Bicycles

Surly's Big Easy wants to be the electric semi-trailer of the bike lane

Surly's Big Easy wants to be the electric semi-trailer of the bike lane
The Big Easy is billed as the “18-wheeler of the cargo bike world"
The Big Easy is billed as the “18-wheeler of the cargo bike world"
View 28 Images
The Big Easy is a long-tailed two-wheeler built with Bosch’s most brawniest EV drive unit
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The Big Easy is a long-tailed two-wheeler built with Bosch’s most brawniest EV drive unit
Surly's Big Easy e-cargo bike offers pedal assistance up to 20 mph
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Surly's Big Easy e-cargo bike offers pedal assistance up to 20 mph
The Big Easy is billed as the “18-wheeler of the cargo bike world"
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The Big Easy is billed as the “18-wheeler of the cargo bike world"
Surly is offering the Big Easy for a starting price of US$5,000.
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Surly is offering the Big Easy for a starting price of US$5,000.
Technical details of the Big Easy include an 11-speed SRAM NX 11 shifter, four-piston Tektro brakes and a dampening headset to smooth out the ride
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Technical details of the Big Easy include an 11-speed SRAM NX 11 shifter, four-piston Tektro brakes and a dampening headset to smooth out the ride
Technical details of the Big Easy include an 11-speed SRAM NX 11 shifter, four-piston Tektro brakes and a dampening headset to smooth out the ride
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Technical details of the Big Easy include an 11-speed SRAM NX 11 shifter, four-piston Tektro brakes and a dampening headset to smooth out the ride
Surly's Big Easy e-cargo bike offers pedal assistance up to 20 mph
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Surly's Big Easy e-cargo bike offers pedal assistance up to 20 mph
Surly prides itself on its steel framed bikes and the all-new Big Easy stays true to this ethos
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Surly prides itself on its steel framed bikes and the all-new Big Easy stays true to this ethos
The Big Easy is billed as the “18-wheeler of the cargo bike world"
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The Big Easy is billed as the “18-wheeler of the cargo bike world"
Surly is offering the Big Easy for a starting price of US$5,000
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Surly is offering the Big Easy for a starting price of US$5,000
Surly is hesitant to list a range on the Big Easy for pedal-assisted power, as it says the figures will vary greatly depending on rider weight, riding style and conditions
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Surly is hesitant to list a range on the Big Easy for pedal-assisted power, as it says the figures will vary greatly depending on rider weight, riding style and conditions
The Big Easy has a maximum load capacity of 200 lb (90 kg)
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The Big Easy has a maximum load capacity of 200 lb (90 kg) 
The Big Easy is billed as the “18-wheeler of the cargo bike world"
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The Big Easy is billed as the “18-wheeler of the cargo bike world"
Surly is hesitant to list a range on the Big Easy for pedal-assisted power, as it says the figures will vary greatly depending on rider weight, riding style and conditions
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Surly is hesitant to list a range on the Big Easy for pedal-assisted power, as it says the figures will vary greatly depending on rider weight, riding style and conditions
The Big Easy has a maximum load capacity of 200 lb (90 kg)
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The Big Easy has a maximum load capacity of 200 lb (90 kg) 
Surly is offering the Big Easy for a starting price of US$5,000
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Surly is offering the Big Easy for a starting price of US$5,000
Surly's Big Easy e-cargo bike offers pedal assistance up to 20 mph
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Surly's Big Easy e-cargo bike offers pedal assistance up to 20 mph
The Big Easy has a maximum load capacity of 200 lb (90 kg)
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The Big Easy has a maximum load capacity of 200 lb (90 kg) 
The Big Easy e-cargo bike is fitted with Bosch’s Performance CX electric drive unit
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The Big Easy e-cargo bike is fitted with Bosch’s Performance CX electric drive unit
Surly prides itself on its steel framed bikes and the all-new Big Easy stays true to this ethos
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Surly prides itself on its steel framed bikes and the all-new Big Easy stays true to this ethos
The Big Easy is billed as the “18-wheeler of the cargo bike world"
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The Big Easy is billed as the “18-wheeler of the cargo bike world"
The Big Easy is billed as the “18-wheeler of the cargo bike world"
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The Big Easy is billed as the “18-wheeler of the cargo bike world"
The Big Easy e-cargo bike is fitted with Bosch’s Performance CX electric drive unit
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The Big Easy e-cargo bike is fitted with Bosch’s Performance CX electric drive unit
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Surly is hesitant to list a range on the Big Easy for pedal-assisted power, as it says the figures will vary greatly depending on rider weight, riding style and conditions
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Surly is hesitant to list a range on the Big Easy for pedal-assisted power, as it says the figures will vary greatly depending on rider weight, riding style and conditions
Surly's Big Easy e-cargo bike offers pedal assistance up to 20 mph
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Surly's Big Easy e-cargo bike offers pedal assistance up to 20 mph
Technical details of the Big Easy include an 11-speed SRAM NX 11 shifter, four-piston Tektro brakes and a dampening headset to smooth out the ride
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Technical details of the Big Easy include an 11-speed SRAM NX 11 shifter, four-piston Tektro brakes and a dampening headset to smooth out the ride
Surly prides itself on its steel framed bikes and the all-new Big Easy stays true to this ethos
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Surly prides itself on its steel framed bikes and the all-new Big Easy stays true to this ethos
View gallery - 28 images

