Why choose the Supercargo?
EASY AND RESPONSIVE
The cargo bike that will change your mind!
As a pioneer of longtail bikes, we chose to develop a cargo front loader with creativity and humility. By allowing our longtail experience to influence this model, we were able to create a sable, responsive and ultra-manageable bike. Thanks to cable steering and a Dutch-inspired frame, the Supercargo offers a quick grip and excellent handling.
STABILITY DUE TO LOW CENTER OF GRAVITY
More stable than you think
With its 20″ wheels, the Supercargo offers a low center of gravity that keeps your bike stable. No matter how heavy the load, the bike rides incredibly smooth and is very easy to handle. Its cable actuated steering system promises excellent responsiveness to your movements, making the Supercargo truly a fun bike to ride.
UP TO 4 KIDS!
A bike for big families!
To accessorize your bike, we offer different boxes and add-ons adapted to all needs. Above all a specialist in longtail bikes, we have added a rear rack that allows you to still hold a baby seat or panniers: it is therefore possible to carry up to 4 children on the bike!
SPORTY POSITIONING
More than a two-wheeler
More than a front loader for touring, the Yuba Supercargo ensures a sporty and comfortable ride thanks to an ergonomic frame and a Shimano Deore 10 speed derailleur. The goal is to offer a bike that performs well in all circumstances: daily trips, micro-adventures, professional use… this two-wheeler has the answer to everything!
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ALL THE ADD-ONS YOU NEED TO CARRY YOUR WORLD BY BIKE.
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Supercargo
Our version of a California-Dutch front-loader
Fits riders 4’9″ to 6’5″
NEW Color: Gunmetal Grey
Free Shipping if you purchase $199 or more in Add-ons!
Tech Specs
| Features | Technical specifications |
|---|---|
| Rider Height Min/max | 4’9″/6’5″ |
| Bike Length | 260cm |
| Bike Weight | 58,4lbs |
| Frame | Supercargo 6061-T6 Aluminum w/Disc Tab |
| Brake | Tektro Vela Hydraulic |
| Motor System | N/A |
| Rear Derailleur | Shimano Acera |
| Cassette | Shimano CS-HG318 |
| Rims | DB-32 MTB Double Wall (36H Front | 36H Rear) |
| Tires | Yuba GMD 20”x 2.3” |
| Max G.V.W.R. | 440lbs |
for more technical specifications click here:
Rob Ollett –
Great bike! I’ve saved at least 24 car trips downtown by having this. I’ve carried air conditioners, a dishwasher not to mention friends around town. Handles great and can really move!
Ben Croff –
Definitely the most fun and practical bike in the stable. Hauls kids, groceries, hardware store runs, and whatever else you can think of. The low center of gravity allows it to handle exceptionally at low and high speeds. Spot on gearing and brake selection for my location (some hills). This bike will change your life.
Andrew –
It’s a great bike. I’ve been using it to commute, take the kids to school, and for runs to the grocery store. I live in a pretty bike friendly area with good infrastructure, so having the Supermarché works out great.
Ali –
We bought our first house and a new Supermarche this spring and are so happy with both of them! We love riding with our two small children in the front with plenty of room for cargo on trips to the beach, pool, store, market, parade, or just about anywhere around Chicago we want to go.
Ben –
My new Supermarche is surprisingly nimble, even at low speeds. Once riding the bike feels very solid and stable. The fat tires give a comfortable ride. The gearing is better suited for pushing weight rather than speed. It clears speed humps and other obstacles well. My toddler enjoys riding in the bamboo tub with bench, and there’s plenty of room left over for other supplies.
Thomas Longberg –
Configuration: “(almost) the full package”. Bamboo base board, bamboo box, seat kit, canopy, frame lock, cargo straps, aftermarket back wheel hub engine. The only accessory we didn’t add is the Yepp Maxi back seat.
Usage: Year round main transportation vehicle for a small family with no car living in a hilly city.
Family size: Two adults and one five year old.
Location: Seattle, US (those hills!).
Previous experience: For two years a Babboe City E electric front loader was our year round main transportation vehicle in Oslo, Norway. The average daily distance covered was 10-15 miles. We have also used a Butchers & Bicycles MK-1E daily for a period of 6 weeks. The MK-1E is a tilting three wheel front loader that is roughly in the same class as the Yuba Supermarché. I have also test ridden several other models from Workcycles and Riese & Müller.
Disclaimer: This review will be colored by that the Yuba Supermarché is in a higher class than the Babboe City E, and so most comparisons will inevitably be favorable to the Yuba. Still, I’ll do my best to keep it objective and informative. We have now owned the Supermarché for five weeks, and during that time it has been in daily use.
