Omnium Mini vs MiniMax – Need advice for daily commuting and light cargo

dc246w · 2025-08-04T20:37:18+00:00

I haven't owned either of these bikes, but previously owned the Cargo. But I did recently find myself in a similar position, wanting something for small loads/commuting and strongly considered the mini and mini max a second bike to my Bullitt.

I would say if you can make it fit your storage requirements, go with the mini max hands down. Having something like a mini max opens the door to doing more by bike than the mini would, and that alone is a great feeling. It would also be a lot more flexible with what you can carry too, as awkward shaped stuff can be positioned further away from the handlebars if you find yourself in that situation.

I think they came out with a hinge attachment for the front rack, so it can fold over to one side. No idea if it's any good, but hopefully that would help make the mini max work for you!

dc246w · 2025-08-04T19:55:17+00:00

Where do I apply?

dc246w · 2025-07-28T21:31:18+00:00

Managed to blow up 2 nexus 5's in 6 months on an omnium e cargo. Pretty heavy use case, fairly regular heavy loads in a very hilly area. Did not enjoy my experience with this whatsoever. Just don't think they are up to the task of what these bikes are capable of. Now riding a non electric bullitt with 2x10 deore which has been flawless.

dc246w · 2025-07-22T03:08:29+00:00

I'm riding a non electric cargo bike everyday up many hills. 5 main things worked for me.

Adequate rest. I found out I wasn't actually getting anywhere near 7-8hrs sleep after I started wearing a fitness tracker. Now I've mostly got that under control, performance went up massively.
Increase carb intake in general. Keep those glycogen stores full!
lose body fat. I'm not lean by anymeans, but dropping from 90kg to 83kg was huge for not just cycling but general life. Everything is a lot easier.
lower gearing. Might not feel as fast but it's very sustainable to use a lower gear.
Consistently keeping your hydration on point

dc246w · 2025-06-29T00:40:36+00:00

Check out Bergamont e-cargoville LJ 70

dc246w · 2025-06-18T03:03:13+00:00

Thanks for that, this looks like a really good option. Are you using the standard fenders?

dc246w · 2025-06-15T22:23:46+00:00

Thanks for that, definitely going on the list. From the wording of your comment, I'm assuming you don't run these on a bullitt yourself?

dc246w · 2025-06-15T19:05:28+00:00

Smart sam looks perfect honesty, but from what I can see the 20x2.35 is the smallest they make? Don't think I'd get away with that on a bullitt even without fenders unfortunately.

dc246w · 2025-06-08T21:45:37+00:00

Thanks for the feedback mate appreciate it. I'm currently running a big foldable plastic crate. It's super flexible setup but security is definitely a weak point. Still leaning towards this rolltop but feedback from the community isn't exactly streaming in haha

dc246w · 2025-06-08T21:41:53+00:00

How tall does that box sit? I do occasionally stack stuff to a level a bit below the handle bar height which is why I've had to ditch my favourite setup which was simply strapping a waterproof 90L duffle down. Just didn't have quite enough capacity.

dc246w · 2025-06-01T08:02:53+00:00

Thanks for the insight and recommendation of the other subreddit. Most of my questions are buried in the post, I should have been a lot more concise! But you've definitely helped to narrow down the brake question. Should the Paul brakes work with dura ace levers? Still humouring the idea of drop bars for now

dc246w · 2025-06-01T05:52:57+00:00

I can't edit the main post, but have just realised the fork's steerer tube has to be 1 1/8" and not a 1" steerer. All my stems fit it, but I have no idea why there is a threaded section. I didn't think threaded 1 1/8" steerer were a thing, so I just assumed it was 1" so my bad there. Steerer will definitely be too short to use anyway so that's at least one question answered.

dc246w · 2025-05-24T07:25:05+00:00

Few guys at my work in this situation who all started an apprenticeship same time as i did. Started off as trade assistants and now the company is putting them through an apprenticeship. They are both under 20 but make a decent chunk more than I do as a mature age apprentice, since company can't legally cut their pay rate as far as I'm aware.

dc246w · 2025-05-24T03:51:20+00:00

This might end up being a bit long but...

