With a bicycle-loving Frenchman at the helm, Petaluma, California’s cargo bike specialists Yuba seek to ‘spice up American mobility’ and bring the established European concept of car-free living to the USA. Yuba’s founder and owner Benjamin Sarrazin says their new Spicy Curry electric cargo bike is ideal for families, tradesman, and entrepreneurs who want drive less, pedal more and reduce their carbon footprint.
“Shop for a week’s worth of groceries. Pedal kids to school. Lug your tools to the jobsite. Deliver Pizzas. We designed the Spicy Curry to be the most practical, safe and powerful cargo bike on the market for the widest range of people,” says Sarrazin.
Yuba partnered up with Currie Technologies to develop the Spicy Curry in 2014 (which explains the name) and they’re now ready to release their electric cargo bike. The Spicy Curry has some clever options for mounting rear cargo, child seats and flat-deck carriers…
The Spicy Curry uses Currie Technologies’ Centerdrive motor, a 350 watt unit that they say provides the most torque on the market. The mid-drive motor runs off Currie Tech’s 48-volt, 8.8amp-hour battery, which provides enough juice for the motor to whisk you up hills even with the bike fully loaded. The motor offers four power-assist settings and a throttle mode controlled by a switch on the left grip, and reaches a top speed of 20mph. The motor charges overnight and provides assistance for 25-60 miles per charge, depending on terrain, load, setting, etc.
The bike’s robust low-rider cargo rack is an integral part of the frame. The rack carries random cargo and provides the option of mounting child seats. Alternatively, the rack can be outfitted with Yuba’s flat-deck ‘Truck Bed’ platform that creates a four foot square cargo area, as seen above.
For people moving purposes two Yepp child safety seats can be securely mounted to the Yuba’s rear rack via integrated adapters. To accommodate an adult-sized passenger, their Soft-Spot seat pad and Hold-On Ring can be added- The above photo shows both set-ups. The Spicy Curry uses a 20” rear wheel to keep the center of gravity low for optimal stability and safety for your passengers, and they’ve placed the battery in a low position behind the BB shell as well.
The Spicy Curry comes equipped with a chromoly fork with a 1.5” steer tube, hydraulic brakes, fenders and LED lights, Schwalbe Big Apple tires, plus a handy frame-mounted locking mechanism that immobilizes the rear wheel. Yuba’s eco-friendly machine comes with an appropriately green ‘avocado’ paint job. The frame is covered under a lifetime warranty, and the electronic components are covered for two years. MSRP is $4500 USD.
The Yuba Spicy Curry officially launched at the Sea Otter Expo with production models available for purchase as of June. We had a chance to spin one around the Sea Otter venue and the most notable aspect of the bike is how surprisingly nimble it is. In spite of being extra long compared to standard bikes, the handling was well balanced and allowed for easy maneuvering out of the tightly spaced demo area. The motor packs a torquey punch which made the point at which it kicked in fairly abrupt, but we were told that the motor has been tuned to easily get a cargo load in the hundreds of pounds moving quickly, and we were riding it unloaded. If you’re looking for a way to do all your errands by bike, including carrying heavy and bulky loads, the Spicy Curry may be the perfect thing on the menu.
