Yuba Electric Supermarché Cargo Bike Review Part 2: Ride & Range Test [VIDEO]
After many miles of testing the Yuba Electric Supermarché it has proven to be a fun eCargo bike with a bunch of versatile kid & cargo carrying options.
The Electric Supermarché surfs down the road as you leave the car at home and turns everyday commuting into a fun adventure.
Its long wheelbase and low cargo load design gives the bike a stable ride feeling and the optional add on accessories offer so many options, including a rain cover for the kids or cargo.
The quality components from Bosch, enviolo, Magura, and Schwalbe provide a smooth and solid ride experience that should last for many, many miles.
The Yuba Electric Supermarché is priced at $5,999 and there are monthly payment options.
In this second part of the full review you will get an idea of the ride characteristics, range test results, pros, cons, and overall thoughts on this electric bike.
Make sure you check out part 1 of this review with large pictures and specifications to get a detailed look at this e-bike.
What you can expect from the Yuba Electric Supermarché:
To get acquainted with the Yuba Electric Supermarché, checkout this video:
Riding the Yuba Electric Supermarché:
Overall there are some characteristics of the Yuba Electric Supermarché that really stand out when riding this electric cargo bike. To summarize they are:
- Long frame with low & stable cargo carrying capacity
- Easy get on & off step-thru that can fit many rider sizes
- Smooth & easy to use drivetrain with Bosch motor & enviolo continuously variable transmission
The Look & Feel of the Yuba Electric Supermarché
You will definitely get some looks when riding the Yuba Electric Supermarché; it’s an attention getter for sure!
With its long frame and large cargo area in the front this is a very unique looking bike compared to the many conventional bikes & eBikes out on the road.
The frame is constructed of aluminum tubing that has been shaped and reinforced to provide the low cargo areas as well as the easy get on and ride step-thru design.
When carrying heavier cargo loads the step-thru and low cargo load design really helps because it is easier to stabilize the bike while getting on and off.
And speaking of heavy loads the Yuba Electric Supermarché has a rated capacity of 300 pounds of total payload (220 pounds on the front + 80 pounds on the back).
Since this is a front loader eCargo bike the majority of the attention is on the front cargo area.
Yuba offers a variety of optional add ons to make the Electric Supermarché work for your daily needs.
There is the Bamboo Base Board ($70) that provides a platform to stack boxes on and secure them with straps.
Building off the Base Board is the Bamboo Box ($250) that provides a lot of cargo area and can include the Seat Kit ($150) for seating for 2 kids. This is the add on set up for the bike in this test.
This is a nice configuration that has a substantial amount of room for 2 kids or many bags of groceries, boxes, etc. The bamboo has a quality look and feel that adds a nice touch of style to the Electric Supermarché.
The Bamboo Box has a large cargo capacity that has average dimensions of 30″ long, 19″ wide, and 13″ deep. That is average because the box is not perfectly rectangular.
I tested the front cargo box with 2 of my heavy toolboxes (~100 pounds) along with a cooler filled with 4 gallon size water jugs (~40 pounds) and the bike handled them with ease.
Climbing up steeper grades with this ~140 pound payload was pretty easy for the Yuba Electric Supermarché. It didn’t fly up the steeper hills with the heavy cargo but it definitely got up and over them with no problem.
You do need to take care when getting on and off with the heavy loads because if the bike starts to tip to one side it can take some strength to bring it back to balanced. It is so much easier to manage this thanks to the low cargo payload areas and low step-thru area.
The wide dual legged kickstand also does a great job of stabilizing the bike when parked.
Another front cargo option is the Open Loader ($199) that is a lightweight and collapsible cargo bag that will have a Seat Kit available in May.
Topping the Bamboo Box or Open Loader is the new Canopy Cover ($299) that provides rain protection for kids and/or cargo. This looks like a good add on for convincing the kids to ride in the rain!
In addition to the front cargo area there is also the rear rack that is part of the overall aluminum frame structure and it can support up to 80 pounds of payload.
