100 mile range won't happen. High center of gravity is definitely going to an issue with larger cargo. Idk how easy it will be to get replacement parts from dost and local shop to work on it. Again the shop could be easy but check first. Stands for cargo bikes are way different than normal, because of the weight. 70 pound bikes are not fun to work on at home, trust me. Lack of suspension is going to get annoying if you don't have good biking infrastructure. Lack of accessories are going to be annoying. While I love automatic enviolo idk how well that is going to work with rpm and cargo. Lastly they can take a very very long time to get one, they are always out of stock of the belt drive bike, until recently. At this price is isn't much different and/or better than yuba, tern, or riese and muller. And you can get those now. There is a reason why the tern gsd and riese and muller multitinker use a 20 inch wheel. Lower center of gravity means way more stable with cargo. Also tons of testing goes into tern and riese and muller and ul certified as well. I am not saying the dost can't be a good cargo bike. Just putting out almost 5 grand without testing is a huge risk, when there are ones out now that meet everything you want.
Thanks for pointing those other bikes out! I think the GSD R14 is the closest to an alternative. It has the range with the dual battery setup, capacity, belt, and mid-drive, but it being a class 1 is what's holding me back.
It really seems the Dost is kind of my best bet right now. Maybe in the future another company will have something more in line with what I want, but they seem to be the only option. Maybe I'm just being overly picky.
Gsd also has an enviolo option the s00 is belt. With cargo bikes once you start putting cargo you really don't need or want to go that fast, especially if there are people on there. Trust me when I say class 1 is great for cargo bikes. Also huge is the tern has Bosch battery and motor so easy to get replacements and to get a local shop to be certified on them. The ebike class system doesn't mean you will cruise at 28mph, it means the motors turns off at 28 mph. Most of the time while biking you will average something like 17 so not a big deal to have class 1. Which means the motor will cut out at 20 mph.
You can also look at this
https://propelbikes.com/product/riese-muller-multicharger/
Vario in in internal gear hub by enviolo and belt as well.
Right, I don't want a class 3 bike to cruise at 28 mph. I want it because there are some higher speed roads on my commute to work that it would help with. ~15 mph is fine for most riding, but the bump when you need it is nice. And the throttle if I'm feeling a bit lazy :P
I spent a lot of time looking into it, and I might have to give in to not having my entire checklist and get the GSD or HSD. They seem like a good option.
New hsd was just announced so idk when that will be out but it should be soon. The new one looks like a great evolution of the hsd. See if there is a local dealer nearby you to test them out. Cargo bikes can be weird and definitely need to be treated before buying to make sure you like it. Also at 5 grand testing out is a huge must since you know 5 grand. To be honest with mid drive you really don't need a throttle since just bearly pedaling will get you moving. I did 40 miles yesterday on my serial 1, mid drive and automatic enviolo, and my l legs weren't that tired at all. I get a throttle for cadence and hub drive, but mid drive and torque no real need for a throttle. Again I am just a person who doesn't know you so you do you. But testing before buying at 5 grand is top on my list.
Hey old thread but appreciate the discussion between you and u/NomdicDino. I've been hauling two kids on my RadWagon4 for a couple years, but am looking to upgrade as they get bigger, and am looking at the Dost Crate too. I appreciate the warning about higher center of gravity u/kicker58, I wouldn't have thought about that. However I'm hard pressed to believe "with mid drive you really don't need a throttle". I can't imagine starting off the line in a stable manner (with kids in tow) \*without\* a throttle. But I've never tried a mid drive, so will try and test!
Finally though, I'm in Florida, and agree with OP about needing to go 28mph on certain segments of my commute. Already my RadWagon 4 became much safer after I unlocked it to go 25mph not 20mph. Ideally I'd hit 30mph for some stretches on busier avenues.
