Our California-inspired version of the iconic dutch front-loading cargo bikes (aka bakfiets), the Yuba Supermarché is specifically designed for active parents and small business owners on the go. A versatile hauler, the Supermarché fits nearly every rider thanks to a low step-through frame with adjustable stem and seatpost.
The extra-low front cargo rack, lightweight frame and double-cable steering give you confidence and control, no matter what you’re hauling home. Stable from the first pedal stroke, this bike is also sturdy enough to stand up to your busy lifestyle. Keeping with our cargo roots, we included rear cargo rack (for extra stuff) that’s compatible with a Yepp child seat (for an extra passenger). Literally bring everything, plus the kitchen sink.
Features
Sturdy, low step-over aluminum frame
Tektro Vela hydraulic disc brakes 4 piston
24-Speed Shimano FDM310 drivetrain
Yuba GMD 20 x 2.3 tires
Rear rack (16.5 x 7 in)
Included
FREE SHIPPING on this product when purchasing $275 or more in add-ons!
Double kickstand
Bell, Fenders
2-year limited warranty
Build Your Yuba
ALL THE ADD-ONS YOU NEED TO CARRY YOUR WORLD BY BIKE. CLICK AND ADD TO YOUR CART.
Bringing beer kegs, blankets, boogie boards and bambinos to the beach is a breeze with this 4-sided Bamboo Box for the Supermarché. Bring everything and the kitchen sink.
Safe, comfortable, fun!
The Yepp Maxi EasyFit is a light and easy-to-use rear child bicycle seat that is designed to carry children from approximately 1 to 6 years of age (up to 48 lbs). It combines the ultimate cycling stability with comfort and safety by mounting easily behind the bike seat and providing a smooth ride for your little one.
Bringing beer kegs, blankets, boogie boards and bambinos to the beach is a breeze with this 4-sided Bamboo Box for the Supermarché. Bring everything and the kitchen sink.
Safe, comfortable, fun!
The Yepp Maxi EasyFit is a light and easy-to-use rear child bicycle seat that is designed to carry children from approximately 1 to 6 years of age (up to 48 lbs). It combines the ultimate cycling stability with comfort and safety by mounting easily behind the bike seat and providing a smooth ride for your little one.
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).
Rated 5 out of 5
Greg –
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.
Rated 5 out of 5
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.
Rated 5 out of 5
Andrew –
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.
Rated 4 out of 5
Ian McPherson –
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.
Rated 5 out of 5
Damon –
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!
Rated 4 out of 5
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.
Rated 5 out of 5
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.
Rated 4 out of 5
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.
Rated 5 out of 5
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.
Rated 5 out of 5
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.
Rated 5 out of 5
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.
Rated 5 out of 5
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.
Rated 5 out of 5
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.
Rated 5 out of 5
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!
Free shipping on this product when purchasing $275 or more in add-ons!
Delivery Time
Orders will be shipped within 72 hours of order submission.
Normal transit time for shipment in the US is from 1 to 5 business days, beginning at the date of pickup by FedEx.
Canada: transit time from the US to Canada may be increased by 3-5 business days.
Assembly options
Assemble on your own (Free)
In this instance the bike would be shipped to you directly where you can assemble it yourself, bring it to your local bike shop or have a mobile mechanic come to you for assembly - at your cost. If you choose to find your own retailer (for electric models), we suggest finding one that is an authorized Bosch or Shimano STEPS service center (depending on the model you buy). Our bikes are 85% assembled when shipped in a box. Be aware that assembling an electric (or not electric) cargo bike might not be easy if you have no prior experience in bike repairing. A working knowledge of bicycle mechanics and safety and an adequate tool kit are required to proceed.
Ready to ride (Not Free)
If you happen to live in an area where there is an Authorized Yuba Retailer, we’ll make the process seamless and will send the bike there for assembly and pick-up. Our customer service team will flag your bike upon finalizing the order and will contact you regarding next steps for assembly. Make sure to select the “Dealer assembly” option and add it to your cart, it costs 150$.
Warranty
Yuba extends a two-year warranty against manufacturing defects to the original owner of any Yuba manufactured product. This warranty does not extend to any part that is not directly manufactured by Yuba Bicycles, LLC and is nontransferable.
Please contact us immediately regarding any problems with your bicycle or accessories. We will make every effort to resolve the issue quickly and to the benefit of all parties.
Returns and cancellations
Except for specific Warranty issue, no returns or refunds possible. All online sales are final.
All bicycles sales which are shipped to a local dealer for assembly are final once removed from the store. Returns will not be accepted.
Build Your Yuba 
Build Your Yuba 
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).
Greg –
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.
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.
Andrew –
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.
Ian McPherson –
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.
Damon –
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!