Yuba Supermarché review:
Pros:
– It handles extremely well thanks to a low center of gravity, wide tires, good stiffness and responsive cable actuated steering. You can actually fight your way up steep hills standing up on this bike, which is not really true for many cargo bikes due to handling, weight, and frame geometry. It feels dead stable even when going down hills at over 35mph.
– It’s comfortable to ride thanks to wide tires and good frame geometry.
– It’s very light for a front loader, only about 60lbs/27kg (not sure how much weight is added by the accessories but ours is fully decked out and still feels relatively light. Lifting up the rear of the bike won’t break your back).
– It comes with front and rear hydraulic disc brakes, giving you good stopping power even when carrying heavy loads.
– The adjustable seat height range is large, so it will fit most riders.
– The bamboo box is sturdy and holds up well to kids climbing in and out.
– The canopy keeps the weather out, doesn’t get in the way of either the handlebars or the passengers’ heads, doesn’t obstruct the rider’s view (with the exception of a foot or so of ground in front of the bike), has decent visibility for the passengers, and has plenty of ventilation options.
– The canopy and its support structure are very easy to mount and dismount, it takes me about 3 minutes.
– The canopy (but not its support structure) can easily be dismounted and packed away on the bicycle, and you can keep riding with only the support structure mounted.
– The bamboo box can be dismounted to allow for carrying large items.
– The bike is certified for more weight than most other cargo bikes.
Cons (none of these are deal breakers in my opinion, I consider them slight nuisances at worst):
– The double kickstand can be a little awkward to get down into supportive position, especially when the bike is heavily loaded. A peg on either side of the kickstand would help a lot.
– The bamboo plates creak slightly when the bike moves.
– The frame lock has a storage location which, depending on your foot position on the pedals, can get in the way of your heel when pedaling.
– The canopy uses velcro fasteners which seem somewhat flimsy. I’m a little worried about the durability of these, but time will tell.
– The canopy support structure doesn’t fold or dismantle easily, so if you’re out riding with it mounted you won’t be able to pack it away anywhere on the bike.
– The rear rack is quite low and its tubes are unconventional, so the selection of panniers (bags) that will fit is limited (but they do exist).
Neutrals, things to keep in mind:
– The space in the bamboo box is somewhat limited due to its narrowed front design. Make sure it can comfortably fit what you need it to carry.
– Like most two wheeled front loaders the Supermarché is very long. Make sure you have the space to park it, preferably in a safe and sheltered spot.
– Bikes are different and fit different people in different ways. I highly recommend thoroughly test riding several bikes before making a choice.
– If you’re going to be using the bike in a location with steep hills then electrical assist may be preferable. The native Electric Supermarché available from Yuba however is more than twice as expensive as this non-electric version. If that’s too expensive for you (like it was for us) then adding an aftermarket engine to the non-electric version is a viable and more affordable option that we are very happy with. Be aware however that to my knowledge only hub motors are compatible with the non-electric Supermarché, as opposed to the crank motor the native Electric Supermarché is equipped with. Also, the native Electric Supermarché comes with several upgrades to the components and frame over the non-electric version, in addition to the motor itself.
Conclusion: After two years of using a more entry level front loader the quality of this bike really stands out to my little family. In my opinion the only thing missing for this to be the perfect front loader is suspension, but that addition would probably have increased the price significantly. We absolutely love this bike and highly recommend it. It’s a dream to ride, it feels safe, it’s comfortable, and it performs very well.
Kenji Yamada –
Loads I’ve carried on my family’s Supermarché so far: two full-size bookshelves; a large table; a huge printer that I could barely get my arms around; my spouse and all her backpacking gear.
The bookshelves would have been hard to load into or on our car, so I feel the Supermarché even did the job of a truck.
Ours is the non-electric. I find it fine without assist, but I’m a strong rider and I don’t need to take heavy loads uphill very often. Electric is probably a good choice for most people.
My only complaint: I’d like more anchor points for bungees around the cargo area.
Nicholas Enz –
I have owned my Supermarche for one year now. It’s been life changing. It is stable and easy to ride with all three of my kids (3, 3, and 6) as well as other items on board (over 150 lbs). I use it to take them to daycare/school and other activities, as well as for errands around town. It is so much easier to get around urban areas (and park) with the Supermarche than a car. I also added an e-assist system, which is very helpful. After about 1,000 miles, it has held up very well. I would note that I did have the steering cables adjusted a couple times in the first months, which was not a big deal at all for my dealer to handle. Otherwise I’ve had it in for routine maintenance once.
ted –
This is my first experience with a front loader bike. The assembly was definitely a learning curve, I would expect 3-4 hours to make sure everything is put together correctly. We have the non-electric with open loader kit and our dog loves it!