Cargo bikes can be a great way to haul around gear, surfboards and kids, but by their very definition are going to demand more of the rider. Thankfully, there is now a plethora of electrically charged cargo bikes for those looking to lighten the load. The first of these from Minnesota bike builder Surly is a long-tailed two-wheeler fitted with Bosch's brawniest EV drive unit, promising the kind of pulling power befitting an "18-wheeler of the cargo bike world."

Surly prides itself on its steel framed bikes and the all-new Big Easy stays true to this ethos. The company has dabbled with pedal-assist systems before through bespoke after-market attachments to its existing cargo bikes, but the Big Easy is its first time building one from the ground up.

That means fixing Bosch's Performance CX electric drive unit to frame, with enough space for a second should you want to double the range. The unit affords the bike 75 Nm of torque and will assist the rider's pedaling up to a speed limit of 20 mph (32 km/h). This allows the electric bike to remain classified as a bike in the US, though it's always going to be worth checking out your local traffic regulations to make sure your setup is street legal.

Surly is offering the Big Easy for a starting price of US$5,000.
Surly is offering the Big Easy for a starting price of US$5,000.

Built to be equipped with a front racks, fenders, rear racks and full-blown trailers, the Big Easy has a maximum load capacity of 200 lb (90 kg) and maximum rider weight of 300 lb (136 kg). The maximum it will take together, however, is 400 lb (181 kg). Surly has also built the bike with sharing in mind, allowing it greater stand-over height clearance than usual and adding a dropper post for easy seat height adjustments.

Technical details include an 11-speed SRAM NX 11 shifter, four-piston Tektro brakes and a dampening headset to smooth out the ride. The Shimano M525 front and back wheels, meanwhile, are fitted with WTB STS i29 TCS rims and Surly's own ExtraTerrestrial 26x2.5-inch tubeless ready tires.

Surly is offering the Big Easy for a starting price of US$5,000
Surly is offering the Big Easy for a starting price of US$5,000

Surly is hesitant to put a range figure on the Big Easy for pedal-assisted power, as it says this will vary greatly depending on rider weight, riding style and conditions, though Bose does have this handy calculator to use as a guide.

Available in small, medium and large frame sizes in the US only for now, Surly is offering the Big Easy for a starting price of US$5,000. You can see it in action in the video below.

Source: Surly

Surly Big Easy | Electric Cargo Bike

View gallery - 28 images
2 comments
2 comments
paul314
This would be pretty darn cool for deliveries. (Although most people don't think about it this way, delivery services make personal automobiles way, way less necessary. Having bikes to do the delivery could knock out the need for delivery trucks and bots as well.)
But please don't show the thing trailering along on a sidewalk. People get killed that way. (I once got hit by a delivery bike in nyc and was lucky to get away with knee-to-shoulder bruising.)
toyhouse
I'd love to have one these but like most e-bikes, too much. Five grand $? And they're made in the pacific rim - they claim, to keep prices fair! I'm sure it's nice and has good components - but still too much for most of us.