The 20″ wheels are a big part of the low cargo design and that helps both the front and rear cargo areas to provide good overall bike stability.
Yuba offers a Yepp child seat for the rear rack so you can carry up to 3 kiddos: 2 in front and 1 on the back! And as you can see in the photo above the rack has a solid platform to attach boxes, coolers, etc.
Now let’s talk about the ride feel because this is much different than your conventional bicycle!
With the long wheelbase and long front end these front loaders cargo bikes take a little practice to get used to riding.
After a few rides around the block you will get the hang of it and it feels more natural.
Because of the long wheelbase the bike has a carving sensation like surfing or snowboarding when making turns. On wide open roads its fun to carve back and forth and enjoy the ride.
Making a turn takes up more room than a conventional bike so it does require a bit of foresight when maneuvering in congested areas.
The frame feels very solid and there is not much noticeable flex when it is moderately loaded.
With the heavier loads there is some downward flex between the wheels but not much torsional flex as the bike turns.
That downward vertical flex does help a little with smoothing out the ride as it feels a little bit like suspension.
Speaking of turning the innovative cable & pulley steering system is pretty cool.
There is a pulley at the handlebar/steering column that pulls cables to turn a pulley attached to the front wheel fork.
It works very well and has a smooth feeling when turning the front wheel. It is a simple system that can be easily adjusted if needed.
Now let’s take a closer look at the ride position of the Yuba Electric Supermarché.
The Yuba Electric Supermarché is designed to fit a wide range of rider sizes from from 4’9″ to 6′-5″.
This is a very nice feature for couples that may share this bike as their car alternative or replacement.
The handlebar stem has an angle adjustment that varies the height and reach.
In addition there are a lot spacers under the stem that can be rearranged to position the stem higher or lower.
Overall there is a lot of variability in the handlebar position so that you can really dial in your preferred riding position.
The handlebars are relatively flat with a slightly swept back profile for a comfortable ride while still being relatively wide for leverage and ride stability.
Another nice touch at the handlebars are the ergonomic grips that provide wrist support for a comfortable and stable ride feeling.
Again the low step-thru (18.5″ off the ground) makes this bike easy to get off and on.
Moving back to the seat area, the seat post has a lot of height adjustment and for the taller riders Yuba offers an extra long seat post option.
The Velo Comfort seat has a medium width profile design for a comfortable ride while still being efficient for pedaling.
Another ride style attribute is the use of 20″ x 2.15″ Schwalbe Big Apple Plus tires front and rear.
These tires have a large tread contact patch for a stable ride feel.
They also have substantial air volume that can absorb some of the bumps and cracks in the road.
I also took the Yuba Electric Supermarché on some dirt roads and the tires handled pretty well.
Now let’s take a closer look at the smooth and easy to use drive system.
The Bosch Performance Line CX mid-drive motor provides pedal assist up to 20 mph.
It’s rated at 250 watts with peak power of 600 watts with up to 75 Nm of torque.
The CX is a mid-drive designed with electric mountain bikes in mind with more torque and that works well for cargo bikes with their heavier cargo loads.
There are 4 levels of pedal assist with the following % of assistance:
- Eco 50%
- Tour 120%
- Sport 190%
- Turbo 300%
Each assist mode gives a distinct ride feel that can be quickly adjusted with the control pad on the left side of the handlebar with the + and – buttons.
Eco gives you a casual ride feel that is good for navigating congested areas where you don’t want a lot of assist.
Tour is a moderate amount of assist that is good for zipping around when you don’t have much cargo weight and you are focused on more range.
The Sport mode gets into to the faster range while still offering more range than Turbo.
Turbo at 300% assist is a lot of fun zipping around town and it is a good setting when carrying heavy cargo uphill.
In addition to the 4 pedal assist levels there is also the walk mode that will power the bike up to a couple of mph to help with moving the bike while you are walking.
Walk mode is very usefully with a heavily loaded cargo bike, especially when walking with the bike up slight to steeper grades.