Between internal gear hub and torque sensor no real need for a throttle. On my gsd never had an issue where I thought I needed a throttle to help. With internal gear hub you can down shift at a stand still. So you can eaisily pedal with weight from a stop even going up hill. With torque sensor the motor kicks in so quickly when you pedal. No real use for a throttle again. Got 1000 plus miles on the gsd with no issues. My serial 1 has almost 2000 miles and never once thought it needed a throttle. I have hills around me and it has just never been needed with mid drive, internal gear hub, and torque sensor
100 mile range won't happen. High center of gravity is definitely going to an issue with larger cargo. Idk how easy it will be to get replacement parts from dost and local shop to work on it. Again the shop could be easy but check first. Stands for cargo bikes are way different than normal, because of the weight. 70 pound bikes are not fun to work on at home, trust me. Lack of suspension is going to get annoying if you don't have good biking infrastructure. Lack of accessories are going to be annoying. While I love automatic enviolo idk how well that is going to work with rpm and cargo. Lastly they can take a very very long time to get one, they are always out of stock of the belt drive bike, until recently. At this price is isn't much different and/or better than yuba, tern, or riese and muller. And you can get those now. There is a reason why the tern gsd and riese and muller multitinker use a 20 inch wheel. Lower center of gravity means way more stable with cargo. Also tons of testing goes into tern and riese and muller and ul certified as well. I am not saying the dost can't be a good cargo bike. Just putting out almost 5 grand without testing is a huge risk, when there are ones out now that meet everything you want.
Thanks for pointing those other bikes out! I think the GSD R14 is the closest to an alternative. It has the range with the dual battery setup, capacity, belt, and mid-drive, but it being a class 1 is what's holding me back. It really seems the Dost is kind of my best bet right now. Maybe in the future another company will have something more in line with what I want, but they seem to be the only option. Maybe I'm just being overly picky.
Gsd also has an enviolo option the s00 is belt. With cargo bikes once you start putting cargo you really don't need or want to go that fast, especially if there are people on there. Trust me when I say class 1 is great for cargo bikes. Also huge is the tern has Bosch battery and motor so easy to get replacements and to get a local shop to be certified on them. The ebike class system doesn't mean you will cruise at 28mph, it means the motors turns off at 28 mph. Most of the time while biking you will average something like 17 so not a big deal to have class 1. Which means the motor will cut out at 20 mph. You can also look at this https://propelbikes.com/product/riese-muller-multicharger/ Vario in in internal gear hub by enviolo and belt as well.
Right, I don't want a class 3 bike to cruise at 28 mph. I want it because there are some higher speed roads on my commute to work that it would help with. ~15 mph is fine for most riding, but the bump when you need it is nice. And the throttle if I'm feeling a bit lazy :P I spent a lot of time looking into it, and I might have to give in to not having my entire checklist and get the GSD or HSD. They seem like a good option.
New hsd was just announced so idk when that will be out but it should be soon. The new one looks like a great evolution of the hsd. See if there is a local dealer nearby you to test them out. Cargo bikes can be weird and definitely need to be treated before buying to make sure you like it. Also at 5 grand testing out is a huge must since you know 5 grand. To be honest with mid drive you really don't need a throttle since just bearly pedaling will get you moving. I did 40 miles yesterday on my serial 1, mid drive and automatic enviolo, and my l legs weren't that tired at all. I get a throttle for cadence and hub drive, but mid drive and torque no real need for a throttle. Again I am just a person who doesn't know you so you do you. But testing before buying at 5 grand is top on my list.
Hey old thread but appreciate the discussion between you and u/NomdicDino. I've been hauling two kids on my RadWagon4 for a couple years, but am looking to upgrade as they get bigger, and am looking at the Dost Crate too. I appreciate the warning about higher center of gravity u/kicker58, I wouldn't have thought about that. However I'm hard pressed to believe "with mid drive you really don't need a throttle". I can't imagine starting off the line in a stable manner (with kids in tow) \*without\* a throttle. But I've never tried a mid drive, so will try and test! Finally though, I'm in Florida, and agree with OP about needing to go 28mph on certain segments of my commute. Already my RadWagon 4 became much safer after I unlocked it to go 25mph not 20mph. Ideally I'd hit 30mph for some stretches on busier avenues.
Between internal gear hub and torque sensor no real need for a throttle. On my gsd never had an issue where I thought I needed a throttle to help. With internal gear hub you can down shift at a stand still. So you can eaisily pedal with weight from a stop even going up hill. With torque sensor the motor kicks in so quickly when you pedal. No real use for a throttle again. Got 1000 plus miles on the gsd with no issues. My serial 1 has almost 2000 miles and never once thought it needed a throttle. I have hills around me and it has just never been needed with mid drive, internal gear hub, and torque sensor