In a recent essay, WIRED contributor Paul Ford explains a grand unified theory of tools— Namely, most anything you buy will result in a second purchase of your stuff. Nowhere is this easier to see cargo electric bike. To get the most bang for your buck, you need an outfit — like a jacket, helmet, and shoes. You will need a bike lock, possibly a child seat, front and rear racks. For safety, you need lights and bells. It takes a while to accumulate all this extra gear, especially when you’ve already paid so much for the bike.
Don’t get me wrong: The Cero One is a pretty cool e-bike. It’s short, maneuverable, and has some premium components. But one of its best aspects is that it has its own proprietary merchandise system. You can buy the bike fully loaded from Cero — front basket, rear rack, etc — or customize your own carriers for its bolt system. Bring all the recommended accessories that can be done mine The job of suggesting peripherals is outdated, but if it attracts more cyclists, I don’t mind.
Great spoils
Cero One has a rather special design. The two wheels are asymmetrical, with a smaller front wheel for maneuverability, a larger rear wheel for stability and a vertical step frame. It draws influences from a number of sources, including the traditional Japanese mamachari bicycle and Schwinn cycle truck.
It looks a bit odd, but Cero says the asymmetrical tire size and compact frame aim to shorten the overall length of the car. It made me nervous about driving into potholes until I realized that Tern GSD use tires of the same size and for the same reason.
One reason some e-bikes cost more than others is that they are generally safer. As a parent, there are some gadgets that I would limit — for example, I don’t need high-end workout headphones — and others I wouldn’t. I load my most precious goods, my children, on my electric cargo bike, and I ride them down the streets at 15 mph alongside cars. I don’t want to worry about the brake pedal or the chassis cracking. I do not want, too start a fire in my garage in the middle of the night while charging it.
I generally prefer Bosch motors because they feel more natural to me, and for a long time Bosch ebike motors were the only ones that were UL-certified — meaning they were safely tested by an international organization. Independent, non-profit safety standards organization. The Cero One is not UL certified. However, it has been safely tested to DIN EN15194, is the German safety standard used in Europe and the rack and basket meet ISO11243 safety rating.
Motorcycles are not noisy
I’m not surprised that the Cero One meets international safety standards; it uses good ingredients. That includes a Shimano Steps E6100 motor with an inner hub gear; Gates carbon belt drive; Shimano hydraulic disc brakes, and solid Schwalbe tires. Gates’ carbon-belt drive and an inner hub mean far less maintenance for a cyclist who typically has only five minutes out the door.
Since we’re talking about getting out the door – I love my Tern GSD motorcycle to pieces. It works well for what I need it to do, which is to quickly and uncomplicatedly drop and drop two squishy kids to school each day. But it requires a three-point turn to get it out of my garage, and the long tail can be heavy to lift over the curb or move on a bike rack. If I didn’t have two kids – or even if I only had one – I probably wouldn’t have bought it.
The Cero One is much more flexible. Yes, it weighs almost 60 pounds and has a wheelbase of 44.8 inches – not really much smaller than the Tern. But it feel like a much shorter bike, one that I can actually cycle out for a quick stroll on a rare sunny January day in Oregon.