A couple of important considerations:
1) If you are over 5’10” like me you will likely want the 500mm seatpost available in the Yuba parts store. In fact, it’s almost beneficial to have two seat posts if you share the bike with a shorter person so you can each dial in the saddle and positioning you want.
2) The assembly instructions we received were incomplete. There wasn’t specific instructions about assembling the headset and a few other parts. If you’re not experienced at assembling bikes I highly recommend having a local bike shop do it for you.
3) This bike is heavy obviously and I would be very surprised if those who didn’t already cycle on a regular basis would be prepared to go anymore than a few miles at a time, especially with carego) so don’t give away your Burley trailer just yet. I ride bikes a lot and found it very challenging to ride with a 190 lb. adult in the box so don’t be fooled by some of the promotional photos showing and adult and dog going for a ride with ease.
4) This bike gets a LOT of looks and questions and that’s half the fun of it! Plus when your dog is riding in the box prepare for even more smiles and pointing.
5) As mentioned by others it can be a little creaky and the rear frame/rack doesn’t accept most panniers.
6) The tires are great – they really soak up the bumps in the road and even perform decently on grass.
Excited to review again after owning for a longer period of time.
Damon (verified owner) –
We’ve had our supermarche for about a month now. I think it has been used almost every day.
Some really awesome things:
-How the front steering works. It’s surprisingly low on stiction
-Disc brakes. I’ve ridden the bike up and down some very steep hills with no issue
-With the kids up front it’s very interactive for them, with a good view. They love biking places. They don’t like driving places.
-The integral rear rack makes locking up easy
-The steering gain is quite nice. It makes such a long bike easy to ride even up steep hills
-The steering column is well placed to act as a rollover cage for the kids if we accidentally eat it.
-We get complimented on it constantly. It’s awkward since we didn’t do anything!
-The little side pockets let the kids store things for while we’re biking
-The fat tires make it a smooth ride, but it’s still mostly aero drag.
-The width is about perfect. Wider would be hard to navigate, narrower would be tight for two kids.
-The cargo height is about right so that added weight doesn’t affect handling too much.
My only complaints, which are all small:
-The seat doesn’t go high enough, and it’s too cushy. A real seat with about another inch of height would be nice for my knees.
-If the attach points for the kid seatbelts were about 3 inches higher they would be a much better geometry to limit shoulder loads in a crash.
Comment from Yuba- We recommend getting a 500 mm seat post to raise your saddle up to your comfort level, and thanks so much for your feedback on the attachment point. We’ll certainly forward this valuable feedback to our design team!
Ian McPherson (verified owner) –
We bought our Supermarche to be a shared errand bike and are proud of the purchase! I’ll be ordering the 500mm seatpost soon since I’m 6’2″ and my wife is 5’2″. This will allow us to run two different seat/seatpost combos for a quick swap when needed. Overall the bike surprisingly easy to maneuver, especially if you make sure there is no slack in the steering cable tension. My main complaint is the creaky cargo area, which I’ve narrowed down to coming from the quick disconnect/connect area on the upper basket tube that clicks into the main frame (just behind the bamboo back board). The tube is undersized and loosely fits in the frame, which allows vibrations to oscillate the push-button and creak. Only a minor irritation. Loving leaving the car parked for grocery runs.
Andrew (verified owner) –
We have had our supermarché since September and have been loving it. I ordered the 500mm seat post and it works great for both me at 6’6′ and my wife at 6′. It works great for hauling kids, and boy can it haul cargo too. I have loaded it up with 200 lbs of bulk foods and it handles great. The ride is smooth, and after a small learning curve to get used to having the front wheel so far in front of you the bike handles well and is very responsive. I was worried about the cable steering at first, but have been pleased with the performance of it so far. I have needed to tighten it once so far.
Cyril Derreumaux –
I have been using my YUBA Supermarché for 4 months now. I love her!
It took me only about 30 seconds to get used to the steering system with the extended wheel up in front. The best advice that was given to me was: “don’t look at the wheel when you drive, just look ahead and “feel” the turns”. From that moment on, it was super easy to carry even very heavy loads and not feel unbalanced at all.
I don’t have an electric version, so although I did rides of over 1 hour long, and over steep hills, I now mostly use her for the local rides, such as going to the grocery store, the coffee shop, etc. She has a heavy (and strong) frame but the gears are such that if you are patient enough, you can climb any hill. I really like the disk brakes as I feel super safe going downhill.
