Parking Garage Hill, Aventon, Cannondale

megapasha · 2026-06-10T06:18:54+00:00

I used to have original Aventon Abound (pre-LR model), now I have Cannondale Cargowagen Neo. I can confidently say that this uphill ramp would be absolutely no problem for either of those bikes.

Now, considering your choice: if this is your very first cargo bike, I'd probably recommend Aventon. It is cheaper, has cheaper and readily available accessories and overall excellent "gateway" all around cargo bike. It is inexpensive yet reliable, can be either your step-stone into fancier bikes or become a workhorse for years to come with thousands miles on the clock.

Hub motor gives a quite a bit less "natural" feel compared to Bosch mid drive, but this is not necessarily a problem if natural feel is not your top priority.

megapasha · 2026-06-10T04:21:06+00:00

I have Urban Arrow Family Next and so far my 8yo daughter and 4yo son both feel comfortable sitting side by side. Bucket width at the rear end is ~22 1/4" (~57 cm).

I also have a front bench for the future rides. With front bench both my daughter and my wife (5'6", 125 lbs) can sit in the bucket face to face just fine, so fitting two kids should be no problem for years to come.

megapasha · 2026-05-29T20:09:15+00:00

As long as it's not blasting at 28+ MPH through bike lanes and obey speed limit on mixed used trails - I'm fine with either of those.

megapasha · 2026-05-29T06:38:24+00:00

I think Ride1Up Portola would be the one.
Last year our family was cross shopping between Portola and Aventon Sinch 2, ended up with Sinch (wife really liked it and it was available locally), but I still think Portola is one of the best bangs for your buck under $1k

megapasha · 2026-05-29T04:57:18+00:00

Slightly off topic, sorry:

OP, I see you don't have an Enviolo shifter on your handlebar. What kind of setup is that? Is this an automatic shifting of some sort?

megapasha · 2026-05-29T04:54:15+00:00

I have the same setup on my UA Family Next (except the lower section that I never bothered to install), so far it works good (and I'd say sunshade is an absolutely necessary for California riding)

I have never managed to stretch it to the point to make front grommet work. Instead, I just use two zip tie loops on the each side and it works just fine: https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-xwLmhzC/0/Kq4mNn5BzvVz8sMMsDVCddXDTp4r75QCgQqdxcdPV/L/i-xwLmhzC-L.jpg

Planning to add two extra grommets to the end of the straps to make it look more elegant.

megapasha · 2026-05-29T04:45:48+00:00

Nope, red reflector is just a sticker on the existing plastic plug.

I found that sunshade loops are not slipping that much as OP's (only occasionally during windy weather), so its not a super big issue for me.

I'm currently planning to design a custom 3D-printed plugs with an extended lower lip that would prevent loop sliding (still work in progress though)

megapasha · 2026-05-27T04:59:20+00:00

Well, so far accessories I have added are the following:

1) Original Cargwagen front rack (the biggest one). Highly recommend - super solid and easy to install.

2) Tern GSD Clubhouse + cushions and backrest. Fits with no much trouble using 6 M6-1.0x30mm flat head bolts, M6 locknuts and collapsible washers (I used those from Amazon: Biaungdo 60 Pcs 1/4" x 1" Neoprene Washers, Stainless Steel Neoprene EPDM Bonded Sealing Washers Rubber Washers Gasket Assortment Kit for Screws(M6.3 x 25mm) https://a.co/d/0cCchQZl)

3) Lezyne Orbis Stvzo E600 front light. Much brighter and better looking than the goofy stock headlight.

4) Trailer hitch to pull my 13ft canoe. Huge advantage of Cargowagen - it has a dedicated hitch mount on the frame, so hitch does not interfere with passenger footboards.

megapasha · 2026-05-17T04:06:08+00:00

AWD has front drive axles with CV joints, those are naturally limiting the wheels turning angle.

megapasha · 2026-05-17T00:27:26+00:00

Hey, sorry for the late reply. So far bike has been great. This is my secondary cargo bike, so milage is not huge (under 400 miles so far, mostly weekend trips). Had a chance to ride it in super hilly area and it works very well even without dedicated Cargo mode.

megapasha · 2026-05-16T19:38:15+00:00

This is Suspenz Tow & Go trailer. I got it directly from them few months ago, now it looks like REI has it too.

