Despite being available in just one size, Yuba claims that the Spicy Curry can fit riders from 5’3 to 6’5. At 6’1” I found the bike to be a bit cramped, and my long legs would require an even longer seat post to reach full extension, so it’s hard to imagine anyone much taller comfortably riding the bike. My wife, who’s 5’5”, found the fit to be just fine, so riders at the other end of the spectrum shouldn’t have anything to worry about.

E-Drive System

The Spicy Curry is powered by an 85 Nm Bosch Cargo Line motor mated to 500 Wh battery. Bosch has been a leader in the e-drive industry for years and all it took was one ride on this bike to be reminded why. The power delivery was exceptionally smooth and the motor was all but silent. The blended Shimano Deore and XT drivetrain worked flawlessly as well, and the 11-36 tooth cassette had just enough range to find the limit of the class-3 motor’s 28 mph cap on assistance. The only bummer was that the chain rubbed on the frame when in the highest gear, thankfully not to the point of derailment but enough to make an audible rattle.

Bosch’s stem mounted Kiosk display is one of the best on the market as well. The motor has four power modes, Eco, Touring, Sport, and Turbo, each of which can be fine tuned in Bosch’s app. I found that the Eco and Touring modes felt a bit underpowered, especially when under load, and I spent a majority of my time in Sport.

Range Test

We performed our range test with the bike loaded down with 80 lbs of cargo on the back of the bike. This not only gave me the chance to test the bike’s battery, but also to get comfortable with the bike's handling while loaded down. I was honestly surprised by how well the bike handled, especially once it was up to speed, even in the less than ideal weather conditions I found myself in. I think a big part of this came down to the moderately aggressive tread pattern on the Schwalbe Smart Sam tires and the increased roll-over from the larger 26” front wheel. The low center of gravity due to the 20” rear wheel helped with stability as well. Lastly, the powerful and predictable braking power delivered by the 4 piston Magura MT30 brakes greatly increased my confidence while carrying a heavy load through wet terrain.

As for the testing, I kept the bike in sport mode for the entirety of the trip, and in the end I was able to ride 32.4 miles or 52.1 kilometers and climb 878 ft or 268 m. For reference, that was with a total payload of 280 lbs (my weight and the 80 lb load). That makes my range just over half of Yuba’s claimed 60 miles. I’m sure the bike could have reached that without the load and in  “eco” mode, but I doubt that’s how many prospective buyers plan to use this bike. That said, it’s hard to picture too many settings when you’d need to take your cargo bike more than 30 miles in one trip, so the reduced effective range isn’t a big deal in my book.

Can It Replace My Car?

The Yuba Spicy Curry is marketed as a bike that could replace your car, and with a list price of $5,599 it costs just about as much as one as well. In order to test these claims I put the bike through five different scenarios that I’d usually choose to take my car for, the first of which being a quick run to the grocery store. Unsurprisingly, the back handled my small load of groceries with ease, and I knew it was time to step it up a notch. 

Next, I loaded my make-shift cargo basket with two 40 lb bags of bird seed to see how the bike handled a heavier payload. It was here that I first became appreciative of the bike’s low slung design, as there was no way I was going to be able to lean the bike to mount it, instead I had to step straight over the front triangle. Even as a taller rider, this feature would be high on my list of requirements if I was on the market for a long tail cargo bike of my own. 

The third scenario I wanted to test the bike in was transporting passengers, and thankfully Yuba was able to provide me with their full line of accessories designed for just that. I’m glad I had the chance to ride with the smaller load on the back before taking on this challenge as the added weight of an adult on the back was definitely noticeable. This was especially the case at lower speeds and in tight corners. Another thing I noticed was how quickly the battery drained with our collective weight of nearly 350 lbs, dropping nearly 20% on our five mile ride. And while it was slightly nerve wracking for me up front, my wife found Yuba’s padded seat, sideboards, and handlebars to be plenty comfortable and secure. 

Next up I wanted to take the bike on an evening ride, as this is an area that I’d almost always opt to take a car over a bike. Like many e-bikes, the Spicy Curry comes with front and rear lights that are wired directly into the battery. The AXA Blueline lights did a good job of making the bike visible to fellow motorists, but the 50 lux headlight left a bit to be desired in terms of my own vision. If I were to regularly use this bike for after-hours riding I’d definitely invest in a more powerful light at the front of the bike.

