Tested: Momentum PakYak E+ Cargo Electric Bike

Jul 16, 2023

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A sturdy and powerful e-bike ideal for hauling kids, cargo, or anything else you can carry.

Takeaway: A sturdy and dependable way to transport cargo or small humans around town, the Momemtum PakYak E+ electric bike lets you enjoy the bicycle ride instead of the frustrations of car traffic and congestion for those short and medium length trips. The PakYak E+, a one-size midtail-style cargo e-bike from Momentum, comes equipped with a front basket, rear rack, a heavy-duty kickstand, and lighting. Momentum also offers several options to customize your PakYak based on your intended cargo. A class 3 e-bike, the PakYak E+ has 28mph of power assist via five power levels. Paired with a 5-speed Shimano Nexus internal gear hub, the bike helps you haul kids or cargo efficiently and comfortably without breaking a sweat.

Price: $5,500 ($6,845 as tested)Weight: 103 lbs (as tested with optional accessories)

Momentum PakYak E+ Build Details

Style: Cargo e-bikeMaterial: Aluxx Aluminium, low step frameWheel Size: 24"Fork: Aluxx Aluminium, rigid fork with utility featuresMotor: SyncDrive Pro mid-drive motor by Yamaha, 80Nm torque, 250W powerBattery: 500Wh capacity integrated Panasonic cell, with optional 500Wh range extenderDrivetrain: Shimano Nexus 5-Speed, w/ RevoShift shifterCrank: Forged alloy minimal Q-factor, 46TPedals: Anti-slip platform pedalBrakes: Tektro HD-E737, 4-piston, hydraulic disc for cargo, 203mm rotorsWheels: Alloy 35mm inner width rims w/ 13G stainless steel spokesTires: Maxxis Hook Worm, 24"x2.5", wire bead, 60TPISaddle: Momentum saddle w/ rear handleSeatpost: Suspension dropper, Diameter: 30.9mm, Travel: 40mm, Height Adjustment: 70mmHandlebar: Aluminium, Sweep: 20°, Rise: 50mm, Width: 720mmStem: Giant ContactHeadset: Cane Creek ViscoSet, ZS44/28.6, Momentum tunedLights: Supernova E2 Mini ProAxa BlueLine Steady E6 rearOther: Alloy rack (fronts & rear), lockable storage console, alloy fenders, chainguard, kickstand

Cargo bikes are a great way to haul larger sized items or heavier loads than you would typically want to stuff into messenger bags or lash down to racks on a traditional bike. With more people looking to replace their cars for short trips, cargo bikes are quickly turning from being a fringe part of cycling into the mainstream, with brands adding cargo bikes to their product range and more bike shops having them available on sales floors.

There are a few basic cargo bike designs that dominate the segment. First are bakfiets ("box bike" in Dutch), also known as Long Johns, which position the cargo box between the rider and the front axle using a low-slung frame. Then there is the longtail design, which has space behind the rider for cargo rather. Last is the midtail style (which are essentially shortened longtails), where the Momentum Pak Yak E+ fits in. These latter two designs maneuver more like traditional bicycles.

The downside to many cargo bikes is their size, weight, and sometimes awkward ride characteristics. Designed to carry a lot of stuff, cargo bikes are usually rather overbuilt and have very use-specific geometry that some riders find unwieldy. To make the PayYak E+ easier to ride, Momentum outfits the bike with a 250 W Yamaha motor with 80 Nm of torque. Rated as a Class 3 e-bike, the PakYak provides pedal assistance up to 28 mph.

While the Momentum brand might not be familiar to a lot of riders, those who have been around cycling will most likely know their parent company. Momentum is a sub-brand of Giant Bicycles focused on commuter, utility, and leisure bikes. With a large dealer network across the country, it makes it potentially easier to find, try, and buy a Momentum PakYak E+ than other cargo bike offerings on the market.

The PakYak E+ is only available in one model, in one size, and in two color offerings—Traffic Yellow or Patina Green. At $5,500 without optional accessories ($6,845 as tested) the PakYak is by no means cheap. But, for that money you get a nicely appointed and well thought out cargo bike with a powerful motor, Shimano Nexus internal gear hub, powerful four-piston hydraulic disc brakes, and heavy duty wheels and tires. Additionally, the PakYak comes standard with front basket, rear racks, a sturdy kickstand, and lighting. Given this bike's solid construction—that should last many years with proper maintenance—and its potential to replace a car for short trips, the price tag starts to seem more reasonable.

Momentum also offers a slew of accessories to customize the PakYak E+ to best meet your cargo or transportation needs. For testing, I equipped the PakYak with many of the passenger focussed accessories: bar ($125), seat pad ($80), foot rests ($137), and wheel guards ($38). I also used the auxiliary battery ($900) and tote bag ($65). The passenger bar comes with removable and washable pads, which are high quality and an improvement compared to competitors with glued-on foam pads. The pannier bags ($195) are slick and the rear basket ($235) is an alternative option. Disappointingly the pannier bags can not be used at the same time as the passenger bar.

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My daughter delightfully calls the Momentum PakYak E+ the school bus because it comes in Traffic Yellow and transports her to school. Having never ridden a proper yellow school bus, she assumes they are as much fun as bike-pooling with our neighbors to school 6-miles away. We rode the PakYak E+ to school as often as possible, sometimes in surprise rain storms, and over a variety of surfaces; where milled roads, flood-damaged bike paths, and cobbles were plentiful. The wide, 24"x2.5" tires are particularly useful in loose gravel and sand, and have no problem on the wet pavement. Overall, this bike renewed our excitement for commuting to school on the local paths and allows us to skip traffic while enjoying fresh air and a bit of exercise.

