Tern Quick Haul Long Midtail Cargo Bike In-depth Review
Tern’s new Quick Haul Long is the best-priced midtail cargo bike that can truly hold 2 child seats, the reliable Bosch eBike system with 85Nm of torque, and great accessories. Let’s dig into this review to see what makes the Quick Haul Long cargo bike special, some concerns, and who it may be for.
Tern Quick Haul Long Cargo Bike Key Highlights
MSRP: $3,799 USD / $5,449 CAN
The Quick Haul Long is a midtail cargo bike can carry up to 2 kids or 1 adult, and sits in the Tern cargo bike lineup between the Quick Haul short tail, the HSD short tail, and the GSD midtail.
Rider Height: 5’1″ – 6’1″
Usable Deck Length: 25.25″
eBike System: Bosch eBike System 2 with Cargo Line Motor 85Nm torque and 400% assistance, 500Wh PowerPack battery
Warranty: Frame/Fork 10 years with Tern Care and 2 years on Bosch system
MGVW: 419 lb / 190 kg
Max Cargo Area Weight: 198 lbs / 90 kg
Weight of Base Bike: 64.6 lb / 29.3 kg
Testing: eBike system tested to UL 2849 eBike System & bike tested to DIN 79010 Cargo Bike Standard
The Quick Haul Long uses 20” wheels to keep the bike compact. You have a one size fits most which is achieved with a long seat post and an adjustable speed-lifter stem. Like all Tern eBikes, this bike has stock fenders, front and rear lights, and a vertical stand. It also has a front wheel lock keyed to the battery.
Bosch eBike System
This bike uses Bosch’s eBike System 2, which is tested to the strict UL 2849 requirements. The motor is the super hefty Cargo Line motor giving you 85Nm of torque and 400% of assistance, the most torque available from Bosch, and programmed to handle the slower cadence of cargo bike riders going uphill. The remote is the compact yet effective Bosch Purion on the left side of the handlebars.
It has one battery slot with a 500 Wh PowerPack battery under the rear rack. Tern says you can get between 26-53 miles (42-85 km) per charge. I have been reliably getting 28 miles / 45 km which is great since I ride in a pretty hilly area and live on turbo with kids onboard.
The battery is locked on and can be charged on or off of the bike, and comes with a 4amp Bosch charger, charging the battery from 0 to 100% in 3.5 hours.
Bike Fit and Handling
This bike fits someone 5’1 “to 6’1”. One of the Quick Haul Long’s pros and cons is how it achieves the bike fit. You have a Speedlifter that allows you to raise and lower the handlebar. The steering doesn’t feel as stiff or easy to adjust as the Tern Andros stem, but it is more adjustable than nothing.
Many people will appreciate the standard stem and handlebar for dialing in their fit.
Additionally, the seat post is just one long seatpost, so you don’t get the really wide range of the GSD that fits someone 4’11 to 6’5.
The last thing I want to talk about fit as we move into handling is that this bike fits more like a trekking or sport bike than the GSD Gen 2 or HSD models. You’ll be leaning forward more, and it will be less of a relaxed fit. Some people might like this, while others may not feel as confident when loaded with cargo.
The handling is much faster, and the bike isn’t as stiff, so it can feel a bit twitchy. If you are maxing out that rear cargo weight, you may feel more wagging of the bike frame than you are used to if you have tried the GSD or HSD bikes.
I enjoyed this bike’s fit, as I’m always struggling on longer rides or climbing hills with relaxed geometry cargo bikes. However, with that comes a twitchier ride, and you have to feel confident in turns.
Drivetrain and Components
This bike has a Tektro 1×9 drivetrain made for Tern. It was my first experience using it, and I had absolutely no problems with it.
The Tektro hydraulic brakes were fine. I live in a pretty hilly area, and you can feel the brake lever fade on the longer descents, requiring you to grab the lever a bit more than you would on the GSD. This is because of a few reasons, but the largest being that the GSD has 4 pistons or 4 brake pads grabbing that rotor. If you have smaller hands, adjust the lever’s reach so you can confidently grab it if you need to.
