Decathlon unveils a new electric cargo bike for 3 children!

After the immense success of its first cargo bike, the R500 Elec, Decathlon made no secret of its intention to develop other electric cargo bikes. Internally, the project managers had also confirmed to us that four projects were in preparation. The first “little brother” of the R500 Elec is now official, it is the F900E cargo bike, which has a very different design from the longtail that has been roaming the streets for two years now.

The F900E opts for a radically different format with a carrying box at the front. It is a two-wheeler with an innovative design which is based on a 20-inch wheel suspended at the front and another 26-inch wheel at the rear. The advantage compared to a classic recumbent cargo bike is obviously the comfort it offers to its (small) passengers. In this case, the F900E box can accommodate up to 3 children (and their school bags). In addition to being covered with a hood (or canopy) against the rain, if necessary, the box offers the advantage of better protecting its occupants. Another advantage is that the protection always remains on the bike, a storage system allowing it to be folded on sunny days. Finally, unlike a longtail on which it is necessary to carry children, the F900E has a side door to make it easier for its occupants to get on. Small detail far from trivial: the door system is equipped with an anti-finger pinch hinge, which is also very useful to avoid some mishaps.

90 Nm of torque, but no Owuru engine

From a design point of view, two elements stand out. The large rigid tubes which constitute the frame and which literally surround the box, giving the whole thing a feeling of rigidity essential to cargo bikes. Finally, this new design allowed Decathlon engineers to move the motor from the rear wheel to the crankset.

Generally, mid-motor e-bikes offer better performance, which could be another advantage of the F900E. In this case, Decathlon opted for a Brose S Mag engine with 90 Nm of torque, the most powerful from the German engine manufacturer. As for the battery, it is a 630 Wh unit housed in a box under the children’s seat. The French manufacturer also specifies that it is possible to add a second battery to double the initial range estimated at 70 km. The relevance of these technical choices must be confirmed during a test, of course.

In terms of load capacity, the F900E sees far with a maximum capacity of 250 kg and the possibility of loading up to 100 kg in the front box. Moreover, numerous details underline the care that was taken in the development of the bike and partly explain its somewhat late arrival on the market. An example: the presence of storage spaces at the rear of the box. A small padlockable glove box allows you to leave keys there, for example. The open space next to it seems perfect for storing a jacket or a padlock, as for the protruding net, it is ideal for trapping a helmet. But Decathlon has not forgotten to give a touch of fun to its product . This box can be personalized as desired by children who can draw on it with chalk. Here again, a specific process was used. The Italian cabinet supplier uses a clean water-based varnish for the desired slate black finish.

70 km of autonomy

Finally, regarding the other key elements of the VAE, they seem to have been chosen with care such as this front fork (50 mm of travel) or the Nexus 5-speed transmission, simple and effective. Even the central stand which allows you to park the beast (which should weigh between 55 and 62 kg all the same) required specific development and should only be used on this specific model. The same goes for the tires. Decathlon should deploy its own anti-puncture solution there in order to limit bicycle maintenance as much as possible.

This front-loading two-wheeler therefore completes a vast catalog of VAEs, but which only included a cargo bike in its pages until now. Having seen the technical sheet, and having approached this F900E closely, the work carried out by Decathlon seems particularly relevant to us. Only the absence of a telescopic seat post seems deplorable to us. As for the engine, we would obviously have liked to see the incredible Owuru gearless engine at work on this new cargo ship, but its development time did not coincide with that of the development of the Belgian e2Drivres engine. However, as the designers of the F900E have confirmed to us, the next version of this cargo ship will certainly adopt the Decathlon branded engine.

Be careful, we are approaching 5,000 euros

The F900E should be marketed in May 2024 and in two colors (taupe and yellow). It will also be offered in two versions. The first “Family”, the one which was presented today intended for transport with its box, its removable seats and all the accessories should be priced at 4,900 euros. A second iteration without a box, the aptly named “Platform” will be launched at the same time, it will be aimed more at professionals and those who would like to DIY their own box. Its price will be around 4,300 euros.