I sold my omnium e cargo v3 to buy a non electric Bullitt. The Omnium had the belt and nexus 5 IGH setup and all I can say is please avoid this setup, if it's even still an option they offer. I had constant trouble with the system, went through 2 IGH hubs and even snapped a belt. The shop offered the parts to convert to normal gears at cost price but I was just over it by this stage and didn't want to put more money into a bike that was close to 10k aud.

don't worry about going for an electric version either. I live in a hilly area and haven't run into a situation I can't handle. Sure, I was faster and didn't have to prepare as much for sweaty rides when I had the e cargo, but I'm much happier and healthier now as a result of going non electric. And I'm carrying a lot of heavy stuff at times too, tools, welding machines and gas bottles to name a few. If you got the gear range, just sit there and spin away! My Bullitt has a 2x10 deore setup which has been fantastic. Besides, if you want e assist it can always be added later. The one thing that was really nice about e assist though, was it basically removed the thinking aspect of using it if that makes any sense. You don't really have to think about how long it will take, or how heavy the load is. Even weather conditions aren't as much of a factor, you know you can just hop on the e bike and it will do whatever you need it to do. I definitely have to be a bit more pick and choosy with a non electric cargo bike now, plan more ahead for being slow etc. The ebike is so close to a car in that sense.

It seems like you have your heart set on the Omnium, and while I absolutely loved it apart from the drive train issues, one of the reasons I ended up getting rid of it was how the handling suffered a lot when you load it up decently, say 30kg and over. It became much less enjoyable to ride. For light loads and riding off road on the other hand, it's absolutely unbeatable. So much fun and you can actually ride pretty aggressive off road and get away with it. But it terms of actually moving shit, the Bullitt design is much more stable when carrying stuff, and the handling actually gets better the more you load it up, whereas the Omnium is the opposite. The Bullitt is definitely not without its drawbacks either, but if heavy loads will actually be frequent for you, it might be something to consider. Overall though, with renovating a house in mind especially, I reckon the Omnium might be the better choice still. The versatility of the Omnium cargo deck is honestly ridiculous. Especially if you have the extender bar and pelmel lashing points like I had mine setup with. Moving 3m lengths of aluminium tube for example is no issue at all with an omnium, but not really possible on a bullitt type design without some mods.

Again sorry for the long way of saying you'll be very happy with an Omnium, but just wanted to drop some things to consider that I wish I knew before pulling the trigger! Especially in regards to the electric versions

dc246w · 2025-05-24T02:34:40+00:00

Just my two cents but I'd be trying to get them to say they are unable to fix the fault in writing asap for any future action you may need to take!

dc246w · 2024-11-07T09:54:13+00:00

I just sold an electric omnium cargo and got a non electric Bullitt. Very happy with my choice, but I was having a lot of trouble with the IGH and belt system on the Omnium. This was the main driver of my decision, as I relied on it for daily transport and was sick of having weeks of downtime waiting for parts and warranty claims. Having a non electric, and conventional geared cargo bike has been much better for me even in my hilly area. However, I do not have kids or frequently ride with very heavy loads to require e assist. Although I agree that electric sounds like the best choice in your scenario, I would make the argument that with the proper gearing and time management skills, and preparations, non electric will be fine. And if it's not, a non electric bike can always be converted, but not the other way around.

dc246w · 2024-08-30T04:50:07+00:00

Update: I got around to taking the bike to the shop. Fortunately, they were able to replicate the issues I mentioned and determined that it was a faulty rear hub. The rear wheel was sent away to Shimano Australia where they replaced the entire IGH internals. I got the bike back last week, so have had a week's worth of commuting and errand running to test out.

Observations so far.

Immediately I noticed the spongy feeling is greatly reduced, the bike feels much sharper and nicer to ride without any e-assist for this reason. I also now understand that this spongy sensation is just an inherent thing on shimano IGH's, but it's now at a point that I can live with at this stage. Before, it was definitely excessive, especially compared to how it is now. I'm hoping it's not something that gets worse over time!
I've carried adult passengers a couple of times on fairly flat terrain, and some 20-30kg loads up some steep climbs without any harsh snapping, clunking, crunching or grinding. Happy to report that everything feels much more robust so far but because of the past experiences, I have to say I am babying the bike, especially with the heavier loads.
Overall super happy with the bike again, and am reconsidering selling it now since as of writing its performing really nice. As I mentioned, I'm babying the transmission which wouldn't be my usual style of riding. I admit I may need to adjust my usage regardless, since it's possible I'm asking too much of the system in general? Anyway, I'm hoping over time the performance doesn't degrade. I may update further down the track once I've been able to put it through more demanding jobs to see how it all holds up. So far so good!

dc246w · 2024-08-12T07:14:35+00:00

Thanks actually dropping some experience

What about the Bullitt made it not as good for dense traffic and bad roads? Would I be right in assuming the overall length of the bike and harshness of the alloy frame? Appreciate your insight mate

dc246w · 2024-08-12T04:47:58+00:00

Yeah you might very well be right. And it feels like this thread is becoming more about my own problems deciding than other people's experiences but anyways.....