It’s funny that riding the cargo bike made me belong to a new “tribe”! Many people along the way will wave at me, because they love and approve the lifestyle that choses to bike instead of driving. This is exactly why I got the bike, so I am very happy to meet like minded people along my daily rides!
Now, if you get a YUBA, you’ll have to get used to people saying “I love your bike, where did you get it, I want one just like this”! haha. Because I love mine, I am always super happy to share the good tips!
I also own a VW van, and just that my van, there is something about the YUBA that just makes me smile when I get on it! I suddenly have no hurry, take my time, enjoy the moment, look at the world and smile. First time a bike does that to me!
Basically, I highly recommend it.
Greg (verified owner) –
I love this bike! We’ve had it a few months and I take my daughter to and from daycare daily. She’s 15 months old and enjoys it so much. I feel that she’s very safe in the bamboo box and the shoulder straps/belt work great. We even bought the weather protector and it does the job.
I also use it to drop my books off at the post office and go grocery shopping with it.. We live in a fairly flat city, so the electric wasn’t a necessity for us. There are times when I wish it was electric, but I just think of it as great exercise!
I agree with the other review. Get used to people asking you about your bike and staring in amazement at you. I enjoy talking about my Yuba and feel like the Northeast, Ohio sales rep for the company, haha.
Cameron –
I love this bike, it’s light and responsive, after riding another front loader for work I am very happy with this one. Strangely I feel much more confident ridding this bicycle around than my road bike or my fixed gear crit bike (I raced my crit bike for a few years and spent quite a bit of time on it). I would recommend this to anyone who doesn’t want to spend their time sitting in their car getting out of shape when running errands. I’ve been ridding it around and I live in Dallas, Texas so if I can ride it in Texas you can ride it anywhere there are roads (and place there aren’t roads within reason).
James Gallego –
I have been biking a very long time (over 50 years!!) and really love this bike. I always knew I wanted a “bakfiet” type of bike ever since my visit to Amsterdam and when I came by the Yuba Supermarché, I knew I had to have it. After reviewing the details of this bike like its build quality and overall design, I knew this would be a great bike. After purchasing the bike and riding it, I realized what a great bike it really was.
I know that images on this website, show people hauling cargo or kids in the box, which it is very good at accomplishing, but I use my Supermarché to haul my three rescue pups. I think Yuba should include more images of “pups in the box” because this bike is perfect for hauling our little friends.
I would recommend this bike to all people who want to take an alternative method of commuting because this bike is very fun and practical. Be different and enjoy life!!
Finally, Yuba, start selling tee-shirts with the profile of the Supermarché and I will buy one.
Matthew E –
I bought my pedal power supermarche in 2018 to ride my daughter around and I can’t imagine life without it, it my favorite bike now. Since she was 8 months old, I’ve been strapping her car seat into the bamboo cargo box, putting down about 1000 miles per year with her. Once she was big enough, she’s been using the bench seat. The cable steering makes it handle just like a normal bike (no slop in the steering) and the super low center of gravity make this bike excellent in the winter. You pretty much can’t fall over on this thing, if the wheels slip on ice you just kind of fishtail and slide. I ride it all winter. The canopy has been an essential accessory, with some modifications. Keeps the sun, wind and rain off of her and I put some string LED lights inside for riding in the dark. I sewed in some Velcro to roll up the back of the canopy for really hot days, and sewed a reflective cloth in the top to keep the sun out. We turn heads wherever we go. The only way this bike could be better if if Yuba we’re to make a heads light mount for the front fork (really splitting hairs here). Thanks Yuba!
Daniel Brock –
I can’t wait for for the flying version 😍
Ben O –
Pedal Powered Supermarche with bamboo box in Minneapolis, MN – After seeing all the Copenhagen bike commuters with their babies strapped in while I was biking around as a tourist on an off day I knew when we had our first kid, we needed a similar bike setup so we didn’t get into a rut of driving everywhere spring, summer, and fall. We also wanted something more secure that allowed the use of a car seat for added protection and wanted something more stable than a long tail cargo bike should we fall. We were also looking for something more maneuverable on city streets and more visible than a tow behind kid trailer, hence the bakfiets choice.
Our 9-month-old son is strapped into a forward-facing car seat with a five-point harness. Car seat rests on an ottoman cushion and the back of the seat is cushioned by a bunch of towels. The car seat’s mounting straps are attached to the bamboo boxes’ mounting slots and we also have a tie down strap around the base of the car seat and bike frame as redundancy. We plan to change over to the already purchased bamboo seat with 5-point harnesses and a helmet on him a year from now.
