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First Look: Tern Orox S12 Adventure Cargo Bike

Arleigh

June 20, 2024

Where would you go if your tires crawled up and over everything? What would you bring if you had a longtail cargo bike behind you that could carry up to two kids or an insane amount of camping gear? That’s what the Tern Orox asked me every time I got on to ride it.

The Tern Orox Adventure Cargo bike is a lot to take in. It is a midtail cargo bike that can hold up to 2 kids on the back. It is a big bike starting at 81.8 lbs with large 27.5 x 4″ tires. There are many accessories to transform it into a cobblestone kid commuter bike, an offroad rig for fun-seeking adventures, or a work vehicle for the forestry group to get further into the woods while carrying tools.

Having the Tern Orox in my arsenal has been a treat over the last few months. I’ve been testing out different setups and also testing it against other adventure cargo bikes and eMTBs to figure out who this bike is for and how it is different from what came before it. Is this adventure cargo bike ideal for you, and how does it fit in with the competitors? Let’s dig in to see what I have learned!

Tern Orox Cargo Bike Key Features

Starts at $6,499 USD for the S12 model with Shimano 1×12 drivetrain, Bosch Performance CX smart system, and 725 Wh battery. This is a well spec’d, premium cargo bike built to push the boundaries of where and what a bike can do. It has a max gross vehicle weight capacity of 210 kg (462 pounds) or 180 kg (397 pounds) for everything, including bike, rider, passengers, cargo, and trailer. Check out our directory’s full spec rundown and user reviews of the Orox S12 and R14

This adventure cargo bike is meant for off-road riding; though it handles neighborhood streets just fine, you may feel a bit overdressed for the occasion. It can carry up to 2 kids on the back, but not while off-roading on mountain bike trails.

27.5 x 4″ tires are built-in suspensions and provide insane climbing traction. A common question in the comments is, “Where is the front suspension?” From my experience, you don’t want suspension on a bike going into the depths this bike could see. There also aren’t suspension forks for 27.5 x 4″ that can handle the weight this bike is designed for.

The Orox comes in two sizes: medium and large. It is a pretty aggressive “all-mountain” bike fit with a short stem and wide bars. If this were my personal bike, I would put a slightly longer stem and a swept-back bar that isn’t so wide. It is fun to ride off-road but pinches my shoulder blades and can be a lot to handle with a load on the back. Speaking of handling a load, I would swap a dropper seatpost before leaving the bike shop. Note that Tern says they didn’t include a dropper post so they could keep the maximum rider weight of a max rider weight of 130 kg (286 pounds).

My Favorite Orox Accessories

Products Mentioned:
Tern Batten Straps
Peak Design Phone Case and Bike Mount
Randji Jo Handlebar Bag
Peak Design Anchor Clips
Widefoot Cargo Cages
Randji Jo Big MUT Bags
Clubhouse Gen 3
WeatherTop Cooler
Stow Decks
Wheel Guards XL
Cargo Hold 72 Panniers
Sealant
Garmin 840 & Edge Charger
Preferred Handlebar

Where the Orox Impressed Me

With the combination of a long wheelbase, fat tires, great cargo-carrying accessories, and the powerful Bosch Performance CX motor, I was able to crawl up things and carry things with ease. I spent a few days with the S12 and R14 in Colorado when my friend Sean and I worked on a launch photo shoot. The bike made me miss the trails and mountains of Colorado and showed off the capabilities and access it can provide people.

At first, I wondered if it was just the eMTB experience, so I took in a Marlin+ to review. While that bike is a ton of fun, the Orox is a monster in terms of traction, hauling, and power. Loaded down, I rode some pretty gnarly mountain bike trails, and the Orox was so steady once you got going.

I can’t say that I have ridden a cargo bike that has opened up so many varied applications to my imagination. Designing bucket list vacations wrapped around the capability of this bike: Rail to trail rides, bike to kayak, camping further down the loose gravel roads, and more.

Currently, I’m not able to use it in my day-to-day life as I typically have a 13-month toddler in tow, but it is used weekly to tow our kids’ kayaks to the lake and allowing us to leave the car at home. I’ve enjoyed taking the local mountain bike trails to the recycling center. A trip typically done by car because no other bike could handle the terrain while also carrying the recycling loads! As soon as the new Tail Hitch XL arrives, I plan on towing my 6-year-old and his mountain bike to the trail 5 miles away for our weekly kids’ mountain bike rides. It also has me thinking about all the neighborhood foot trails that I can’t easily ride the GSD or Urban Arrow but could use the Orox. These are the trails that would keep me off busy roads, and allow for the car-light life. Essentially, this bike is giving me permission to ride when the infrastructure is less than suitable.

