I Tried the Yuba Boda Boda: Discover the Joy of Riding This Electric Cargo Bike!

Who hasn’t heard of Yuba? It’s the definitive brand in the cargo bike sector. Launched in 2006 by Benjamin Sarrazin, Yuba pioneered the family cargo bike market.

The Boda Boda is one of the brand’s flagship models. Therefore, the 2025 edition was highly anticipated. How does this new version stack up against increasingly fierce competition? Here’s what we found in our comprehensive review.

Technical Specifications

This review was conducted using a model provided by the brand.

A More Modern Design

Gone are the double tubes of the old model, replaced by a more angular design. The frame is low to facilitate mounting and offers a slightly sporty position. The bike is suitable for individuals between 1m55 and 1m95 in height.

This new frame exudes robustness and quality. We are dealing with a high-end bike, and the price reflects this: 4849 euros. Quality comes at a cost! It’s possible to load this Yuba up to 200 kg in total, which is perfect for carrying two children and groceries in the basket.

Speaking of the basket, it’s a standout feature on this model. It’s large, sturdy, robust, and can carry up to 23 kg. I particularly appreciated this basket, which should have been included as standard on this bike.

While it complicates parking, the comfort it provides quickly becomes indispensable. It’s available as an option for 199 euros. Another convenience is the canvas that attaches to the basket with Velcro, covering both the bottom and the top. This system makes it easy to place items in the basket and avoids the need for bungee cords.

Cable management is very good. Whether on the handlebars or elsewhere on the frame, the cables are discreet and contribute to a streamlined design.

The Boda Boda stands out from many competitors with its format. With 26-inch wheels, it’s more imposing than competitors with 20 or 24-inch wheels, but it offers riding sensations closer to a traditional bike and a higher riding position for the rider and passengers.

No surprises with the tires: they are the excellent Schwalbe Pick-Up, simply the best for a cargo bike. They are wide for added comfort and puncture-resistant.

In addition to wide tires, this model is equipped with the top-tier Suntour Mobie 25 Travel suspension fork, with up to 80 mm of travel. It’s a high-end fork that can be finely adjusted both for damping and rebound. This makes the model versatile, bridging the gap between an urban bike and a hybrid.

The seat is quite comfortable and ergonomic with a handle at the back for easier bike handling. This is very practical for deploying the kickstand easily.

The kickstand also benefits from the same care as the rest of the bike. It’s a double central kickstand, easy to deploy and proved to be both solid and robust during my testing. This is very reassuring and secure when getting children settled at the back.

This Yuba Boda Boda remains reasonable in terms of size. It measures exactly 2 meters, which places it slightly below a Douze Cycles bike, for example, whose design is very similar and which measures 2m05. The model from Decathlon, on the other hand, measures 2.20 meters.

Regarding weight, I found it heavy. Equipped with the front basket, rear baby seats, and footrests, I felt the weight of this bike both when parking and during riding.

The Boda Boda weighs 32 kg: that’s what’s listed on the website, but it’s not specified what is included in that weight. Logically, it’s the weight with the battery. What makes the bike heavy is the basket, which also affects steering when loaded. This is quite normal, and you’ll need to adjust your riding slightly in this case.

Good news, the front light is mounted on the mudguard. This is an excellent feature as it won’t blind other road users and additionally, it follows the trajectory of the bike. And of course, as you’d expect with a high-end bike, the lighting is high quality. Here we have excellent lights from the brand Herrmans, suitable for both urban and peri-urban use.

An Excellent Cargo Section… at a Reasonable Price

The Boda Boda excels in transporting people and goods. I’ve already mentioned the basket, which I still miss today as I write these lines. But that’s not the only equipment on this model’s cargo section. The skirt guards are particularly comprehensive and of excellent quality. Your child won’t be able to get their foot caught in the wheel.

The footrests are large, indeed, but very high quality. The attention to accessories reminds us, if anyone was still in doubt, that we are dealing with a high-end bike. The footrests, however, are an optional extra at 129 euros.

To protect the rider from oil stains, the brand has installed a chain guard. Again, nothing to fault in terms of the quality of this accessory.

The rear luggage rack is both solid and robust while being long enough to comfortably install two baby seats. No MIK HD here, which is a pity, but a standard system compatible with almost all seats on the market. On our model, it was the excellent seats from the brand Thule.

On my test model, I didn’t have the monkey bars (safety bars) around the baby seats. They are optional at 199 euros.

Many other accessories are available such as seat cushions or the passenger support that acts as a backrest for the rear passenger. It’s up to you to decide what you need! All these equipments come at a cost and will have a significant impact on the bill.

Several option packs are available: the Family Edition pack including the monkey bars, footrests, and seat cushions marketed at 150 euros. There is also the Active Edition including the footrests, seat cushions, and a front luggage rack Base Rack for 100 euros.

Embedded Technologies: Not Enough for the Price!

