I'm trying to find some personal experiences within the community with cargo bicycles and bicycles with electric pedal assist motors on them.
I live in a quite hilly, currently and consistently rainy area. I am looking for ten to twenty mile range for a grocery hauling/errand running/get me out of my cage bicycle.
I am old-ish, and I am allergic to labor.
Does anyone here have experience with cargo bicycles? In hilly area? Or with pedal assist electric motors? In the rain?
I have a bike with an electric motor front wheel. Bought the wheel kit, got a battery for it and put it all together with a friend. It's great. To your points:
1. Max range for mine if I don't pedal is around 20 miles, but I pedal a lot because I enjoy it, so I rarely get down to under half way on the battery (bottle type).
2. It's fine in rain. You're wet, which is less than nice, but the bike is fine.
3. Don't expect massive speeds, especially if like me you're a bit tubby (OK a lot tubby). But then again I'm not in a rush, and enjoy cycling a lot in better weather. Not so much in bad weather.
4. Don't know about cargo bikes, I just carry me, a backpack and maybe some shopping now and then. Never noticed any real difference in performance in those scenarios.
5. The main thing I found with the electric motor is it's really made me more adventurous on a bike. Since I'm getting on a bit, the idea of doing 20 miles round trip was kind of scary, but with the motor, I'm happy to cycle off on a 10 mile jaunt into town, knowing that if I meet any headwinds and long hills on the way back I've got a faithful friend to help out. :)
That's about it really.