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#BikeDiary A bit on the rationale:

Many reasons, but the big one is the climate. I have a venerable ~20yo stick shift Honda Civic. It won't last forever. When it stops running, what replaces it?

The Civic gets 25-35mpg. I drive it ~4000 mi/yr. Casual research & quick estimation suggests suggests that the sunk carbon cost of just •manufacturing• a car is approx the same as driving the old Civid for another •decade•. Replacing the Civic with •any• car — even an EV! — has a massive climate cost.

#BikeDiary It seems like the best thing I can do for the climate here is to keep driving my gas-powered Civic while working to make it so that when it finally dies, I'm barely using it and don't feel like I need to replace it.

In short: the goal of this cargo bike adventure is to move from a two-car family to a one-car family.

#BikeDiary One week in: I •love• it. It’s just…so cool. I'm hard pressed to think of the last time something introduced this much joy and life into my daily routine.

I got the model with the cushy seat in the back, and it transports my daughter quite comfortably. Her first several times riding on the back, she couldn't stop squealing with glee — and still does at least once per ride.

People do go on about their cargo bikes and their e-bikes. I totally get it now.

#BikeDiary My traditional bike is an aluminum frame cyclocross (a Redline, lovely bike), and it's nimble, quick, light, spritely. Riding feels like going for a run or skiing; if it’s a car, it’s some sporty little thing.

The Tern is none of that. People sometime say “minivan,” but that’s not quite right. It’s a station wagon. A really elegant station wagon.

#BikeDiary An unexpected effect of this bike being my primary transportation is the psychological experience. It’s mellow, sociable, relaxed. It kind of gets my brain on “cargo bike pace,” pleasantly energized and relaxed.

It rides like a bike, but with the electric assist, the energy expenditure is more like walking: I'll break a light sweat if it’s warm, but only a light one. After the ride, I feel pleasantly like I moved my body, but not like I did a workout.

#BikeDiary Why the mellowness vs my regular bike? Part of it is the electric motor. Part is the low speed: I settle in very comfortably at 16-18mph, but getting it over 20mph is damned hard without a hill.

A third surprising ingredient: the riding posture. It’s built to ride upright. I find myself instinctively sitting up tall instead of slouching (unusual for me!) or hunching over. Really different feel.

(Again, please mute the hashtag #BikeDiary if you don’t want to read all this!)

#BikeDiary The upright posture means I'm still •really• unsure about the handling: I corner overcautiously, go on and off sidewalks clumsily, etc. I just don’t have any instincts yet about where the limits are. At first I could barely start without wild wobbling. Carrying over experiences from my old bike, I keep feeling like I’m about to fall over, even though the small wheels and low center of gravity mean I’m nowhere •near• about to fall over. Lots of relearning happening.

#BikeDiary This is a good question from @charliepark. I got the S00.

Once I'd settled on the GSD, choosing this particular model was easy: (1) I live in MN, and want to ride as close to 12 months a year as I can manage. (2) My budget is “this is instead of a car.”

Put those two together, and it says “belt drive.” (The belt drive holds up much better in rain and snow, apparently.)

https://xoxo.zone/@charliepark/113250310273738692

#BikeDiary That narrowed it down to the S00 and the R14, and as one person at the bike shop (Perennial Cycles ) put it about the R14’s extra fancy features, “If you’re not asking for it, you don’t need it!”

The Terns are super duper modular, which means that there are a •lot• of decisions to make (and also means that you will spend a •lot• more than the bare base price, be warned). I like the choices, but…be prepared.

May publish full build if there’s interest.
@charliepark

#BikeDiary Probably the bigger question for many is how I came to the Tern GSD in the first place. The answer is the obvious one: I asked around, got opinions from trusted people, thought hard about my needs, did a •lot• of homework, and then — this was crucial — I test rode half a dozen bikes.

I cannot recommend the test ride enough. No amount of photos, videos, specs, and explanation can substitute for experience.

After the test ride, the real contenders were the GSD and the Urban Arrow.

#BikeDiary There are so many good choices now! There’s a lot to be said for the simplicity of the Urban Arrow: it’s basically a giant bucket, a simple design concept that’s super versatile. I could really see enjoying a Yuba Spicy Curry if I were looking for something a little less heavy duty (and less pricey). Folks love their Xtracycles (though somehow it didn't click for me in the test ride).

What did I love about the Tern? Absurdly configurable and modular, compact, over-engineered.

#BikeDiary The Tern’s design is just chock full of Good Choices. Over and over I’d notice a potential problem and then notice, “Oh, they thought of that!” Examples: the way the lockstand works, the way the cargo bags latch and fold, how the shape of the seat fits the riding posture, the way it remembers that I want to always ride with the lights on, the brake light. It has a brake light! Frigging brilliant.

The beautiful nerds who designed this bike are my kind of people.

@inthehands all of that. My only complaint is that the striker for the bell was mounted on a flimsy spring and is long gone

@dimsumthinking @inthehands You can get these bikes in the US? I idly peeked and it seemed to be a Europe bike.

@marick @inthehands yes - though at times supply is limited. I ordered mine at a local shop and they had to cancel my order so I got mine at REI. I’ve had it for four years and didn’t use it as much this year as others. As Paul said, it was the test ride that sold me. The electric is only an assist - I’m still biking but it smooths out hills and stops. I have the foldable one so I can put it in my car. It is quite heavy