Triobike Mono electric bike review
Our Verdict
With lots of chapters, the Triobike Mono is a good selection for big grocery runs and taking the kids to schoolhouse, but the unpredictable and unsteady steering makes the Mono a tough bike to love.
For
- Excellent cargo capacity
- Cargo box has safety features for kids
Confronting
- Unpredictable steering makes the Mono feel unstable
Tom's Guide Verdict
With lots of chapters, the Triobike Mono is a good pick for big grocery runs and taking the kids to school, simply the unpredictable and unsteady steering makes the Mono a tough bike to love.
Pros
- +
Excellent cargo capacity
- +
Cargo box has prophylactic features for kids
Cons
- -
Unpredictable steering makes the Mono feel unstable
Triobike Mono: Specs
Size: 7.half dozen feet long
Weight: 95 pounds
Motor: Brose Bulldoze S, 250 Watts, 90Nm torque
Battery: 36V, 501Wh
Max speed: 15mph
Range: Not advertised
Transmission: Shimano Nexus 5-speed
Triobike's Mono e-cargo bicycle looks like a Star Trek daydream: The front capsule'due south rounded front feels reminiscent of a send zipping through the space-fourth dimension continuum, and the pod within could easily plenty launch into another realm with the correct imagination sitting within. In other words, the Mono is very easy for kids to dearest.
That counts for a lot as families attempt to transition abroad from car rides when it's time to have the kids somewhere. If it's fun for the kids (and there's plenty infinite left over for soccer equipment or groceries), you tin can bet the parents will coil out the cargo bike a lot more often. Just, every bit I constitute during this Triobike Mono review, it's a difficult bike to manage, with unpredictable steering that tends to wander and cadet while cornering. The Mono has a lot of corking features that unfortunately do not make up for steering difficulties.
Triobike Mono review: Price and availability
The base model Triobike Mono costs $7,899, but my test model came with a few accessories like the seat and side pillows kit ($419), and the hood ($399), which bumped the price up to $8,717.
You can upgrade to a Gates Belt Drive organization over the Shimano Nexus system I tested, which bumps the base price upward to $8,600.
You can configure your Mono via the Triobike website (Triobike.com). Once configured, the website will bespeak you to a local dealer that tin can complete the purchase. At that place are numerous dealers throughout the United States; I got my test model from Freedom Folding Bikes in Boulder, Colorado.
Triobike Mono review: Design
The Triobike Mono'south handlebars attach to a long tube that attaches straight to the cargo box. When y'all turn the handlebar, you're turning the cargo box and front wheels likewise.
Each front wheel gets a defended steering strut. These hydraulic struts extend or plummet depending on which direction you turn the handlebars. These should help stabilize the forepart finish when turning.
The step-through design allows y'all to go settled on the seat earlier you start pedaling. Each brake besides features a 'parking brake.' Plough the dial to activate the brakes and hold them there. This is ideal especially when you're parking the bike on a sloped surface.
An integrated rear wheel lock helps solve a big trouble with all cargo bikes: how to secure it when you're not riding information technology. I'd still prefer to have this locked to a post or bike rack, but the rear wheel lock certainly adds a much-needed layer of theft protection.
The Mono Mid Drive features a 250-watt Brose Drive S motor with 90Nm max torque. It's a pretty quiet motor, and the display unit on the handlebars is easy to apply. It's vivid and piece of cake to read as well.
All told, Triobike says the Mono is the lightest three-wheeled cargo cycle on the market place at 95 pounds.
Like about of its contest, the Triobike Mono features integrated lights front and rear that plow on automatically when you turn on the motor.
Triobike Mono review: Cargo capacity
The cargo box is synthetic equally one piece and is filled with polyurethane cream for added safety. Information technology has a built-in drain as well. The box measures 72 centimeters, or just over 28 inches, across. Triobike says the cargo box has a 220-liter (58 gallon) chapters, and can agree upwards to 310 pounds.
Triobike Mono review: Performance
Riding the Triobike Mono is a thrill for kids. It tin be a less enthusiastic experience for adults.
The Brose Drive S motor lends enough power to get the cycle going to about 12 or thirteen miles per hour fairly easily, but after that, y'all're left to your own power. It doesn't boot in immediately when you're starting from a dead stop either, so it'southward easy to find yourself in an bad-mannered position as you try to become the heft of the cycle moving under your own power.
When you steer the handlebars, you're actually turning the unabridged cargo box. That ways weight shifts as you steer. At speeds over 12 or 13 mph, the steering felt far too unpredictable and hard to control. In fact, the steering became the principal lark for me when I was testing this bike. Once it's going, I institute it far besides easy to get the bicycle upwardly on two wheels with the slightest of steering input while the cargo bay was simply lightly loaded.
