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Welcome to Flywheel, a weekly exploration of the used side of owned micromobility. Each newsletter will highlight five of the most interesting used vehicles being sold in the market followed by an observation of trends emerging in the industry.

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This week’s features are three commuters, a folding bike, and a cruiser hybrid. The observation of the week explores the best performing cargo bikes in the secondary market.

Top 5 Vehicles of the Week

1. Riese & Müller Nevo GT touring HS | $3,500 | Seattle

The Riese & Müller Nevo GT touring HS is a class-3 urban commuting powerhouse. Designed to be an approachable, city-riding counterpart to the usual line of R&M vehicles, the Nevo GT touring HS brings the high-quality componentry and powertrains of R&M touring vehicles to a step-thru frame. Built on Bosch’s most powerful Performance Speed line, the Nevo GT touring HS’s powertrain features a 85Nm motor with a 500Wh battery pack. The vehicle comes standard with full-suspension, and the rear-rack can be upgraded to be suspended on its own. This listing has a lot of mileage (4,650 miles), but it was frequently serviced at The New Wheel in SF and G&O Family Cyclery in Seattle. The Nevo GT touring HS typically sells for almost $7K new, so this listing selling at ~50% of the original MSRP and for almost $1K less than the Flywheel Vehicle Value is a great value option. Listing can be found here.

2. Pedego City Commuter | $800 | SF - Bay Area

The Pedego City Commuter is a class-2 commuter/cruiser hybrid. Paying homage to the cruisers that Pedego is known for, the City Commuter combines classic cruiser features (i.e. swept back handlebars, wide saddle) with a more active positioned rider-stance to give riders a comfortable yet sporty feel. Featuring a 45Nm battery and 360Wh battery back, the City Commuter has a fairly more powerful powertrain than other competing hybrids. That being said, most riders primarily use the throttle because the City Commuter is also heavier and clunkier to pedal than other hybrids. This listing is excellently authored, with the seller providing a comprehensive history of the vehicle. This specific vehicle was purchased in 2013, has ~1600 miles of usage, and has had both its battery and hub motor replaced in 2015. Listing can be found here.

3. Tern Vektron S10 | $3,400 | SF - Bay Area

Tern’s Vektron S10 is a class-1 folding ebike designed for portability and quick adjustability. The S10 has a tall folding hinge that is extremely secure when locked, making it feel as stable as a commuter while being much more sporty due to its smaller 20” tires. It also uses Tern’s new Andros stem for the seat, which has two quick release clamps that allow users to swiftly switch between two seat heights. The powertrain features Bosch’s Performance Line system (65Nm motor and 400Wh battery pack), making the S10 the only North American folding ebike to have a Bosch mid-drive system. There’s even a directly integrated Atlas V Rack, which is a nice bonus for riders looking to mount a rear child seat. This specific listing is almost new, with only 380 miles of usage, and was purchased and serviced at SF bike shop The New Wheel. Listing can be found here.

4. Electra Vale Go! 9D EQ | $2,400 | Seattle

The Electra Vale Go! 9D EQ is a class-1 hybrid cruiser. The Vale Go! has a step-thru geometry with a stiff frame, making it approachable while still being extremely responsive and agile. The 9D EQ’s powertrain is built on the Bosch Active Line Plus, which features a 50Nm motor and 500Wh battery pack. An additional small but nice feature is the integrated Bosch Kiox display, which has a micro-USB charging port for smartphones. Electra is a subsidiary of Trek, which is a huge benefit for Electra riders because it gives them access to one of the largest servicing networks in the country. This listing is in like-new condition and was purchased a little over a year ago. However, for those with a little extra budget to spend, I recommend keeping an eye out for the Townie Path Go! 10D. Vale Go!’s sister vehicle that was released at the same time, the Townie Path Go! has the stronger Bosch Performance Line powertrain and a few other higher quality accessories for ~$550 more. Listing can be found here.

5. Charge City | $1,300 | LA

The Charge City is a budget, every-day class-2 commuter. Featuring integrated lights, a removable battery, and flat-folding pedals and handlebars, the City is a simple and basic ebike designed with the average, space-constrained city commuter in mind. The powertrain includes a 45Nm Bafang rear-hub motor and a 418Wh battery pack. Not a huge surprise given the price point of the City, but this is a weaker powertrain that is likely not powerful enough for hilly rides. Given that Charge is the D2C brand of Cannondale, Charge riders have the perk of access to Cannondale’s widely available servicing network. This listing is another example of an excellently authored post, with the seller providing zoomed-in photos and detailed descriptions of vehicle damages and defects. The vehicle in this listing has only been ridden once and has minor cosmetic scratches from when the rider fell over. Listing can be found here.

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Observation of the Week

Best performing cargo bikes in the secondary market

Cargo bikes are a critical form factor in the quest for micromobility to become car-replacements, as they provide an increased utility and payload capacity that is a significant deciding factor for many users (particularly families) considering the switch to ebikes. A quick breakdown of cargo bikes in the secondary market:

Top 5 most commonly listed cargo bikes on Craigslist across top 5 US markets:

1. Rad Power RadWagon

2. Momentum PakYak E+

3. Yuba Mundo

4. Eunorau Max Cargo

5. Tie: Yuba Spicy Curry, Tern GSD S10, Benno Boost

Top 5 most ridden (mileage) cargo bikes on Craigslist across top 5 US markets:

1. Pedego Stretch

2. Tern GSD S10

3. CERO One

4. Yuba Boda Boda

5. Rad Power RadWagon

In terms of cargo bikes that are popular AND highly utilized, seems like Rad Power’s RadWagon and Tern’s GSD S10 are the frontrunners.

Another noteworthy point is that all of these vehicles are longtail cargo bikes. Given that longtails are much easier to ride, maneuver, and balance than bakfiets or trikes, it’s no surprise that they are more popular amongst urban riders despite their lower cargo capacity.

That’s it for this week. Thanks again for joining, see you next week!

- Puneeth Meruva

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