Where the Orox Terrified Me

I can not overemphasize this: the Orox is a lot of bike.

I was about 6 months postpartum the first time I rode it, and it made me nervous handling this much bike off-road. I would say it is more comparable to a dirt bike than a bicycle regarding weight and handling. I realize an MX bike is much heavier, but both can be very dangerous if not respected. Managing a 150-300 pound bike off-road is a skill and something no one should take lightly.

Many folks keep telling me, “Now you can mountain bike with your kids!” which worries me that they may not understand the capability of you and the bike. I will never ride this bike with my kids somewhere I wouldn’t ride the GSD. Think gravel or roots. The ride will be much more enjoyable but completely doable on a standard cargo bike. You see, the places I ride the Orox that the GSD couldn’t go are not places I would ride with my kids on board. In those situations, I need to be prepared to drop the bike if I loose my balance or momentum, and I would never put my kids in that situation.

Transporting this bike is also a major concern. I can put it in the back of my minivan, but it is heavy and a lot of bike to push around. If you have the right vehicle, there are motorcycle rear hitch racks that I would recommend looking at with a ramp. Just remember to take the battery and Kiox display off.

Room for Improvements

Sometimes, you have to go “big” first on a product launch, but I would like to see a mid-tail version with a slightly lower step-through. Something designed more around HSD-style accessories (Clubhouse Mini) with a battery on the seat tube and then room on the downtube for the PowerMore 250. It would have a slightly longer wheelbase than a 29er mountain bike, but not so big that I can’t find a good bike rack for it. I would prefer only to be able to fit one kid on it because anything more makes me feel really nervous having that much weight so high.

The kickstand is good but easily rocks off when loading or mounting a trailer. It is also noisy when bumping down a trail. To solve the loading concern, I’ve come to use a strap on the brake lever to lock the brake and keep the bike from rolling if loading a trailer or my kids. As for the noise, if I were to use this mostly off-road, I would probably remove the kickstand altogether.

Orox Compared to Others

I have some in-depth comparisons coming, but here are some very quick thoughts:

The Orox vs. Other “Fat Tire” bikes with Bosch: the Orox is designed to truly carry cargo with a longer wheelbase and accessories.

The Orox vs. Hunting-Specific Bikes: The Orox uses a tried and true Bosch eBike system with 85 Nm of torque and a capacity for 1600Wh of battery. It also can be sold/serviced by most local bike shops.

The Orox vs Other Adventure Cargo Bikes: This is where things get a bit more grey. There are great bikes by Riese & Muller, Xtracycle, and Surly, all offering different pros and cons. Figuring out what you want to carry, how much it weighs, and your preferred wheel size will help you decide on which adventure cargo bike is for you.

Who is the Orox For

I picture two specific categories of the early buyers for this bike:

1. You already own a cargo bike and want to do more. Yes, even more than the Surly Big Easy, Xtracycle Stoker, Riese & Muller Multicharger, and Quiet Kat.

2. You are an outdoor lover and you have been looking for the bike to take you further. Maybe a rig to put in the back of your overland adventures, a bike for hunting, cruising hilly gravel roads in the mountains, or that forest between you and work. This is the cargo bike for you if you can handle the size and weight, and love the idea of having a purposeful bike built for the job.

Conclusion

I was still working with Tern when this bike was released and even had a chance to help with some launch content. When I first unboxed in Colorado, I thought, “This is a lot of bike!” It was so foreign from where Tern normally goes with their super compact designs.

Yes, this is a premium bike with a premium price tag but that is sometimes necessary to break open a new market. There isn’t another bike like this between the bike design, outstanding Tern accessory ecosystem, well supported dealer market compared to other cargo bike brands, and a loyal Tern rider following.

There is a huge “outdoor enthusiast” market with the money to afford this premium bike that could easily be sold on the idea of “Leave the Car at Home” with the Tern Orox to their next adventure. I look forward to seeing what bucket list adventures I can tick off solely because this bike was designed.

Existing Content and Future Plans

1. I ran down the Tern Orox here when it launched.
2. I plan on doing an in-depth review of the Orox and other adventure cargo bikes. Do you have a question? Let me know!
3. Check out our directory with the full spec rundown and user reviews of the Orox S12 and R14.

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