Additional Accessories
It wouldn’t be a Tern bike if we weren’t talking about accessories. There are a couple of unique accessories for this bike.
The first is the Stow Decks, which were initially found on the Tern Orox. These are some of my favorite accessories made by Tern. Use them, fold them out of the way, or snug up your cargo using this pin lock at the back.
The Cache Box L is an excellent accessory for stowing your flat kit, lock, or other small bits. I’m disappointed that Tern didn’t include it, as different brands have done, like the Riese & Muller Multi-tinker or even the much cheaper Aventon Abound.
The nuances of this bike
My first nuance is more of a head-scratcher for the entire industry. Sometimes, brands are so excited to evolve that they jump entirely from one model generation to another, adding a ton of price between them. The Quick Haul Long will be ideal for some customers—which I’ll talk about in a bit—but Tern could have entirely skipped over this bike if they had just kept the GSD Gen 1 in the market with some basic adjustments. (This is also how I feel about the HSD Gen 2, review to come!)
They did everything they could to cut costs without cutting safety, which I obviously appreciate. However, there are small things like not including mounting holes for a second battery harness where there is plenty of space. They didn’t need to include a second battery harness; let someone pay for it if they want, but it would be a nice option.
The kickstand is fine, but not in the way Tern has set the standard with their GSD Lockstand. I wish they had an upgrade option to the locking kickstand found on the GSD Gen 2.
One annoyance I ran into with this kickstand is when really loaded down with cargo, the feet will pivot, especially if you have the Lockstand Extensions installed. This kickstand design came from their HSD and Quick Haul Duo Stand, but not many people put extensions on it to cause the leverage of moving the feet around.
The rear light interfered with my Yepp Easyfit seat. If this happens to you, I would flip the bracket to lower the light and reflector.
Finally, they put on the durable but rough-riding Schwalbe Pick-Up tires. These tires are great if you are carrying intense loads or worried about flats, but the sidewall is so stiff that cornering is bouncy, and the bike – though laterally not as stiff as the GSD, was a much rougher ride. Paired with the harder pads of the Clubhouse Gen 3 (I’ll save my thoughts on this accessory for another article), my bigger kids really didn’t like riding this bike, and they typically don’t complain. Unfortunately, the sidekick pad doesn’t work with the new Clubhouse Gen 3, so if I were buying this bike and using a Clubhouse Gen 3, I would not buy the Clubhouse pads and look at something like the Xtracycle pad.
And with that = let’s talk about cost.
The bike starts at $3,799, but that is just for the bike.
If you want to carry kids, look at adding the Clubhouse Gen 3 rails, pads, stow decks, wheel guards or panniers, and kickstand extensions, so you are looking at $4,259+ USD to have a bike to carry kids, not including any bags or racks you want to carry cargo.
This is a great price for the bike, but the “all in” price is something you should consider when budgeting for your cargo bike purchase.
Who’s the Quick Haul Long Cargo Bike for?
I see it having a few key buyers over other bikes on the market:
- You want the least expensive midtail with Bosch’s Cargo Line motor or Tern’s ecosystem of accessories
- You want a cargo bike that fits and handles more like a normal bike, including a typical 31.8 handlebar or stem
- You want a cargo bike with fewer maintenance concerns, such as suspension or cables that are run externally instead of routed through the frame.
If you are looking to purchase one – you can purchase through my affiliate link, where I make some commission, and have it shipped to your local Tern dealer – if you don’t have a local dealer, they will ship it to your local Bosch dealer.
If you want to compare this bike to others, I suggest the Tern GSD Gen 2 S10, Xtracycle RFA, and the Aventon Abound. I will soon have an article about the Quick Haul Long vs. GSD S10!
Even More Thoughts on the Quick Haul Long Cargo Bike Review
Disclaimer: Tern loaned me this bike for review, and I will be sending it back
