Review: Tern HSD S8i Electric Cargo Bike
Are you in the market for a low-maintenance electric bike or trying to understand the differences in Tern HSD electric bike models?
Today, I’m going to be reviewing the Tern HSD S8i electric short-tail cargo bike that utilizes a Bosch mid-drive motor, Shimano internally geared hub and a Gates belt drive.
What Makes the Tern HSD Cargo Bike Special?
Before we go too deep into the S8i HSD model, some of the key features of the Tern HSD in general for me:
- One size fits most. You can easily change the fit and handling of this bike with the adjustable Andros stem or two-stage seatpost. This also allows you to share this bike between multiple height people.
- Low step-through for easy on and off. These bikes weigh 50lbs and it is nice to be able to step off the bike instead of leaning the bike and swinging your leg over
- The bike is capable but not a huge cargo bike. With the additional accessories like the Cargo Hold 37 bags or front rack options, you can get a good amount of groceries on this bike, but it isn’t a huge cargo bike designed to carry 400+ pounds or two kids on the back. Instead, you can carry about 130 lbs on the back or one decent-sized child.
- The depth of the available Tern accessories makes this one of my favorite electric bikes because you can make it whatever YOU want it to be.
Tern HSD S8i Electric Cargo Bike Details
The retail price of this bike is $3800. It has an internally geared Shimano hub, Gates belt, and upgraded Magura brakes over the $3200 P9 model.
The internally geared hub is good, but it isn’t specifically designed for cargo hauling or shifting under load. The biggest benefit of this system is that you can shift at a stop and that the gears are all inside the hub, so you don’t have a derailleur hanging down to get beat up or dirty.
Shimano Internally Geared Hub Note: When shifting this internal hub, you must pause your pedals. It doesn’t handle the torque of the Bosch motor and your pedal well when shifting. If you live in a hilly area, this may not be the bike for you due to this.
The Gates belt drive is super nice and quiet, and it helps keep a bike cleaner as there is no lube to fuss with. Adjusting the tension of the Gates belt drive is very easy. Learn more about Gates Belt Drive system here. I like to check after 100 miles when the bike is new and every 3-400 miles after that.
Is the Tern HSD S8i Cargo Bike for you?
There are a few people I think the S8i is for:
- You want relatively maintenance-free biking. No chain to lube. Just keep the tires inflated and the battery charged.
- Newer or inexperienced riders: The internal hub system is very nice for people who are not used to shifting or remembering to shift before a stop.
- The Gates Belt Drive is slick. I’m based in Colorado, where the Gates US office is, and I deal with cold, yucky winters. Many people swear by the Gates Belt Drive and love its look.
Who is it not for?
- Someone who needs a lot of assistance from the motor. Check out the new P9 Performance model
- Someone that is going to be climbing lots of hills, again, check out the P9 Performance model
- Someone that knows how to shift and doesn’t need anything fancy, check out the standard P9 non-performance model and save some money.