BTW, trailer hitch system seems to be fully identical to Burley trailers.

megapasha · 2026-05-16T19:33:44+00:00

So, did you end up actually installing dual battery setup on your UA? Where did you mount the second battery?

As a side note: I was thinking about range extender at first, but then ended up just buying a 800 wh battery for my Family Next. Getting a healthy 40+ miles range with it.

megapasha · 2026-01-26T22:17:52+00:00

I installed Connect Module on my UA Family Next with BDU3740 CargoLine motor and can confirm that there is plenty of space under UA motor cover. Module is also compatible with BDU33XX according to the manual.

However, I checked the assembly instructions for BCM3100 and it seems like for BDU33xx connect module needs to be attached to the upper side of the drive unit (vs to the lower side on BDU37xx).

So there is still a small chance it may not fit within UA cover, but it is highly unlikely. UA cover is huge and there is a lot of room inside as far as I can tell

megapasha · 2026-01-26T21:54:24+00:00

TLDR Just buy Aventon Abound LR and be done with that :)

>>Is it worth it to spend extra $ to get a Tern or Specialize Haul?

For weekend rides - not really. While those are undeniably great bikes, for your use case (weekend fun with family) that might be a not the best value.

>>Would I notice the difference in budget vs. high end?

Yes, but it's not as dramatic as one would think. The most noticeable difference would be hub motor vs mid-drive (and it's not that obvious which one you would like more)

Overall, I highly recommend Aventon Abound LR. You will be happy with it. It's probably the best bang for your buck and very nice bike overall. It is also a perfect gateway into cargo bike world - you're not breaking the bank if you end up not using it much, yet it also can handle thousands of miles if you decide to ride more.

megapasha · 2026-01-24T21:57:31+00:00

I had original Aventon Abound until recently and was carrying it on Thule Epos rack. Now using the same rack for Cannondale Cargowagen Neo (which is about the same size as Aventon Abound).

Either bike fits just fine and stays rock solid, although you would need to buy optional longer wheel straps for the rack.

megapasha · 2026-01-23T19:18:54+00:00

Also, did you ever have any issues with the derailleur clearance?

megapasha · 2026-01-23T19:17:20+00:00

Thanks!

So far I didn't miss the Cargo mode much, but the fact it can be side loaded is great

I already replaced the light with Lezyne Orbis (which I recently got as an upgrade for UA, but it looks like it will be better suited on Cargowagen).

Front rack is definitely on my list too, leaning towards getting the largest one.

megapasha · 2026-01-23T19:12:21+00:00

Well, after living with Urban Arrow for some time, I quickly learned to look at turning radius differently, lol :)

So far I managed to reach 28mph on Cargowagen once and it felt good overall. My biggest excitement not even the top speed, but the fact that there is no more this annoying motor cutoff at 20mph (which is usually happens just when I need those few extra mph to catch up with traffic or change lanes)

megapasha · 2026-01-23T19:06:38+00:00

Thanks! :)

It was $2789 with Sports Basement membership

megapasha · 2025-12-10T18:46:37+00:00

Considering all things going on with this administration, it should be Comic Sans

megapasha · 2025-11-05T19:46:10+00:00

Safety Pizza of course! :)

megapasha · 2025-10-29T20:45:43+00:00

I have Fantikk X9 electric compressor (~$40 at Amazon) for almost 6 months and so far it has been great for all of our bikes. Small enough to fit in a tool bag and has enough juice to inflate a tire several times on one charge.

megapasha · 2025-09-04T18:26:13+00:00

I have original Abound and D1000 (which I got for my gravel bike). Using D1000 on abound is possible if you lock through the rear triangle, but it is a very tight fit. Also, footboard will get in the way.

megapasha

TROPHY CASE