At lower speeds the Triobike Mono feels more stable, but it still takes a pretty steep learning bend to go used to decision-making the bike. I plant myself steering off the wheel path even at low speeds until I really got the hang of the Mono's drastic movements.
The Brose handlebar unit is easy to employ and plenty intuitive. The motor operates very quietly. And the bike itself is adequately comfy to sit on and pedal. Information technology's adaptable easily enough too, which comes in handy should multiple riders terminate upwardly using the wheel frequently and demand to adjust it to various heights.
The Brose motor gives you plenty torque to conquer well-nigh hills, though it starts to whine pretty loudly on the steepest sections. Nigh moderate hills I rode presented little problem for the Mono.
Triobike Mono review: Battery life
The mono includes a 36V, 501Wh bombardment. On my first ride, I rode the Mono for over an 60 minutes at the highest assist setting and I knocked the battery life downwardly one bar. In other words, there was plenty left in the tank.
Information technology's worth noting, however, that Triobike includes a 2nd battery mount just beneath the kids' seat within the cargo box. If you'll be spending a lot of time on the bike daily, it may be worth stashing that 2d battery (which is sold separately).
Triobike Mono review: Accessories
The Triobike website allows you to configure your bike, and there are plenty of accessories to choose from. My test wheel came with the Triobike Mono Hood, which costs $399.
The hood seems like a no-brainer for anyone who intends to tote their kids around. It's water-resistant, burn down-tested, and 100% UV stable, co-ordinate to Triobike. It also features plenty of zippers so you lot tin can access contents within from various locations.
My test bike also included a seat and side pillows ($419), which makes for a safe, comfortable pod for kids.
An extra battery will cost an added $939 and an actress charger runs $129. Other accessories, like kickstands, locks, and even a GPS tracker are priced on the website. It's very easy to turn your Mono into a vehicle that costs over $10,000.
Triobike Mono review: The competition
The Mono fits into a pretty large eastward-bicycle segment. In that location'south plenty of competition, though nearly of the Mono's direct competitors don't look a whole lot like it does. The unique cargo box sets it autonomously, only by and large, it accomplishes the same thing as its competitors: motility stuff, and people.
The Mono goes upwardly confronting bikes like Yuba'due south SuperCargo CL (starting at $6,000), Urban Arrow's Family east-cargo wheel (starting at $6,000), and Riese and Müller's Load 60 (starting at $8,800). It features a three-wheel design similar the Agglomeration Coupe.
Then it fits mostly into the range of expected toll for such a bike, though it'due south on the higher cease of that range. The question is, should it exist? It's closest in price to the Riese and Müller Load 60, which features front and rear intermission, a Shimano XT/FSA mix drivetrain, and Tektro hydraulic disc brakes.
The Riese and Müller'south motor and battery spec too beats the Triobike Mono. The Bosch Cargo Line motor has 85Nm torque and a 36V, 500Wh battery (and there are 2 batteries included at the base model, whereas you must purchase a second battery from Triobike separately).
Given the competition'due south spec and pricing, it seems the Triobike Mono is on the expensive side for what you get.
Triobike Mono review: Verdict
The Triobike Mono has a ton of chapters and information technology'southward a ton of fun for the kids riding in the sheathing. But it's non a fun bike to ride for the adult doing the pedaling.
The biggest drawback to the Triobike Mono is the steering. The learning curve here is super-steep and it'due south very easy to oversteer and become one of the 2 front end wheels off the ground. On off-camber roads, steering the Triobike Mono can be a scary proposition.
It seems that the steering is so unpredictable considering you finish upwards moving the entire cargo box along with the handlebar. At speeds over xiv MPH, the steering becomes noticeably more difficult to command. Our review of the Bunch Coupe revealed similar reservations with steering, and both bikes crave a learning curve to learn how to steer safely and properly.
The best electric bikes in this category separate the steering from the box itself; in other words, when the bike turns, the cargo box stays put. Non so on the Mono. Shifting all that weight seems to contribute to the hard steering.
The cargo box is the Mono'south best characteristic. It's big, versatile, and looks pretty cool. I liked using the hood too, which made information technology easy to protect the contents of the cargo box without feeling completely cut off from the inside of the box. I oft used the zippers to access my camera within the box.
The Mono from Triobike seems best for parents who alive in a urban center where high speeds aren't going to exist a factor. It'due south also good if you're going to carry heavy loads oft — think large trips to the grocery shop. It's best on flat paths and roads; once the road goes downward, the steering gets difficult to control. Only that's a lot of caveats for something this expensive.
Source: https://www.tomsguide.com/reviews/triobike-mono
Posted by: corneliusvartiou55.blogspot.com
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