Well, here's one of the weirdest and wackiest ebikes we've ever seen. Germany's Hase Bikes has reinvented its Pino semi-recumbent tandem cargo ebike to offer a massive adjustment range, allowing riders from tall to small to hop on the front and go.
To put it mildly, this thing isn't going to win any beauty contests with its awkward proportions, different sized wheels, bizarre angle-and-width-adjustable vertical handlebars and masses of configurable tandem hardware hanging off the front. But it's fair to call this one of the most hyper-practical family bikes on the market.
Electrically, the Pino Steps version runs a 250-watt Shimano Steps E6100, a mid-tier mid-drive motor with a 504-Wh battery that'll handle most round-town trips. There are also non-electrified Tour and Allround versions that relegate pedal assist duties to whoever's on the front.
In a considerable step forward from the 2013 non-electric model, the front passenger accommodations are now hyper-adjustable, pulling in to handle kids as small as a meter (3 ft 3 in) tall, while simultaneously adjusting the wheelbase of the bike for additional agility with a shorter passenger and additional stability with a bigger one. The long front chain adjusts itself automatically so you introduce no slack in this process. The engineers have clearly had a ball with this.
Recognizing that kids have shorter legs too, Hase also provides an optional adjustable front pedal crank that can increase or decrease the distance your legs need to move, as well as a flip-down motorcycle-style center stand so you can balance the bike vertically while you're getting the kids settled on the front, spraying the chain or loading bags on.
The extendable distance between the wheels allows you to fit a bunch of different underslung cargo options to augment the storage provided by the rear rack, and of course if there's nobody up front, there's a big ol' storage space there too, and you can attach a zip-up carry bin big enough to do a full grocery shop provided you have not brought forth a multitude from your loins.
The whole thing doesn't come apart if you want to throw it in the car, but instead you can shorten the wheelbase, quickly fold down the bars and lower the seat to make it about the length of a regular bike but with half the height.
It's a wacky one alright, but this kind of tandem build looks like a ton of fun on the school run, and the Pino's monster carrying capacity makes it a genuine car replacement option. Sadly it also comes with a genuine secondhand car price tag. The electrified Pino Steps retails for €8,561 (≈US$10,050) before any options are added. Yowch.
Check out a video below.
Source: Hase Bikes
