We had already reported on the Toolbike No 01 from Monopole in Switzerland here — but at the Eurobike Show 2023 we also had the opportunity to take the bike for a short ride and take a closer look at it in detail.

In short, the Monopole is interesting not only for its design, but also for its light weight, which is said to be just 22 kg. This is all the more remarkable since it is a cargo bike with an electric drive, which is hardly noticeable from the outside. Monopole uses Mahle’s X35 system, which consists of a compact hub motor with 40 Nm of torque in the rear wheel and a permanently installed battery with a capacity of around 250 Wh in the down tube.

The everyday practicality of a fixed battery of this size has to be rated by each user for his or her personal usage scenario. Despite the light weight, it is certainly recommended to have a charging option directly at the bike’s parking space. This brings us to the charging socket, which is located behind the vertically installed Pinion gearbox on the Toolbike.

Equally unusual — but quite clever — is the position of the iWoc One button to control the electric drive. This is mounted centrally on the stem and thus also allows a direct view of the LED ring, which informs about the current driving mode and the remaining battery capacity. This solution has not yet been implemented by any other manufacturer. However, if you want to place your smartphone on the handlebars, you should look for a place other than the stem – otherwise the button would quickly be covered.

Another fascinating feature of the Toolbike No. 01 is its almost silent drive, which is due not only to the quiet Pinion gearbox and the hub motor, but also to the Gates belt drive. The fact that a second Gates belt drive is also used for the steering instead of a conventional handlebar offers no real functional advantage, but visually it fits in perfectly with the tidy look of the bike.

The handling is — typical for this category of mini-cargo bikes — quite agile, which is hardly surprising due to the 20″ small front wheel. Due to the light weight, the bike also behaves very nimbly and convinces with a pleasantly direct response in combination with the e-drive.

Conclusion

A special kind of cargo bike: compared to other cargo bikes, the electric support of the Toolbike No 01 is rather moderate in terms of motor power and battery capacity. Therefore, this bike should not be compared with typical heavy-duty transporters, which usually weigh more than 30 kg themselves. The lightweight toolbike is designed more for smaller everyday transports with groceries or for rides to the parcel store — and convinces with its agile handling and an independent look with many great details. More information about the bike and availability can be found in this article.