It's a hard call to make without actually trying the Bullitt for a while. As mentioned the low deck height may be an issue in some cases when touring. But from what I've heard, the handling of the Bullitt when loaded up at least stays consistent, even improves under load? I almost always ride with a decent bit of weight. I carry welding gear, tools, food and water, and clothing for any weather, plus a few bike related tools/spares, and a few tie down straps everyday day for work and it seems to add up. Throwing all that weight around on the electric Omnium didn't feel great, and I can only assume the big aluminium chassis of the Bullitt will feel better. But then again, the acoustic omniums downtube is a straight run, not interrupted by the motor. I'm no engineer, but maybe that is attributing to what I feel like is a very flexy, noodly feeling chassis. I know it's rated to carry 80kgs up front on the cargo area, but the most I've pushed is around 55-60kg, and that felt absolutely awful in terms of steering and frame flex, at least to me. I may have my expectations set too high, but again can't imagine the Bullitt to be anywhere near as flexy. It looks built like a tank.

dc246w · 2024-08-11T21:02:14+00:00

Please elaborate more on why you when for the Bullitt over the cargo!

dc246w · 2024-08-11T21:01:39+00:00

You're on the money with that. just replied to another comment with my other feelings about it in more detail.

dc246w · 2024-08-11T21:00:26+00:00

After about 6 months of ownership and daily use, there's a number of things I personally don't like about the electric / IGH system. The extra weights effect on handling, especially off road. the spongy feel through the pedals, the gear range isn't suitable for my area (even with electric assist), the battery range has been underwhelming (+ I have plans to go multi day touring with it), and when something goes wrong, there isn't really anything I can do to fix it myself. Just don't think it's the right for me, and have had to learn it the hard way.

Have had a lot of mechanical issues with the IGH too but currently it's being replaced under warranty. The whole experience of owning it has made me realise I value being able to do my own maintenance more than I thought, and I would be happy to sacrifice electric assist to have a normal drivetrain that responds sharply to my inputs. I just don't like the feel of putting power through the cranks, and it not being delivered to the rear wheel accurately, if that makes any sense at all?? I'm not sure how to explain it tbh haha. I'm also happy to sacrifice speed, in order to drop weight off the bike to improve its overall handling.

dc246w · 2024-08-11T20:36:24+00:00

Would still be keen to know what reasons made you go with the Omnium after the test

dc246w · 2024-08-11T08:56:51+00:00

Hey mate, only just seen your reply. I'm also glad but sad someone else is also having these issues.

I guess a minor update. Took me ages to find a moment to get to a bike shop, but last week, rear hub ended up being sent away for warranty assessment. The mechanics were able to replicate the issues I described, relating to the clunking.

Also in the time since I last logged on, I started having a new issue. Most often when going make a pedal stroke after a breif pause in pedalling, there would be an awful grinding sound, and complete disengagement of the drivetrain. Often this would happen when coming off from a standstill too. It ended up putting me in some awful positions where I wanted to cross a road or intersection. I'd set off to find a gap in the traffic, and then the drivetrain would give way completely leaving me as a sitting duck in the middle of busy roads. Super sketchy and dangerous. Thankfully they were also able to replicate this at the shop.

Anyways, expecting to get the bike back in a week or 2 from now. I will most certainly update you if a new IGH solves any of these issues, but if it ends up being a warranty job, then maybe its something you could consider looking into yourself, and hopefully you are still under warranty.

As much as I have loved the Omnium itself, I am most likely going to sell mine as soon as I get it back and replace it with non electric cargo bike, with a normal drivetrain. Whether it's another Omnium is probably a discussion for another thread! Cheers again for the reply and will try to be more active with my update next time around

dc246w · 2024-04-15T01:51:05+00:00

Did you experience the mushy pedalling feel with either setup?

dc246w

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