The walk mode button is at the top of the control pad and once that has been activated you add the walk assist with the (+) button on the control pad.
The Performance Line CX motor uses a combination of sensors (torque, cadence, and speed) to determine how much assist to provide and when.
This system does a good job of adding the pedal assist by following your lead based on your pedal power and providing the proportional amount of assist.
The transitions of adding assist and stopping assist match your pedaling and they are very smooth transitions.
Similar to some other mid-drive motors, the Bosch Performance Line CX motor does create some noise. It is more noticeable at the higher pedal cadences and less at the lower pedaling cadences.
Your pedal power combined with the motor assist power is then leveraged through the enviolo N380 continuously variable transmission (CVT) rear hub.
The enviolo hub offers a wide spectrum (380%) of gear ratios between the low and high; hence the continuously variable transmission.
There is a twist grip shifter on the handlebar that is used to dial in your preferred pedaling cadence much like the volume dial on a radio.
Big or small gear ratio changes can be made with a twist of the grip and you can shift while pedaling or not pedaling.
That is helpful for adjusting to the best gear ratio for accelerating from a stop, and especially helpful when carrying heavy cargo.
enviolo hubs are designed to handle the additional power and torque that eBikes provide and they shift well under power.
Here is a video from enviolo with more info on their CVT system:
enviolo states that the the N380 hub is a self-contained system and does not require any maintenance.
The combination of the Bosch Performance Line CX motor with the enviolo CVT creates a smooth and easy to use drive system that is a good fit for the Yuba Electric Supermarché so that you can focus more on riding.
Powering the pedal assist and front and rear LED lights is the Bosch PowerPack 500 that is a 36V 13.4ah lithium battery that has ~500 watt hour capacity.
It is located in a central and relatively low location just behind the steer tube of the frame.
This is a good location for overall balance and it is also protected well by the frame tubes.
The battery weighs 5.7 pounds and it is removed by unlocking it with the supplied key (2 keys supplied) and lifting it up and off the frame.
The PowerPack 500 can be charged on or off the bike and it takes 2 hours to charge 50% and 4.5 hours to charge 100%.
Next up is a closer look at the control center on the Yuba Electric Supermarché.
The Bosch Intuvia display is centered on the handlebar and it has a large format layout.
It provides a lot of good information such as: pedal assist level, speedometer, odometer, trip distance, battery level, and estimated range.
The estimated range is helpful with planning your ride and adjusting the assist levels as needed to make sure you don’t run out of assist.
The range remaining is calculated based on the pedal assist level, the battery level, and the terrain you have been riding on. It is constantly updated as you ride.
The display has a backlight that makes it easy to see day or night and the light button on the lower right side of the display will turn on the front and rear AXA LED lights that are powered by the PowerPack 500 battery.
It’s great to have lights that are powered by the eBike’s battery so you don’t have to worry about charging separate batteries for the lights.
Braking is handled by the Magura MT5 hydraulic disc brakes with 180mm rotors front and rear.
These brakes have a solid feel and they provide a lot of stopping power which is a good when carrying heavy cargo!
You do have to go easy on the front brake when carrying light cargo in the front area because it has a tendency to skid the front wheel if you hit the brakes hard.
The MT5 brake levers are large and easy to grab and the reach of the lever can be adjusted to fit the size of your hand.
Rounding out the Electric Supermarché is a nice assortment of stock accessories like the front & rear AXA LED lights, full coverage aluminum fenders, a bell, and kickstand.
Normally a kickstand is not very note worthy but the double legged kickstand on the Yuba Electric Supermarché is!
It has a very wide stance that provides a lot of stability and it is easily engaged by pushing it down with your foot and rolling the bike backwards.
Okay, let’s see how the Yuba Electric Supermarché did out on the open road!
Yuba Electric Supermarché Range Test Results:
Here is the real world information on how the Yuba Electric Supermarché performed on a riding circuit that includes hills, flats, traffic, wind (when available) etc.