As someone mainly hauling a child, and able to easily charge the bike every 20 miles or so, the auxiliary battery wasn't a necessity for most of my rides. The batteries charge in about 4-hours, and together propel the bike close to 70 miles; averaging 60 lbs. of cargo and mid-range power assist. The locked storage compartment is minimally useful with the seat low. The tote bag is great to be able to throw a backpack in, but when returning with just an extra helmet, it rattles.

As a test, I purposefully drained the PakYak's battery to see how it would ride. Surprisingly, I was not as disappointed in that decision as I expected. I was still able to pedal the bike with sustainable effort on a flat path both with and without my cargo load, and only had to walk one 7%+ grade hill. Though the range indicators do give some sense of how many miles are left, I found the percentage more useful and predicted my usage based on that.

The one-size approach of the PakYak claims to fit riders 5’1" to 6’3". Being 5’1", the bike fit me well, despite being at the low end of the advertised range. To fit on the bike, I only needed to adjust the seat post height and the brake lever reach. (Though at 6'1", my husband couldn't get enough leg extension on the PakYak and found that his knees hurt if he rode the bike too much.) I was able to step through the frame and get the bike off and on the kickstand—though it is definitely an effort to start moving on an uphill. The kickstand is sturdier compared to others which I have used, due to an additional base piece which adds support.

The mid-drive motor provides for a smooth ride and the noise is barely noticeable at the highest power. I frequently ride in Smart Assist mode where it adjusts the power, saving me one step, and I just adjust gearing. Smart Assist is usually enough, unless I ride with my daughter up a sustained or steep climb, in which case I increase the power to either Sport or Power (the two highest of five assist levels besides off and Smart Assist).

The only time I got myself into a tough situation on the PakYak was trying to climb a 20% gravel climb with 60lbs of cargo. Overall, the e-assist is extremely helpful in providing a safe and smooth ride at whatever amount of exertion I am up for. The power level indicators are shown as a row of five bars that vary in color making it easy to confirm and change power selection using your left thumb.

I did find two issues with the bike's electronic controls. First, the screen is sometimes hard to read while wearing sunglasses. Second, I found engaging Smart Assist mode to be inconsistently. I do appreciate that the PakYak starts up in Smart Assist, making for a more seamless beginning to the ride. However, when switched away from that setting, I couldn't easily get it back. You are supposed to push the up and down buttons simultaneously, but I found it wasn't that simple or practical.

In terms of gears, the PakYak has a 5-speed Shimano Nexus internal gear rear hub with RevoShift twist shifter. This proved to be more than enough gears than needed in regular use of the bike. The shifting is smooth and the internal hub gave me more confidence in the ride quality; staying smooth on gritty rides. One thing I appreciated as I began each ride is how effectively the motor helps with the first pedal stroke. This is a big plus getting a loaded cargo bike underway.

While riding the bike in the first 100 miles, I did get a flat from some road metal. I was able to patch the tube without removing the wheel from the frame, which was useful at the time. It would be challenging to remove the rear wheel, especially with the internal hub and the wheel guards. Due to the PakYak's size, transporting it to the local shop could also be tricky for a lot of riders. Due to the bike's weight, moving it up any stairs or into a truck can be challenging.

A fun benefit of the PakYak was the ability to carry my daughter's 16" wheel bike with us on rides. I used Voile ski straps to strap it onto the side of the PakYak's passenger bar. The off-center additional weight at such a height requires a little more rider concentration, but that is outweighed by the excitement she has at riding on the bike path with friends or riding at the local pumptrack.

Riding the PakYak E+ proved to be easier than I thought it’d be for a bike that weighs so much. As I pedal along the bike path I can grab snacks from the front basket and pass them to my daughter without worrying about a wobble. This definitely differs from the feeling of trailing her behind my bike. We love the Traffic Yellow, but if you are interested in a more understated look it also comes in Patina Green.

If you are looking to swap out buckling your kids into car seats every day for your commute to school and instead hopping onto two wheels to enjoy fresh air as a family, I’d recommend a PakYak E+. This cargo e-bike is particularly well-built, strong, and stable. It makes a mid-commute stop at the playground easier too, as you can park it right behind a bench rather than searching for street parking. Be prepared for curious strangers to ask you questions as this bike makes a statement. For the long run, I’d also recommend outfitting the front rack with a noise dampening layer. I’d also get an Abus wheel lock and a bottle holder (and of course, a really strong u-lock).

One of my biggest concerns spending this much on a bike I’d use for commuting is that I’m even more worried about locking it up somewhere. If you don't have somewhere to securely lock it up at your daily destination, I’d recommend a cheaper option. I end up doing calculus in my head about whether biking the mile to the grocery store with the PakYak is worth the risk of the bike being stolen.

Our family got enough use out of PakYak E+ just on our twice-daily elementary school commutes that the sticker shock is outweighed by the mental and physical health benefits of riding versus driving and sitting in the line of cars at school. If you get the PakYak E+ from Momentum, everyone in the school drop-off line will be jealous of your family's new ride. And if you don't use if for carrying kids, everyone at the market or grocer will be envious of the hauling abilities of this bike.

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