The Yuba Boda Boda is equipped with a Bosch Cargo Line Smart System motor. It thus benefits from the latest Bosch innovations in terms of safety and connectivity. This is provided you have the Connect Module, which is not standard on this bike.

Featured on this Yuba Boda Boda is the excellent Bosch control installed on most bikes equipped with a Smart System motor. This control is easily accessible and allows for quick change of assistance level. A color halo around indicates the selected assistance level. During my test, I personally used the Turbo mode, symbolized by a red stripe.

The other accessory included with this bike is a phone holder designed by the brand. This holder is universal, and you just need to turn the screw to secure your smartphone. On a 5000 euro bike, I would have preferred either the Bosch Purion 200 control with display or the removable Bosch Kiox 300 display.

To benefit from GPS and an alarm on this bike, you’ll therefore need to invest in the Connect Module, priced at around a hundred euros, and subscribe to the Flow+ subscription at 39.99 euros – the first year is free with a 12-month trial.

Riding Experience: Pure Pleasure

Despite its weight of 32 kg without accessories, this Yuba Boda Boda offers excellent riding sensations. At 2 meters, it’s not too long and handles very well. The basket, as mentioned earlier in this article, requires slight adjustment in riding, especially when it is loaded.

The slightly sporty position gives the impression of riding a dynamic bike.

Like any high-end bike, this Yuba Boda Boda is equipped with a Bosch Cargo Line motor delivering 85 Nm of torque. Given its weight, I opted for the Turbo mode on this bike, which brings real dynamism to the whole setup. On the VELLO SUBB that we tested, which is lighter, the automatic mode was sufficient.

The highlight is the 10-speed Shimano CUES derailleur. This choice of transmission provides a premium riding experience. Gear shifting is very precise and efficient. I enjoyed changing gears and adjusting my ratio according to the pace. My only small criticism is that this derailleur is sometimes a bit abrupt in gear change.

To shift gears, two levers are accessible on the handlebar: one to downshift and one to shift up.

Riding is really the strong point of this bike. With its unique format, Bosch motor, geometry, and transmission, it’s a real pleasure to ride. It gives the impression of riding a classic bike that just has a few extra kilos.

Quality Braking

On this Yuba Boda Boda, the brakes are differentiated between the front and the rear. These are Magura Thirty 2 hydraulic disc brakes with 4 pistons at the front and 2 pistons at the rear. I found the braking slightly less powerful than on other models like the Tenways Longtail DUO or the VELLO SUBB, even though they remain effective and balanced. Ultimately, this choice is interesting, and I found these brakes just as reassuring as on other high-end models I’ve tested.

Battery Life: It Depends on Your Riding

The Yuba Boda Boda is equipped with a standard 500 Wh battery. No alternatives are offered. Only the portable Bosch PowerMore 250 battery can be added in addition to the main battery. With 500 Wh and considering the weight of the bike, this Yuba Boda Boda will have a range of 50 km or less.

Personally, having mainly used the turbo mode, I was more around a maximum autonomy of 45 km. It’s decent but not outstanding. Given its VTC orientation with its front suspension fork and chain transmission, Yuba could have offered an option with a higher capacity battery. A pity!

The battery charge is completed in just 4 to 5 hours from 0 to 100% thanks to the 4A charger provided with this bike. It’s possible to charge the battery separately from the bike by removing it, or to charge the bike directly without removing the battery thanks to the easily accessible charging port.

A Poorly Thought-Out Removal System

This is the Achilles’ heel of this bike: the battery removal system. Yuba opted for a battery completely integrated into the frame with a cover to conceal it. Aesthetically, this choice is appealing. The battery seems invisible with the cover.

From a practical standpoint, it’s a different story. First, the battery is inserted underneath the main tube. So, you’ll definitely need to use both hands to position it properly. The other drawback is that you need to use the key to insert the battery. This is clearly not practical.

When removing it, you first have to take off the cover using any flat tool. Then, you have to unlock the battery with the key. It’s held in place by a plastic fitting and fortunately so, otherwise, it would fall.

On a daily basis, I found this system cumbersome to use. It’s poorly designed. After a week of use, I began to master it. To be honest, I left the cover at home more than once. And this is also important: not only do you have to take the cover with you because anyone can take it given that it’s not secured. But also, the battery itself doesn’t have a handle for carrying… With kids and bags, this is clearly not practical.

Price and Availability

The Yuba Boda Boda bike is available at numerous retailers across France, including Ecox and Cyclable. It is priced at 4849 euros. This price appears to be lower than its launch price of 4999 euros, but it is difficult to find reliable information on this point.

Two versions are offered in addition to the classic version: a Family version at 150 euros more (i.e., 4999 euros) with footrests, two seat cushions, and monkey bars, and an Active version at 100 euros more (i.e., 4949 euros) including the front luggage rack (BaseRack), footrests, and two seat cushions.