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REVIEW: YUBA MUNDO CARGO BIKE by Tom Boss
The bike is a joy to ride.
I find myself going out of
my way to use it. Thanks
to its large cargo capacity,
I’m able to do about half of
the trips that I would have
done by car, on this bike.
uba Bicycles is a cargo bike manufacturer based
in Sausalito. Yuba’s goal is stated on its website:
“To create a better world by giving people a practical,
comfortable option for running errands and getting
work done.” As a bike commuter and advocate, I
was very interested in reviewing the Mundo (Yuba’s
mainstay bike) to experience firsthand the impacts a
cargo bike can have on one’s life.
Cargo bikes, aka utility bikes, provide carrying
capacity either in front of the rider (this type is called
a “Long John”) or behind the rider (“Long Tail”). While
most bikes can accommodate panniers to carry basic
work accoutrements, cargo bikes are able to handle
much larger payloads. They can carry two children,
four grocery bags— any load that you can fit and
balance in the cargo area. For more on cargo bikes
see Cameron Falconer’s article, Cargo Bike 101, in the
Summer 2011 Pedal Press.
The Yuba Mundo is a Long Tail bike. It looks like
a regular bike with a long rear. This design makes its
handling very similar to that of a conventional bike.
Behind the seat is an extended frame, with a cargo
deck above the rear wheel and built-in sideloader bars
that add cargo support on the right and left sides. The
Mundo comes in three colors: Matte Black, Pacific
Blue and Tangerine Orange (tested). The frame is
one-size-fits-all and right out of the box it worked well
for my 5’ 8” height. As a bonus the bike comes stock
with fenders, a double stand-alone kickstand and a
bamboo deck cover, all of which another manufacturer
might instead sell separately as accessories.
The steel frame is very stout and stiff, and that’s
important if you’re going to be using it to haul loads of
100-plus pounds. The geometry is well thought out,
with lots of standover clearance. A low, sloping top
tube enables you to easily throw a leg over the bike,
which is important when balancing heavy loads on
the rear end.
The Mundo comes with a 21-speed drive train,
with pretty good gearing for Marin’s hilly terrain.
I was always able to find a good low gear
regardless of the load or incline. The high
gear is a little low at times, but it’s probably
best not to go too fast on a long bike
loaded with cargo.
My Mundo came with V-brakes,
but for an additional $130 you can get
it with disc brakes. The frame and fork
are disc-brake ready, so you can always
start with V-brakes and upgrade later. I
initially thought I’d want disc brakes, but
found the V-brakes to be adequate, even under
heavy loads.
Speaking of heavy, the Yuba does weigh about 50
pounds, and that’s before you add accessories such as
a loaded pannier. My bike came with a Go-Getter side
bag (sold separately for $130), which clips securely
on either side of the rear end and is supported at the
bottom by the sideloader bars. The bike can accommodate
a bag on each side, which helps balance the
load. I filled the bag with tools, tubes, spare water,
tie-down straps and a towel. I also placed my computer
case and jacket in the Go-Getter, which has a
divider insert that separated the computer from the
other items. Loaded with these basic supplies, the
bike weighed about 70 pounds. The Mundo comes
with a solid, 48-spoke rear wheel—to handle loads of
up to 440 pounds—and rolls comfortably on a pair of
Freedom Cruz tires from WTB.
For this review, I commuted 15 miles round trip over
White’s Hill and I ran local errands around Central
Marin. The bike is a joy to ride. I find myself going out
of my way to use it. Thanks to its large cargo capacity,
I’m able to do about half of the trips that I would
have done by car, on this bike. The bike’s rear end
has many small vertical and horizontal tubes, which
bungee cords and utility straps attach to easily. This
provides seemingly infinite ways to secure different
kinds of loads. My only criticism of the design is that
cargo secured to the sides needs to be placed further
back than I’d like, to keep my heels from hitting the
cargo. This makes it difficult to attach and balance
longer cargo.
That said, during my review I strapped many items
to the rear end without any problems. Half of the
fun of this bike is seeing what crazy things you can
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