While testing these bikes I like to put them through the toughest conditions to see where their bottom line is in regards to range and speed. I tested the Yuba Electric Supermarché in the highest pedal assist level (Turbo) with average pedaling on paved roads.
Range: As you can see from the GPS info that I recorded, the Electric Supermarché traveled 28.1 miles and did a total elevation gain of around 2,100+ ft. Considering that I weigh 190 lbs and I pedaled at an average pace this is good range for a eCargo bike with a 36 Volt 13.4 ah battery pack (~500 Watt Hours) with a 250 watt motor assisting up to 20 mph.
Watt hours are the total energy in a battery pack and it is based on the volts x amp hours of a pack. This is a way to compare the size of the “gas tank” of electric bikes.
Please keep in mind that if you pedal more, weigh less than me, ride slower and/or you use the bike in terrain that is not as hilly you will get more range. These results are from tough testing.
Speed: The Electric Supermarché will assist up to 20 mph with pedal assist only.
Weight: Stated bike weight without add ons = 78 pounds. Bike with Bamboo Base Board, Box, & Seat Kit without the battery = 103.5 pounds. Battery = 5.7 pounds. Total bike with Bamboo Base Board, Box, & Seat Kit = 109.2 pounds.
The weight distribution of the Electric Supermarché in this test is pretty balanced because the the front cargo box & battery balances out the back of the bike that has the Bosch motor and enviolo rear hub.
Pros:
Stable & Fun: The low and centered cargo design with the long wheelbase creates a stable ride feel even when carrying heavier cargo. Additionally the low step-thru area makes it easy to get on and off which is very helpful when carrying cargo. The long wheelbase also makes it a fun bike that can surf down the open road!
Versatile: Yuba offers many add on accessories to make the Electric Supermarché fit your needs daily riding. So much so that it can be your car alternative or replacement!
High Quality: The Yuba Electric Supermarché is all about quality for lasting many, many miles. The frame and fork are well constructed and the add ons have a nice look & feel. The component spec is impressive with Bosch, enviolo, Magura, Schwalbe, and more.
Cons:
Heavier: This is a big eCargo bike and it is also heavy. The bike in this test includes the Bamboo Baseboard, Box, and Seat Kit for a total weight of 109.2 pounds. Yuba states that the bike weight without add ons = 78 pounds.
Motor Noise: The Bosch Performance Line CX motor does create a whirring noise that is generally noticeable at the higher pedal cadences and less at the lower pedaling cadences.
Conclusion:
Overall the Yuba Electric Supermarché is a super capable electric cargo bike that offers so many versatile cargo options.
It is an eCargo bike that can be a great alternative to the car, especially when you consider how much fun it is to ride!
The quality components from Bosch, enviolo, Magura, and Schwalbe underscores the focus on creating a solid ride feel that should last for many, many miles.
Yuba has done a great job of creating this stable, capable, versatile, and high quality electric cargo bike.
The Yuba Electric Supermarché is priced at $5,999 and there are monthly payment options.
Please keep in mind that this is a relatively short term test. This testing can’t really give you the long term review of durability and reliability. My thoughts on the quality of this bike are from previous experiences with similar bikes. If you own this bike and have some input on the long term durability, please share your comments with the Electric Bike Report community below.
Where to buy a Yuba Electric Supermarché? Check with the Yuba website for purchase options.
Do you have any questions about the Yuba Electric Supermarché? Do you own an Electric Supermarché? Please share your thoughts in the comment section below.
Thanks!
-Pete
Review Note: Each company pays a fee for a review on Electric Bike Report because of the considerable amount of time that it takes to provide an in-depth review of each eBike. A lot of time is spent on the full range test with distance & elevation profile, the wide variety of detailed pictures, in-depth video, and the write up with the specifications, ride characteristics, pros, cons, and overall thoughts. The reviews on Electric Bike Report are focused on providing you with a detailed “virtual” look at each eBike to help you determine if it is the eBike for you.
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