Riese & Müller Carrie2

The Riese & Müller Carrie2 is a compact front-loader cargo e-bike for the school run: up to two children up to the age of seven ride up front, and at 209 cm long it still fits down the hallway.

Folded, the Flex Box is about 46 cm wide. Most cargo bikes are too long to keep inside, and this one can live in a flat with no garage, so measure your hallway and your narrowest door, then come and ride it on your own school run from our Ivanhoe showroom. The maker's limit is two children up to the age of seven, and national rules apply.

Carrie2: kids up front on the school run

Picture the school run with both kids up front. The Carrie2 is a front-loader: the box sits ahead of you, so you talk to your kids on the way and pass them a snack. A Fully Charged reviewer put it this way:

"having the kids in the front so you can actually talk to them."

Fully Charged on YouTube: the reviewer on having the kids up front, from 9:04 in the video.

• Up to two children up to the age of seven ride in the front box, the maker's limit.
• On the Carrie2 FAMILY the Family kit comes standard: Flex Box, child seat and carrier.
• On the vario you choose the kit that suits you: Cargo, Dog, Family or Family kit Plus.
• For a child seat on the carrier, the maker recommends a seat to DIN EN 14344. National rules apply.

You're in good company on that school run. In a peer-reviewed survey of 696 Swiss cargo bike owners, 93.9% carry children. In the Merri-bek and City of Sydney cargo bike trial, 55% of families usually drove their kids to school, and 78% planned to keep riding there afterwards.

Who the Carrie2 suits best:

• Best for the school or daycare run with one or two kids up to seven.
• Best for a home where a full-size box bike won't fit, like a narrow hallway or a terrace: 209 cm long, about 46 cm wide with the box folded.
• Best for two parents of different heights sharing one bike, from 1.50 to 2.00 m.
• Best for chaining the drop-off and the weekly shop in one loop.

Will a 209 cm bike fit your home?

Next, where does it live? The Carrie2 is 209 cm long, and the Flex Box folds to about 46 cm wide and opens to about 75 cm.

• Measure your hallway against 209 cm.
• Measure your narrowest doorway against 46 cm.
• If your lift is shorter than 209 cm, a bike that parks upright suits you better.

Is it worth it, and how far?

Think of it as the car's short trips, not as a bicycle. The drop-off, the shop, the weekend outing: the trips you'd normally do in the car, on one bike that carries the kids and the shopping. It's worth it on the trips the car does now.

Then there's the hill on the way home. Bosch rates the Performance Line PX motor at up to 90 Nm, a maximum that can vary with the hub gear and battery. Nm is the number Australian riders use to judge a hill. With the kids aboard and school bags on the back, the real test is your own hill, so ride it on a test ride.

The Carrie2 comes in two trims, and the details differ:

• FAMILY: Shimano Nexus Inter-5E 5-speed hub, rigid seatpost, 545 Wh battery, Family kit standard, in anise, aqua, coral, denim or shadow.
• vario: Enviolo continuous hub, suspension seatpost, 545 Wh battery or the 725 Wh upgrade, kits optional, in aqua, coral, denim or shadow.
• Both run a Gates CDX belt instead of a chain, for low maintenance. Colours can differ with availability.

How far does it go? It depends on the assist mode, your load, the hills and the surface, so Bosch gives its estimates with the conditions attached. With the 725 Wh upgrade on the vario, the Bosch Range Assistant estimates the following for a cargo bike with hub gear at 100 kg total weight, 18 km/h average and 60 rpm, on a mixed tour with some inclines, mostly good asphalt, light breezes, summer conditions and hybrid bike tyres:

• ECO: about 174 km
• TOUR: about 124 km
• CARGO: about 99 km
• TURBO: about 98 km

A heavier load shortens the range. At Bosch's maximum of 150 kg total weight, ECO falls to about 141 to 154 km, and a loaded cargo bike can weigh more than that, so plan for less. For the standard 545 Wh battery there is no single Bosch figure; the estimates above are for the 725 Wh upgrade only.

