Cargo bike / e-performance: As one of the major trend topics in the bicycle industry, cargo bikes were also extremely present at Eurobike 2019. The Messe Friedrichshafen even gave the pack donkeys a completely separate area - here it became clear how many manufacturers and how many different models and approaches are now cavorting in this category. With ca go, a newcomer was also presented there – although the people behind ca go are not newcomers. This becomes clear when you take a closer look at the extremely well thought-out and promising e-cargo bike.
Win a Ca Go FS 200 worth almost 9.000 euros
[blog specific=“147150″]ca go - a new name in the bicycle business, but behind which there are familiar faces and a great deal of competence and experience: none other than Franc Arnold is in charge here, who, as the founder and CEO of Ergon, is also responsible for sales at RTI Sports (Ergon, Topeak , MET and many more) has the reins in his hand. With the vision of his own e-cargo bike, Arnold put together a team some time ago to turn this idea into reality. The result was presented to the public for the first time at the Eurobike 2019 and knows how to impress. It's a classic Long John bike: Large wheel at the back (27,5 inches on the ca go), small at the front (20 inches) and the loading area in front of the handlebars.
Sophisticated EPP transport box
So far, so ordinary. It gets more extravagant with the transport box: This consists of a closed-pore EPP plastic, such as that found on cargo bikes from UrbanArrow or Cube knows. There are good reasons why some manufacturers rely on this material - even if the look certainly takes some getting used to. EPP combines two properties that are important for such a vehicle: on the one hand it is extremely stable, on the other hand it does not have any sharp edges and is elastic. For example, if a small passenger bumps into it, the risk of injury is extremely low. Apart from that, such an EPP box is a lot lighter than a comparable wooden counterpart. This reduces the total weight and increases the possible payload.
Foldable individual seats for two children
However, the transport box of the ca go, which was developed together with Schumpeter, should not be reduced to its material, because it contains a lot of brain power and many clever features. The aluminum frame is enclosed with EPP on the inside and outside - this means that the kids inside cannot hurt themselves and the pedestrian protection of the bike, which is becoming more and more important with increasing popularity, is also improved. Speaking of kids: there is no children's bench in the ca go, but rather two individual seats with height-adjustable headrests and a five-point belt with magnetic closure. The seats can be folded up in no time at all to clear the entire space in the box – after all, almost 200l. Without annoying dismantling, screwing around or the like. A unique feature is the optionally available lid - also made of EPP - which not only can be locked, but also seals the box watertight.
Foam lining for trains and lines
So much for the transport box; However, this is just one of the many highlights of the new ca go cargo bike. It is also noticeable that the EPP material is also used in the bottom bracket area to cover the entire motor area. This makes sense for a number of reasons: Not only is the entire drive unit so well protected. In addition, all lines and cables can be stowed away easily and invisibly and the driver cannot hit their ankles on any sharp edges. Should you need to go directly to the drive or to the cables and cables for maintenance, the EPP cover can be easily removed by loosening a few screws.
Cable steering on the ca go - the better choice for cargo bikes?
From a technical point of view, too, the ca go cargo bike is anything but ordinary: Instead of the otherwise widespread steering by linkage, the new e-cargo bike uses cable steering. Steering impulses are transmitted to the head tube or headset via two cables and special pulleys. The big advantage: The steering angle is the same in both directions, the turning circle is much smaller. So you don't have to turn the handlebars uncomfortably far to reach the maximum turn on the front wheel. Since the trains run completely within the EPP cover mentioned, they are also much better protected than an open linkage.
Well hidden batteries with up to 1.250Wh capacity
Phew, lots of features, lots to tell. The equipment and the technical data of the ca go cargo bike are almost a bit underestimated - wrongly so! At the market launch there will only be one trim level, the Bosch's new Cargo Line motor is driven. Either one or two Bosch Powertube 625 batteries are responsible for the energy supply. So the bike has a capacity of up to 1250Wh; the batteries are located behind a flap below the charging box and are floating. The latter is intended to prevent damage and prevent rattling.
High-quality equipment with durable gears and strong brakes
The other equipment is extremely high-quality and does not require any hidden cost-cutting measures. A stepless Enviolo Cargo gear hub, which is set in motion by a Gates carbon belt, is responsible for the right gear ratio. The brake system from Magura even comes with a 4-piston caliper at the front, which, in combination with the 203mm brake disc, brings a lot of power. To ensure that the ride remains comfortable even on bad roads, ca go also installs a Suntour Mobi suspension fork at the front and a by.Schulz spring support. The Supernova lighting system with high beam function at the front also has sufficient radiance for completely unlit paths.
The often somewhat inconspicuous add-on parts and components are also consistently classy: Grips and saddles are of course from Ergon, the cockpit from Ergotec and the rims from Alexrims (even with a DT Swiss hub at the front!). The aluminum mudguards from SKS at the front and the Tubus Wingee at the rear are completely rattle-free in our experience. One last special feature is the tyres: while a normal Supermoto tire from Schwalbe is installed at the rear, a Big Apple specially produced in this size for the ca go provides traction and puncture protection at the front. Equipped in this way, the complete bike including the transport box weighs approx. 42kg, the permissible total weight is 250kg.
The new Ca Go cargo bike should be available from selected specialist dealers next spring. The final price has not yet been determined, but will probably be in the range between 5.000 and 6.000 euros.