First ride was short and our son couldn’t avoid the early spring sun in his eyes. He was very quiet on the ride probably due to the sun in his eyes. A pair of sunglasses solved that issue and now he’s very chatty on the subsequent rides around the neighborhood which leads us to believe he’s having a great time on the ride.
Us parents are having a ton of fun biking around vising different neighborhoods, checking out different parks. While we’ve only been on three rides so far, our longest ride was an hour long, and I powered through one of the steepest hills in the area and the bike handled it no problem thanks to the low gearing on the first chainring.
We plan to continue to expand our radius to go to outdoor concerts this summer, grab a bite to eat at local restaurants, grabbing pastries and coffee, visiting friends’ houses, and going for biking adventures with friends. I’m thrilled that this bike will massively expand our radius without having to use our car and we get to have some fun biking (and some exercise in the process). Basically, a huge lifestyle upgrade over taking a stroller walks to a couple closer destinations and this bike will allow us to spend more time outside this summer.
Pro’s:
– Hydraulic brakes work great! With my kid on board, the bamboo box, and the bike itself, we’re pushing ~ 100 lbs with me helming the bike at ~165lbs. Feels very safe and stable slowing down on the downhills.
– I really like all the tie down areas on the bamboo box and natural bamboo grain looks beautiful. The bamboo box feels a lot safer for my son should we get into an accident over the open loader fabric box despite the weight penalty over the fabric setup. No issues with noise from what I can tell but that may have to do.
– Despite hitting some wet roads and some sand on a turn down hill, the tires kept us upright. Fenders also did their job on keeping me dry while biking on wet pavement.
– The components shift well despite being on the low end of the Shimano spectrum.
– While U-turns feel a little suspect and the turning radius requires this to be carefully planned out, turning the 8’ plus long bike is starting to make more sense on right turns and I’ve started to lean more into turns and it feels good how quick this learning curve was.
– I normally bike with toe clips on a road bike which feels more secure over platform pedals but was pleasantly surprised how stable and planted my running shoes feel on the pedals the bike came with.
Neutral:
– Handle bars feel a little wide for me but I have a slimmer build and am used to riding a road bike with my hands on the hoods or the flats. I plan to adjust the stem down from its near vertical position that the bike shop set the bike up. This will lengthen the handlebar distance from the headset. Hopefully this will make the bike feel more stable and less twitchy when I’m signaling turns with only one hand on the handlebars since I’m riding on a lot of gridded neighborhood streets and have to signal my turns at intersections around drivers.
Minor Con’s:
– The saddle is too soft for my taste and will be replaced with a spare saddle I have. I think my wife will like the saddle on her Bianchi. Not a big deal.
– The kick stand should only be used on flat or on an uphill. I parked the bike on slight downhill and the kickstand felt a little unsteady like it was about to disengage which would have caused the bike to tip over with my son in it. Something to pay attention to when parking but not a huge deal.
– Don’t love biking on a white framed bike due to the symbolism there (ghost bike). The new model is grey though which looks sharp.
Verdict:
Very happy with the bike, would repurchase 10/10 times and am excited for the summer!
M D –
What can I say, a great way to move into the Front Loader segment. Despite owning an earlier version with better components (sign of times with production delays), this is a solid offering.
High points:
– Lightweight! This is significant. Can move in and out or lift up if needed. Yet, with over 200 lbs in the tray, not a single hint of flex. The frame is dialed up. Great job Yuba.
– Rear Tail – You will be hard pressed to find a Front Loader that is capable of holding an 80lb Kiddo or set of panniers
– Cable Steering is fantastic and you can dial in to your liking. Unlike a rod system with the joints flexing and wearing out (which is only fixed via replacement), I can adjust after the initial wear-in and be set. In addition, you can make to where the steering has a bit of “weight” to it if you adjust it that way.
– Paint – The finish is excellent. I really appreciate the Neutral White as it’s visible and high wearing.
– Brakes are extremely compliant. I have the Tektro Auriga‘a which have great feel and provided consistent feel even with a 400lb total weight on West Coast terrain.
– Frame Geo – A lot of adjustment, yet it is able to allow you to apply power like that of a Mtn bike for your non-ambulatory cargo days.
Forget the comment by the previous reviewer about “symbolism” and associating it with “woke” ideology. It’s embarrassing that I have to comment, but the color of a bike, car, house, Doggy, or phone has absolutely NOTHING do with race or any value inferences therein.
Yuba, bring back the full White and/or a Chartreuse (wicked) option.