Box, locks and sharing the bike

After the drop-off, the Flex Box opens out for the shopping. The maker says it holds one regular drinks crate collapsed and up to three folded out, and the loading surface takes up to 80 kg. The same box changes job: the Dog kit carries the dog and the Cargo kit carries the shopping and errands, so the bike keeps its use as the family changes.

On a summer weekend the same bike takes the family to the beach or along a rail trail. It's made for Road and Rail Trails.

Locking up outside the shops: an ABUS Shield X+ frame lock and a 130 cm ABUS chain with a bag come with the bike, and Bosch lists digital theft protection in the eBike Flow app. A Riese & Müller kickstand holds the bike upright while you load the kids.

Both parents ride the same bike. One frame fits riders from 1.50 to 2.00 m, with an adjustable saddle and an angle- and height-adjustable stem.

Options on the vario include the 725 Wh battery, IBS braking assistance and a suspension dropper seatpost.

Questions people ask

Will two kids fit in a Carrie2, and up to what age?

Yes: up to two children up to the age of seven ride in the front box, as the maker specifies. The FAMILY comes with the Family kit (Flex Box, child seat and carrier). If you put a child seat on the carrier, the maker recommends one to DIN EN 14344, and national rules apply.

Will a Carrie2 fit in my hallway or lift?

It is 209 cm long and about 46 cm wide with the Flex Box folded. Measure your hallway and your narrowest door against those two numbers. If your lift is shorter than 209 cm, a bike that parks upright suits you better.

Can the Carrie2 handle hills with two kids on board?

Bosch rates the Performance Line PX at up to 90 Nm, a maximum that can vary with the hub gear and battery. The best check is your own hill: bring the route and ride it on a test ride from Ivanhoe.

Is a Carrie2 worth it compared with the car?

It's built for the short trips you'd normally do in the car: the drop-off, the shop, the weekend outing. It carries both kids and the shopping on one bike, with a five-year frame guarantee from Riese & Müller and your first service included.

Who services a Carrie2 in Melbourne?

We do. We service every bike we sell in our Ivanhoe workshop, and your first service is included at 300 km. Warranty claims come back to us as the selling dealer. Dolomiti Electric Bikes was Australia's first dedicated electric bike retailer.

How heavy is the Carrie2?

The vario weighs from 37.1 kg and the FAMILY from 46.7 kg, with the battery and without pedals or lock chain (maker figures). A test ride shows how it handles.

Is the Carrie2 legal to ride in Victoria?

Bosch rates the motor at 250 W continuous with assistance to 25 km/h. Each state sets its own rules for electric bikes, and Victoria's are published by Transport Victoria, so check them for your own rides.

Is the Carrie2 easy to get on and off?

The stand-over height is 58 cm, and one adjustable frame fits riders from 1.50 to 2.00 m. Try it in the showroom.

Is the box included, or extra?

On the FAMILY the Family kit (Flex Box, child seat and carrier) comes standard. On the vario you choose the kit that suits you: Cargo, Dog, Family or Family kit Plus.

What happens when the kids grow out of it?

The Flex Box takes the Cargo kit or the Dog kit, so the bike keeps doing the shopping and the errands. The maker's child limit is up to the age of seven.

Who is the Carrie2 right for?

It's right for one or two kids up to seven on city trips, and the shopping on the way home. If you carry three children or bigger loads, a full-size front-loader suits you better.

Is the Carrie2 frame built to carry kids?

Riese & Müller guarantees the frame and rear swing arm against breakage for five years. Conditions apply: the first private owner registers the bike on the maker's My Bike platform within four weeks of delivery, and the required dealer inspections are done. Wear, falls and overloading are not covered.

Which batteries does the Carrie2 take?

Bosch PowerPack Frame batteries: 545 Wh on both the FAMILY and the vario, with a 725 Wh upgrade on the vario. We service them in our Ivanhoe workshop.

Can you test ride a Carrie2 in Melbourne?

Yes, at our Ivanhoe showroom. Ring 03 9982 1440 to book your test ride. Bring your hallway measurement, your route and the ages of your kids, and we'll size the bike to you: saddle, bars and stem set to your height. Then you ride it on your own school run.