilly)

[@supraphonic88]

Skinny vs big tires: If you have a bus ride as part of your journey, the thicker tires aren't going to fit in the tray of the bike rack.

[@alexinness]

I'm in SJ, so i was looking at 26" fat tire e-bikes. I know someone who has an aventon adventure, and commutes with it, about 6 miles. it's fast for a bike.

[@LandonSyn]

My dad (ebike enthusiast) shared your video. I love seeing familiar Philly spots… & new ones to explore.

[@hovsco]

Love how you list the benefits of having an ebike in Philly, this is so helpful!

[@m3rdpwr]

You're not the boss of me! 😂😂😂

[@ryanfisch7047]

This might be the first link for a product I will be using from KZbin. Thank you.

[@PhilipSalen]

Nice bicycle chain for locking up that e-bicycle. I use the abus granit city x-plus 1060 and a u lock to lock my e-bicycle. Please consider wearing a helmet if as you say, you like to ride aggressively.

[@mikecortes8481]

Great vid brotha! Love all the Wiss footage 😍! I ride a light weight race bike, with this machine I can safely ride 30+ mph so keeping up with traffic is easy for me as well. I also agree e bikes are nice for this reason! 🚴‍♂️

[@draggonhedd]

I work in a bike shop, these chinese e-bikes are a NIGHTMARE to own and work on long time. The parts wear out quickly and are often very difficult to find replacements for, and often they are very low quality and specific setups tailored to these bikes and are full of proprietary weirdness. Please, If you can, pick up an e-bike made by a major brand that bike shops are familiar with. I'm brand agnostic, but quality is quality. These small diameter fat tires are very difficult to find and wear out quickly, and I really hate having to tell our customers at the shop that we just cant get tires or parts for their fat tire chinese e-bike.

[@frafraplanner9277]

Is Hovsco Chinese?

[@draggonhedd]

@@frafraplanner9277 the company may or may not be but the bikes very much are

[@ztl2505]

Came here with the same thoughts. If at all possible get an ebike from a mainstream brand that uses as many “normal” bike parts as possible. These fat tire parts bin bikes are fun until basically anything needs to be fixed or replaced.

[@duncananderson6333]

What are some brands you would recommend for ease of repair and familiarity?

[@draggonhedd]

@@duncananderson6333 Cannondale, specialized, trek, even REI CO-OP. i recommend visiting your local independent bike shop and talking to the folks there, see what they recommend

[@k20z17]

Subbed for the Vulfpeck background music

[@Pensyfan19]

I'm more of a fan of traditional bikes as I have a pretty reliable mountain bike I use for camping trips and railfanning chases. Despite being more tiresome, you at least get more exercise from them and they don't rely on recharging a lithium battery.

[@j.a.1721]

I guess it depends on how you want to use that bike. If you want to use it in your free time for sports etc, you don't necessarily need an ebike (unless it is very hilly). But when I go to work by bike, I don't want to be sweaty when I get there or I might not want to exercise after a long day at work and still enjoy some fresh air or the freedom of not having to rely on a bus schedule. I also have a road bike for exercise etc. But I certainly use both bikes very differently.

[@letsgoOs1002]

Alan if you ever bored and in the DC area, you can use the cargo and ebikes I have in the nova area. And I can show you in a suburb that is built right how easy it is to bike around and get to the metro. I also have high end ebikes and they are a blast, as well as a very good path system. Dm me if you ever want a good video on how to do bikes walking and trains decent in the suburbs in America. We gave up a car in the suburbs and have kids, and have had very little issues at all.

[@TheScruffinator1]

Are you talking about Reston?

[@letsgoOs1002]

@@TheScruffinator1 there are several areas. Reston, Leesburg, Herndon, Vienna, and so on. There is also some terrible areas like great falls, McClean, Tysons, a lot of Loudon county.

[@mdhazeldine]

My worry with a bike that fancy is that it'd be a target for getting stolen. What's the security like on these things? is it just a normal bike lock or are they more sophisticated than that?

[@ahkl77]

Invest in U-locks like Kryptonite or Abus; lock in high foot traffic areas for visibility or within access-controlled bicycle enclosures; install a tracker that isn’t easily tampered; and get insurance to cover all bases.

