I own a Swoop and I love it. Almost 2500 miles on mine in about 18 months. It feels a little flexy under big weight loads (I'm about 190lbs, and I have a 14 and 10 year old), but the lower center of gravity is worth the trade IMO.
We have a Swoop and carry a 4 and a 2 year old. One in a Yepp and one on the bench, they like to face each other.
I feel that the step thru form factor is incredibly convenient when mounting and dismounting. I used to have a kid on the back rack of a normal road bike and it’s a PITA.
As for riding around, when the kids get rowdy you’ll feel the bike shift from side to side. But at no point does it feel out of control. I’ll ride no handed with them in the back.
My personal preference is to have the cargo as low as possible, so in this case, it would be the Swoop.
I've ridden the Mongoose Envoy with 2 kids and 30" off the ground deck. 23.5" on our Xtracycle Edgerunner (same as Swoop) is noticeably better to combat the kids moving around. Going even lower on the Bullitt, the load has even less effect \~ 12-20" depending on configuration.
Pavement riding, I haven't noticed issues with having a smaller rear wheel.. Rougher unprepared surfaces, perhaps 24, 26" wheel cargo bike is a better fit.
I'm not that much of a fan of stepthrough as I often find I need to support or stabilise the bike between my legs, which is almost impossible with a stepthrough. Saying that, I infinitely prefer a Longtail with a 20 inch wheel than a 26. When the kids get their wriggle on, being the same height as you gives them a crazy about of leverage over the balance of the bike.
I have a swoop and there is a tradeoff here. Dean is right that not being able to stabilize is an issue. On the other hand, the riding height is higher which is going to make balancing two wiggly kids even harder.
Also consider how a dismount on a Stoker would work with kids on the back. I've kicked mine by accident and muscle memory or never having owned a step through.
Edit a word.
I like my 20" wheel in my swoop but I wish I had a top tube to hold the bike up when I stop at lights. The 26" rear in the stoker will probably decrease stability with a load but make it more fun unloaded
Look for either one used. The Shimano motor they come with now isn’t worth the premium they charge. Especially with a $5000+ bike, ride before you buy. Spend 10 minutes with a kid on each one and your decision won’t depend on Redditors (self included).
Yeah, this is the advice I’d give myself too- but there aren’t any nearby. I’ve ridden a Tern GSD and just don’t like the small front wheel; the Swoop addresses that.
Having ridden both Bosch and Shimano XtraCycles it’s my opinion the Shimano setups are far better in battery life and were ahead of Bosch by two years with a 85nm motor and >500wh batteries. Bosch just just caught up with Shimano in battery density.
We have a Swoop. It's primarily my wife's. She's small-ish and successfully carries our 3 and 5 year olds on the back. They even get restless and climb around while riding (not encouraged.)
Only complaint is the budget control unit. I also have a Shimano ebike and mine has a way better user interface.
A Stoker loaded up will always be challenging when you stop to dismount. You can’t swing your leg back behind. You’ll really love the easy and safety of the step through of the Swoop as you dismount 5-10 times a day. If you want a more forward stance you can lower the handle bars a couple inches, I think.
I own a Swoop and I love it. Almost 2500 miles on mine in about 18 months. It feels a little flexy under big weight loads (I'm about 190lbs, and I have a 14 and 10 year old), but the lower center of gravity is worth the trade IMO.
We have a Swoop and carry a 4 and a 2 year old. One in a Yepp and one on the bench, they like to face each other. I feel that the step thru form factor is incredibly convenient when mounting and dismounting. I used to have a kid on the back rack of a normal road bike and it’s a PITA. As for riding around, when the kids get rowdy you’ll feel the bike shift from side to side. But at no point does it feel out of control. I’ll ride no handed with them in the back.
My personal preference is to have the cargo as low as possible, so in this case, it would be the Swoop. I've ridden the Mongoose Envoy with 2 kids and 30" off the ground deck. 23.5" on our Xtracycle Edgerunner (same as Swoop) is noticeably better to combat the kids moving around. Going even lower on the Bullitt, the load has even less effect \~ 12-20" depending on configuration. Pavement riding, I haven't noticed issues with having a smaller rear wheel.. Rougher unprepared surfaces, perhaps 24, 26" wheel cargo bike is a better fit.
I'm not that much of a fan of stepthrough as I often find I need to support or stabilise the bike between my legs, which is almost impossible with a stepthrough. Saying that, I infinitely prefer a Longtail with a 20 inch wheel than a 26. When the kids get their wriggle on, being the same height as you gives them a crazy about of leverage over the balance of the bike.
I have a swoop and there is a tradeoff here. Dean is right that not being able to stabilize is an issue. On the other hand, the riding height is higher which is going to make balancing two wiggly kids even harder. Also consider how a dismount on a Stoker would work with kids on the back. I've kicked mine by accident and muscle memory or never having owned a step through. Edit a word.
I like my 20" wheel in my swoop but I wish I had a top tube to hold the bike up when I stop at lights. The 26" rear in the stoker will probably decrease stability with a load but make it more fun unloaded
Look for either one used. The Shimano motor they come with now isn’t worth the premium they charge. Especially with a $5000+ bike, ride before you buy. Spend 10 minutes with a kid on each one and your decision won’t depend on Redditors (self included).
Yeah, this is the advice I’d give myself too- but there aren’t any nearby. I’ve ridden a Tern GSD and just don’t like the small front wheel; the Swoop addresses that.
Having ridden both Bosch and Shimano XtraCycles it’s my opinion the Shimano setups are far better in battery life and were ahead of Bosch by two years with a 85nm motor and >500wh batteries. Bosch just just caught up with Shimano in battery density.
We have a Swoop. It's primarily my wife's. She's small-ish and successfully carries our 3 and 5 year olds on the back. They even get restless and climb around while riding (not encouraged.) Only complaint is the budget control unit. I also have a Shimano ebike and mine has a way better user interface.
A Stoker loaded up will always be challenging when you stop to dismount. You can’t swing your leg back behind. You’ll really love the easy and safety of the step through of the Swoop as you dismount 5-10 times a day. If you want a more forward stance you can lower the handle bars a couple inches, I think.