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Review: Tern Launches the Quick Haul compact e-cargo bike

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Tern Bikes is known for selling bikes for all kinds of riders, built for everyday life. From e-bikes to cargo bikes and city commuters, each is designed to make your daily ride a bit more enjoyable – no matter what you’re carrying. The latest option is called the Quick Haul, a simple yet robust ebike that can carry up to 330 pounds.

It’s small and unassuming, yet strong enough to be a daily go-to bike that is capable of getting big jobs done. 

Tern Quick Haul compact e-cargo bike at stop sign

A week before its launch date, my family and I had the opportunity to put a Quick Haul through our own daily grind. From daily preschool drop offs, to big grocery buys and around-town errands, we put the carrying capacity to the ultimate test. 

Tern Quick Haul compact e-cargo bike handlebar

From the outset, the bike is super fun and easy to ride. The low step-through along with a simple and toolless way to adjust both the seat and handlebar height made it seamless to switch out riders. With a hefty weight limit of 330 pounds, I was able to carry my 40-pound kid plus a week’s worth of groceries on the back with no problems.

Tern Quick Haul compact e-cargo bike vertical storage

Because I don’t live in a city with subways or elevators, I did not get to test the maneuverability of it, however, I did notice that it was much more nimble and shorter in length than my other cargo bikes. Tern bikes are known for being able to store easily, and the Quick Haul is no different, when I needed to make more room in my garage, it was a one-woman task (rather than multiple people) to stand it up on its end.   

Tern Quick Haul compact e-cargo bike with child carrier Tern Quick Haul compact e-cargo bike with dog carrier

Like most cargo bikes, the Quick Haul has a plethora of optional accessories. Tern also puts their bikes through the toughest tests in the industry, and often goes further by making up their own tests when they think existing standards are not stringent enough. So for me, when I put my 2-year-old son on the back, I felt good knowing all the lengthy tests this bike had gone through.  So whether you are putting your best furry friend, your kid, or other precious cargo on the back, Tern has many options to keep them safe and comfortable.

Tern Quick Haul compact e-cargo bike glove box

Surprisingly, my favorite addition to their accessory arsenal is the glove box. It’s compact and has a perfect capacity for carrying a repair kit, a phone, and a wallet, yet it’s in a place that is hard to take off and steal. 

bosch performance line bike motor bosch battery

While this bike does not have all the bells and whistles like the GSD and HSD has, Tern says that it was an intentional move on their part. The Quick Haul, also known as the multi-tool of e-bikes, was meant for the middle-class family or college student that needed something to get daily tasks done (and to hopefully replace a car).  Even though it is a much simpler bike than my fancier GSD, I found myself opting for the Quick Haul more, especially when I didn’t need to take both kids.  The high-powered, reliable, and smooth Bosch motor coupled with a comfortable upright ride, makes it a great daily powerhouse bike. 

 

Tern Quick Haul compact e-cargo bike d8

There will be two models with a third following later on in the year. The D8 model is class 1 with a Bosch Active line battery and a 1×8 drive train.

Tern Quick Haul compact e-cargo bike p9 Tern Quick Haul compact e-cargo bike p9

The P9 comes with a Bosch performance line battery and is a class 3.

  • Quick Haul D8: Bosch Active Line Plus, 1 x 8 drivetrain
  • Quick Haul P9: Bosch Performance Line or Performance Line Sport (Class 3), 1 x 9 drivetrain
  • Quick Haul P5i: Bosch Performance Line, Shimano Nexus 5 hub, Chain orGates belt

The D8 starts at $2999 without accessories. The P5i will initially be launched in Europe, with other markets to follow.

If the recently introduced E-Bike Act passes, this price will qualify users to get up to a 30% tax credit depending on income. In addition to its low price, it will be Tern’s first bike to be locally produced in Europe, a step in the right direction in terms of sustainability!

ternbicycles.com

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luis raventos
2 years ago

The “car” of the future???

Dinger
Dinger
2 years ago

The “kid capsule” looks pretty neat. In appropriate conditions the rider is probably kind of miserable.

Peter
Peter
2 years ago

A Front loader is so much better for kids. These longtails with 20″ rear wheels without any suspension right beneath the spine of the kid and mom or dad hopping on and off curbes to stay out of USA traffic, ouch. And that kid is always only looking at the butt / back of the chauffeur, not even being able to talk with each other because than the driver has to take the eyes off the road, so sad.
Especially in the USA with all those big single family houses with double garages, just get a front loader already and really enjoy the ride together with your kids.
These long tails have only one thing going for them: easy to store. And that is what will happen, all the way back in that big garage next to the 10 speed bought in the 80’s and the mountainbike bought in the 00’s (figuratively speaking; e.g. other bikes that would get the USA cycling).

Spyguy
Spyguy
2 years ago
Reply to  Peter

Well, that and price. This is about half the price of any front-loading cargo bike I’ve seen. Not arguing with any of your points about the advantages, just that part.

Woof
Woof
1 year ago
Reply to  Peter

I’m going to offer you an alternative view because I cannot comprehend the amount of ignorance that was typed in such a short span:
1) Space: Not all Americans have a big suburban house. Most who want a bike like this live in an urban environment. Myself, I do live in a suburban hellscape, but I am about to move into a third-floor apartment with no garage. More houses than you think are sans garage in this country and property theft rates can be high. I am not going to leave this thing hanging out on the bike rack at night. I’m not leaving a bucket outside with the weight of snow we get here.
2) Better for kids: We don’t have good bike routes in the majority of the country, and where I currently live, drivers whip around corners without looking. Not that any bike accident is great, but I’d rather be the one to get hit first than have my kid leading the turn. Talking to my kid isn’t safe on the main roads, regardless of the direction he faces, because the only time he is on my ebike instead of his own bike is when we are running errands (aka necessitating busy streets). I can’t change bike culture here overnight, but I do need a bike where I can throw my son on time to time. I’d argue a safe kid is better than a comfy kid and there are tons of ways to add comfort to a bike with the gap in price point between this bike and competitors. Plus, he knows how to turn his head and look at the scenery. As an aside, most of the people I know are child-free but still want a cargo bike for groceries. Groceries do not care about a butt.
3)Price as the person said above. Many people can’t afford to get into other cargo e-bikes.
4) Getting the US cycling has nothing to do with the bikes themselves. It has to do with laws, city planning, residential zoning, and weather. For example, where I live it goes from -28C to 38C throughout the year with drifts of snow and forest fire smog warnings. Many people would view the bike as more of a novelty at that point due to the number of days it would not be usable. We do not have bike routes in my locale, though they are starting to put some in the city core. THAT is how a bike starts living in someone’s garage: the bike is an imposition to use and they got one based on someone else TELLING them what they need, rather than getting one that actually works for their lifestyle. I have the Rocky Mountains “in my backyard.” You better believe that the vast majority of people under 50 (who do bike) have a mountain bike for the weekends.
5) You seem to reduce the 3rd/4th largest country in the world (depending on sources) into a singular transportation experience, which is laughable both culturally and landscape-wise. I guarantee I wouldn’t be biking in San Francisco, California on the same bike I would in Omaha, Nebraska.
6) Are you saying Tern has no other markets? Because they are sold in 65 countries…

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