The Mama-Taxi can finally take off

On April 28, 2020 the age restriction “up to 7 years” was lifted – from now on also taller passengers are allowed to ride on suitable bicycles and e-bikes in Germany. And above all the Tern GSD is ready!

Tern GSD with Clubhouse and Sidekick Lower Deck – ready for up to 2 passengers

Taipei (Taiwan) / Hoya (D), Spring 2020 – After some waiting time, an amendment to the German Road Traffic Regulations (StVO) has now come into force in Germany, bringing a whole series of welcome innovations for cyclists. Cycling is to become safer, cyclists are to be given more space and more rights in the traffic mix. And: from now on, cyclists aged 16 and over will also be allowed to transport passengers above the age of 7 if their (e-)bike is “also built and equipped to transport passengers”. So it is only fitting that Tern, as a specialist for urban mobility, had the passenger theme in mind when designing its compact Cargobike models and can already come up with practical solutions.

As a “Compact Utility Vehicle”, Tern’s bestseller GSD transports up to two juniors who have outgrown their child seats and instead are allowed to sit on the seat cushions of the ‘Clubhouse’ luggage carrier attachment. The standard panniers or the ‘Sidekick Wheel Guard’ protect against spoke contact while the feet rest on the ‘Sidekick Lower Deck’ running boards. The front carrier can even carry 20 kg of shopping, as the GSD is approved for a total weight of 200 kg. However, as there is no separate weight limit for the rear carrier, young or adult passengers will be able to sit on it. They place their feet either on optional footrests or running boards, the ‘Sidekick Seat Pad’ is clicked onto the luggage carrier and a small additional handlebar called ‘Sidekick Bars’ serves as a support.

Still in the 2nd quarter of 2020, Tern will launch further accessories as ‘Passenger System’, which will make the duty of getting from A to B a great driving pleasure – including happily laughing passengers and friendly, astonished passers-by:

* The ‘Captain’s Chair’ serves as a back and armrest, and includes a seat cushion attached with Velcro.
* Additional support is provided by either the small ‘Sidekick Bars’ handlebars or the new ‘Sidekick Joyride Bars’, which are also attached to the seat post.
* With this solution, too, the feet are placed on footboards or footrests, while panniers or the special Sidekick Wheel Guard serve as spoke protection.
* Like the Clubhouse attachment, the combination of Captain’s Chair and Sidekick Joyride Bars is dimensioned in such a way that instead of “human cargo”, standard Euroboxes (600 x 400 mm) can be transported safely.
* A practical GSD feature remains with the Captain’s Chair mounted: vertical parking – for city dwellers with limited living and storage space, often a strong selling point for such a compact Cargobike.
* The Captain’s Chair also fits on the frame-mounted HSD luggage rack. Because this can “only” carry up to 60 kg, the GSD’s little brother can only be used by young people or particularly lightweight persons. Their feet then stand on the new ‘Sidekick Footrests’.
When transporting loads, but also small or large passengers, the HSD and GSD benefit from their stable 20″ wheels: because the centre of gravity is positioned significantly lower than on bikes with conventional large wheels, handling is easy and problem-free even when the maximum transport capacity is fully utilised. Even with the HSD, the permissible total weight is allowed to be 170 kilograms, because it has inherited the stability and durability from its big brother, the GSD – this is confirmed by EFBE Prüftechnik GmbH, one of Europe’s leading bicycle test institutes, after both Torn “transporters” meet the legally required test standards as well as the even stricter requirements of EFBE engineers.

And the Tern duo, supported by powerful Bosch drives, can score even more points in family use, because it can be adapted in no time at all to rider sizes from 150 to 195 cm, i.e. practically for the whole family – from teenagers to grandparents. The frame geometries with low step-through always ensure a pleasantly upright seating position and make getting on and off the bike noticeably easier. In addition, the stem and seat post have a wide adjustment range, large-volume “balloon tyres” and, on the HSD, a suspension fork.

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30.04.2020   |  

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