One last area that the Spicy Curry would have to prove itself in for me to accept it as a realistic replacement for my car was taking me and my mountain bike to my local trails. Unlike several other cargo bike manufacturers, Yuba doesn’t sell any adapters for towing a bike, so I ended up mounting my fork adapter to the tail of the bike. As sketchy as this setup looked, it actually rode surprisingly well and got my bike and me to the closest trailhead without any issues. While my setup certainly was a bit gimmicky, I don’t think the notion that a cargo bike like the Spicy Curry should be able to safely and effectively transport a recreational bike is too much of a stretch. 

Bonus Challenge: Single Track!

While I was at the trailhead I couldn’t help but take the Spicy Curry on a bit of singletrack. I embarked on the green XC trail timidly, not sure how the 2100 mm wheelbase would fare over roots and in tight corners. By the end of my short adventure, however, I was once again taken aback at just how maneuverable this massive bike is. The tires hooked up just fine and the 26” front wheel paired to the 80mm RST Pulse Air fork took the minor bits of technical terrain in stride. I’m sure I wouldn’t have felt nearly as confident with two bags of bird seed or my wife on the back, but I think it’s safe to say that this “all terrain” version of the Spicy Curry definitely lives up to its name.

How Does It Compare?

Long-tail e-cargo bikes are growing more prevalent each year, which means that the Yuba Spicy Curry AT has quite a bit of competition. Further complicating the matter is the bike’s cost, which at $5,599 is one of the most expensive options out there. The first bike I want to compare it to is another high end offering, the Tern GSD S10 LX, which retails for $5,300 USD. Both bikes feature the same Bosch Cargo Line motor and are rated for up to 440 lbs or 200 kgs of payload. The rest of the spec is similar as well, though the Yuba sets itself apart with the bigger 26” front wheel and knobby tires, giving it the edge in adverse weather or rough terrain. The Spicy Curry is also a bit lighter, weighing 6 lbs or 2.7 kgs less than the 74 lb or 33.6 kg GSD. 

The Tern on the other hand has a clever battery solution, allowing you to add an additional 500 Wh battery to the frame, doubling the bike’s effective range. Tern also offers a greater variety of additional accessories to go with the GSD, one of which being a bike tow kit.

All in all, both bikes have their own strengths and weaknesses. I’d opt for the Spicy Curry AT if I was looking for an all-season bike or planned on spending much time in the dirt, whereas the Tern’s larger offering of storage accessories and greater battery range would be hard to pass up for purely fair-wether urban pursuits.

The next comparison is against the Specialized Haul LT, which lists for $3,500 lbs and weighs a whopping 88 lbs or 40 kgs. One of the reasons for this weight is the larger 772 Wh battery powering a 700 W hub drive motor. Interestingly, the motor on the Haul LT can be connected to a throttle, turning it into a class 2 e-bike. Like the Tern, it too rolls on two 20” wheels, but forgoes suspension all together, opting for a rigid steel fork instead. The rest of the spec on the Haul is a bit lower than that of the Spicy Curry, and that shouldn’t come as a surprise given the fact that it costs $2,000 less. In total, the Haul LT is a value packed option for those looking for a no-frills e-cargo bike, but lacks the luxury and versatility of the Spicy Curry.

	Spicy Curry All-Terrain2023 Yuba	GSD S10 LX2023 Tern	Haul LT2024 Specialized
MSRP	$5,599	$4,999	$3,500
Spec Level
Weight	60.0 lbs	74.0 lbs	88.2 lbs
Fork		Suntour	Steel
Wheel Size	26″ / 20″	20″	20″
Motor	Bosch mid-drive	Bosch 85Nm mid-drive	mid-drive
Battery	Bosch 500Wh	Bosch 500Wh	772Wh
Groupset	Shimano	Deore	microSHIFT, microSHIFT Advent
Drivetrain	1 × 10	1 × 10	1 × 9
Suspension		Hardtail	Rigid
Where to Buy	$5,599 At Yuba		$3,500 At TPC

View In-depth Comparison →

Conclusion

At the end of the day, the Yuba Spicy Curry AT truly is a bike that could replace your car, and that alone is worth celebrating. There’s no denying that the bike comes at a high price, but its high quality components, drama free handling, and all terrain capability really does make it stand out from the rest of the pack.