In reviewing the Surly Big Easy we experienced the potential of purpose-built cargo bikes, and electric-assist ones at that. There’s a big amount of fun and pride in moving awkward objects by bike, though I will admit that it’s not always the most efficient use of time. In that time we’ve owned a few cargo bikes of our own, ridden a bunch of other folks’ big rigs, and carried a whole lot of ridiculous stuff along the way. Over the past five or so years, Stephanie and I have gone from cargo bike curious to cargo bike committed. Which bike you choose depends which super power you want. And you’ve still got to consider a bike being fun to ride, with or without its ideal load. Still others may give up ultimate cargo capacity for a more easily stored form factor.

Some bikes like to carry lumber, while others want to get filled up with a hastily packed weekend of camp gear. Some bikes are better for carrying younger kids, and some excel with bigger kids or even adults. Yet the world of cargo bikes runs deeper than simply carrying things: there’s lots of different stuff to haul around! Just as there’s space for pickups and flatbeds and vans and SUVs in the vehicle world, cargo bikes vary in their shapes and their powers. It seems obvious that a cargo bike’s super power should have something to do with carrying more stuff than a regular bike. Which of these tasks would prove to be the Omnium’s super power? Whether it’s a pumptracks-and-playgrounds adventure with our three-year-old, transporting complete bikes without removing the wheels, or making a big run down to the recycling depot, this bike enables errands and experiences beyond our usual two-wheeled expectations.

The focus of this review is an Omnium Cargo bike that absolutely gets those wheels turning. The simple act of riding a cargo bike turns heads and gets people asking questions: living your day to day on a bike is indeed a super power.

Something about a unique, purpose-built, human-powered machine doing tasks usually associated with cars and trucks gets the wondering wheels turning in peoples’ brains.

Purpose and Power by Donald Stoker