Buying advice for cargo bikes: Passenger Princess on the Longtail

If you are looking for a bike that is as normal as possible and can also carry a lot, you will find it here. As the name suggests, longtails are (compact) bikes with an extended, extra-stable rear end. You hardly have to get used to riding a normal bike. Nevertheless, there is often space for a large Eurobox or up to two passengers in the back. Some bikes extend the capacity even further with a front carrier.

>> Buying advice for cargo bikes: Everything you need to know about cargo bikes in the big FAQ

The Longtail offers classic bike handling

The advantage of the longtail concept: without a load, the bike is very close to a normal bike and can be used accordingly. The rider sits at the front, the passengers at the back. This means you don't have a direct view of your passengers. In confusing situations, however, the bike is not as far in front of the rider as a trike or long john. For example, if you want to thread your way between parked cars in flowing traffic.

The disadvantages of the long john are also obvious. The cargo capacity is often not quite as high as that of specialised cargo bikes. The centre of gravity with a load is significantly higher. Small wheels effectively minimise this problem, while larger wheels offer better handling characteristics without a load. As longtails are somewhat easier to build, they are often somewhat cheaper than long johns or complicated, multi-track cargo bikes. They start at less than 3000 euros.

Category overview Longtail: The MYBIKE Check

Advantages:

• Easy to drive
• Practical for passenger transport
• Partly inexpensive to purchase

Disadvantages:

• No large cargo box
• Partly high centre of gravity with load

Longtail application area

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Longtail: Model recommendations from the editorial team

The Moustache Lundi 20 Cargo 5

• Motor: Bosch
• Weight: from 33 kg
• Price: from 4699 Euro

Moustache has just reissued the stylish Lundi for 2025. On board are a frame lock, small wheels for a low centre of gravity and a modern Bosch motor. The special design means that the step-through is low. Unfortunately not quite cheap.

B'twin R500E Longtail Vision

• Weight: 42 kg
• Price: 2699 Euro >> available here

Outdoor discounter Decathlon offers the cheapest entry-level e-cargo bike. Nevertheless, the R500E is not a bad bike, offering a large battery, solid cage and footboards at the rear, a basket at the front and a frame lock. However, the motor and brakes are less fond of steep inclines.

Qio Long Bosch

• Weight: 38 kg
• Price: from 3999 Euro

Qio has equipped its successful compact bike with an extra-long rear end for passenger use. The Long is still very new and looks well thought out, but we have not yet been able to test it. The footboards and railing are foldable, and there is a front carrier for additional luggage. The motor comes from Bosch.

Tern GSD S10 Bosch

• Weight: 34 kg
• Price: 6799 Euro

With a rear rack load capacity of 100 kilos and a permissible total weight of 210 kilos, the new Tern top model can also handle really heavy loads. This was immediately worth an award from the Eurobike jury. With high-quality equipment and ABS, the base price is already high. However, the wide range of accessories can be an additional argument.

The other cargo bike types

In addition to the Longtail, we also took a closer look at the Long-John and the cargo trike. The Long-John primarily impresses with its high payload, while the trike is characterised by its large cargo box.

MYBIKE assessment of the Longtail

The Longtail is particularly recommended as an uncomplicated and easy-to-ride daycare taxi for families. It is also often easier to transport larger purchases than a normal bike. However, the longtail is generally not a real cargo professional. - Adrian Kaether, Test Manager MYBIKE