It looks like Decathlon is about to launch two new cargo bikes—a longtail and a midtail cargo bike. According to the French magazine Transition Velo, Decathlon has asked selected customers about longtail and cargo bikes and has already shown photos of two new models in this context.
Motor-gearbox unit with continuously variable automatic transmission
Although the two bikes differ in length, the technical basis appears to be identical. The new models are equipped with 24-inch wheels and have a suspension fork at the front. There is also a frame lock and a front rack, which offers a flat loading surface—ideal for attaching baskets or crates with a click system.
The voluminous down tube with BTWIN branding indicates a large battery, although a specific capacity is not yet known. But it gets even more exciting at the bottom of the bottom bracket, where the Owuru motor-gearbox unit appears to be used!
This innovative drive for e-bikes was developed by the Belgian company E2 Drives, which has since been taken over by Decathlon—and is therefore currently available exclusively for their bikes. The highlight: the unit integrates a powerful mid-motor with a continuously variable and automatic gear shift. This eliminates the need for manual shifting; instead, you simply set the desired cadence.
So far, the system is available in the BTWIN LD 920E and Rockrider E-ACTV 900 e-bikes, and we have some first impressions of the drive system for you in this article.
At the moment, the Owuru system offers a torque of 65 Nm and a transmission bandwidth of 265 per cent. However, it is likely that the motor will be specially adapted for use in cargo bikes—but here too, concrete details are still lacking.
Two sizes: Longtail and Midtail
The differences between the two bikes are then visible at the rear: while the midtail model is designed to be as compact as possible and therefore corresponds to the length of a conventional bike, the longtail version is significantly longer and therefore offers more space for transporting two children, for example. In both cases, the rear rack offers a base for attaching cargo or child seats, while the longtail model also features a typical railing and footrest.
And another difference: the midtail bike is equipped with a double kickstand on the bottom bracket, whereas the kickstand on the longtail is mounted at the very end of the bike—something we are already familiar with from the Lundi Cargo from Moustache.
Decathlon is likely to expand its range of cargo bikes with the new midtail—after all, it already offers a long john bike in the form of the BTWIN F900E and has an extremely popular longtail bike in its range in the form of the BTWIN R500E. We could well imagine that the latter will remain in the programme and that the new long john bike with the Owuru drive will be positioned slightly above it in terms of price.
Prices and availability
The prices and availability of Decathlon’s new midtail and longtail cargo bikes with Owuru motors are not yet known. According to Transition Velo, the models are still in the test phase and are therefore not expected to be launched on the market until next year at the earliest. We are keeping an eye on developments, as both bikes make a promising impression!