[@StarEssences]

People are not encouraged to evaluate their materialism need. People buy what is Trendy rather than critically thinking what they need an e-bike for.

[@janlaan9602]

The hopcart here looks like it would hold less stuff than a normal Ebike with just side bags for the back

[@ryanfisch7047]

@Alan Fisher Extras how tall are you. The bike you reviewed says max comfortable height is 6'3" and I am 6'3.5" I might go with the step through bike because of the height.

[@cameron7938]

E-bikes weigh less than 70lbs challenge: Impossible

[@ztl2505]

I’m not anti e-bike but it’s baffling how popular these enormous fat tire ones are. Every time I’ve used one it seems like the worst of both worlds between a normal bike and a gas scooter.

[@UNKNOWN-zb3qm]

Hey Guess how your e-bike got delivered to you! Clue: it wasn't delivered by a dude on an e-bike...

[@seeranos]

Pls wear a helmet when you’re in traffic. We don’t want to lose our top tier urbanism advocates

[@penumbra1572]

EBIKING TO WISSAHICKON GANG

[@mohamadmansor2279]

Orange my favourite colour howvi can bought this bike in Singapore

[@Poorgeniu5]

Looks like the perfect bike to climb up the River Trail.

[@boyzco]

Amazing bike, but their management/customer service team scores an 'F' after having to deal with them. They'll try and blame you for anything that goes wrong with the bike and not honor their so called warranty. I'm writing this through my own experience for others to take heed of this company. Fair warning.

[@Cybernaut551]

Yes.

[@Michael-bh9ss]

How do I convince my partner who is a stay at home mom that an ebike will help our family? I'm 4 miles from my work but I do 12 hour days and tbh riding to work is fun, but riding home sucks. She afraid of the battery bomb I'll bring into the home and hates the cost.

[@jaredgoodman6617]

Look into bikes with a UL-approved battery, which are what fire departments recommend if you're especially concerned about battery safety.

[@Michael-bh9ss]

@@jaredgoodman6617 I'm assuming if the bike doesn't list It then it's not approved? I don't mind contacting customer support but I feel that information should be listed?

[@chow-chihuang4903]

With the publicity PEV fires have been getting, if they have UL certification, they’re going to be advertising that fact. Ebikes that use systems from the big mid-drive brands such as Bosch, Shimano, Yamaha, etc. are likely to be UL certified as those systems are, which makes it easier to get the e-bikes that use them certified as well. The only DTC brand I’m aware of off the top of my head is Velotric, and they certainly advertise that. Others are “investigating” or “pursuing” it, such as The Electric Bike Company, or claim to “adhere to” or “comply with” UL standards, but I’d wait until they’ve actually obtained it. I understand the reluctance for small volume brands, as I think it costs about US$25k per model, but for brands that sell a lot of each model, that’s easily amortized across 500+ units ($50 or less per unit), and is a deductible business expense to boot.

[@dogguy8603]

Why not a motorcycle?

[@Abuzwebstar]

American ebike companies trying to compete with Chinese ebikes is funny

[@SpassImGlas]

That's not a cargo bike. That's just fatbike with silly basket.

[@deirdrereynolds4684]

Nice bike 🚲 🔌

[@daveshockwave8098]

It be cool if I could bike instead of driving, then I realize im in the sticks

[@nil981]

E-bikes are basically a poor man's electric motorcycle as they are now at the level of performance of gas powered motorcycles.

[@naso_g]

This sponsored?

[@TheKelsonmorris]

Ebikes are cheating, all bikes should be human powered

[@SomeGuyWhoPlaysGames333]

Only if you’re in a race and most of the contestants have human powered bikes.

[@MrSquekersUPSB]

Humans invented the e-bike. Boom.

[@ahkl77]

Pedal-assisted ebikes like Bosch or Shimano mid-drive motored models are a panacea for many seniors to get active and re-live their days of cycling, instead of being sedentary and yet another additional driver to road traffic. The trottle-based ebikes on the other hand are the wild west with their delimited motors and worse, they would warrant better regulation for the sake of product and public safety.