There are many reasons a Bullitt is the best cargo bike, but it never hurts to remind the reader why. First, it’s the lightest. We’re not talking a few grams, we’re talking around half the weight of many competitors. Second, it’s modular. Instead of buying it for the chapter in your life that includes kids, it’s made for every other chapter too. (The fact that it’s lighter also makes it as fun to ride as a regular bike, only a Bullitt has trunk space.) Finally, it’s so adjustable that you can sit bolt-upright like a Dutch cyclist or lean and mean like a bike courier. Your choice. In short, it’s the best. But which one?
These Names are Bollocks
People think the Bullitt models are Moondog, Clockwork Orange and Bollocks, but those are actually the colours. Each pays tribute to some cultural reference or inside joke that we uncover here. The actual model names are very boring. In the case of the e-bikes, they refer to motors made by Shimano, the bicycle industry’s answer to a monopoly. Shimano calls them EP600 and EP801, gives both the same enormous 85 Nm of torque, then leaves the customer wondering what the difference is.
The answer is hiding behind the motor. Bullitt pairs the EP600 with a sealed internal hub and belt, while the EP801 gets an external drivetrain with a chain, derailleur and much wider range of gears. The EP801 motor does have 100 watts more peak power, but for most riders the gears make the bigger difference. Shimano names the bikes, but the drivetrains tell us what they are for.
The “Last Mile” Is Also Bollocks
Bullitts are fundamentally designed for the last mile, which is really a misnomer since it’s rarely a mile at all. What it really describes is the dense urban distances that are too close to justify driving and too far to walk. What glues these distances together? A bicycle, of course. Only sometimes your bicycle needs trunk space and sometimes it needs to carry children. That’s where the Bullitt works its magic.
Both models are extremely good at this. They carry children to school, groceries home and just about anything else that occupies the liminal distance between walking and driving. Most of these trips are short and end near a charger, so another 30 kilometres of potential range means very little. You use the bike, plug it in and go inside. But, sometimes the last mile has a habit of becoming ten.
We like to call this the extra mile. It includes all those distances where a bicycle may take a little longer than a car, but is far less stressful and more fun. The extra mile, after all, is about your day off, so the journey is as important as the destination. It could mean going to the Island, riding up Toronto’s many ravines or taking an overnight camping trip in the Rouge Valley. Once the last mile becomes the extra mile, range matters.
To ensure range on an electric cargo bike, you need two things. Well, ideally three. First is a big battery, which both Bullitts have. Second is gearing, because the extra mile can produce some punishing hills. Third is a lightweight bike, which of course we have with a Bullitt. The EP801 is the one that brings all three together. Its 42-tooth climbing cog is about the size of a dinner plate, letting the rider spin uphill while the motor assists rather than compensates, preserving the battery in the process. Hold onto that, because this is important.
With Great Power Comes Less Range
This might be a good time to explain how an e-bike motor works. E-bikes are also called pedal assists because the motor assists your pedalling. A computer reads how hard and fast you are pedalling, then calculates how much help to provide. Reach a hill and the motor will take note. Basically, the system is the closest thing to the definition of bionic, a machine working with the cyclist without feeling overpowering or, for that matter, underpowered. When it all works perfectly, it feels like the bike is reading your mind.
Now, you can also decide how generous this mind-reading machine should be. Sometimes you’re riding home uphill with too much weight, it’s raining and you just want to get in front of the fireplace. On those days, you put the motor into Boost. This is exhilarating, but nonetheless, the electricity has to come from somewhere. On the lowest setting each bike provides around 80+ kilometres of range. Riding entirely in Boost could cut that below 40km. In other words, if you want to go farther, you’ll want to keep the assistance on low.
Power to Spare
That explains the dinner plate rear cog on the EP801. Both motors produce the same 85 Nm of torque, enough to get two children, some groceries and the bike moving from a stop. The EP801 adds an extra 100W of peak power. This is important. If torque gets the family moving, those extra watts keep digging deeper when the hill gets steep. In other words, the extra 10oW stops the motor from running out of breath on a long, loaded climb. This, combined with the dinner-plate cog, means the EP801 can haul a fully loaded Bullitt up long, steep hills without sacrificing the range needed to get home.
Of course, dinner plates need washing. The EP801’s chain, cassette and derailleur live outside the frame, exposed to salt, snow and all the grime a city can bring. They need cleaning, lubrication and eventual replacement. None of this is especially onerous, but it is more than the EP600 asks of you.
Clean Getaway
The EP600 seals its gears inside the rear hub and replaces the chain with a belt. Depending on how you dress for the office, this could be the game-changer. The belt requires no oil, stays completely clean and lets you ride in that white maxi skirt. It can also run for about 40,000 kilometres without replacement, roughly ten times longer than a chain. The internal hub still needs the rare servicing, but otherwise there is very little to do.
The problem is that cities have hills. The EP600’s internal hub offers nothing close to the EP801’s lowest climbing gear, forcing the motor to make up the difference in Boost mode. But e-assist responds to both torque and cadence, and the Nexus 5’s high gearing makes it difficult to build cadence—especially when starting on a hill. The result can be a frustrating delay before the power kicks in, plus faster battery drain. The EP801 may require slightly more maintenance, but it’s ready for anything.
Stand and Deliver
There is one more advantage to the EP801 drivetrain. Because Shimano makes both the motor and the gears, they sync. Shifting is electronic, meaning there are no cables to stretch or adjust. The real bonus is FREE SHIFT. On a conventional derailleur bike, you can only change gears while pedalling. If you stop in a hard gear, your first pedal stroke has to get the full weight of the bike and cargo rolling before the chain can shift into an easier one.
As you could imagine, this situation is zero fun on a loaded cargo bike that’s stopped on a hill. FREE SHIFT uses the motor to move the chain while the pedals remain still, allowing you to select an easier gear even at a standstill. Game-changer! That makes restarting a fully loaded Bullitt on a hill considerably easier.
So, Which One?
The EP600 is for the rider who wants to replace daily car trips with the least possible fuss. You’re carrying children to school, riding to work, buying groceries and doing it through salt, snow and whatever else Toronto leaves on the road. Most trips are under 15 kilometres and end near a charger, so maximum range means very little. What matters is that the belt stays clean, the gears stay sealed and the drivetrain is low maintenance. You still get the same huge 85 Nm of torque and the same battery as the EP801. So, if you want a powerful year-round cargo bike without ever getting grease under your fingernails or on clothing, buy the EP600.
The EP801 is for the rider whose trips have a habit of getting longer, or they want all bases covered. You’re carrying bigger loads, climbing ravines, riding to the Island or taking the Bullitt camping in the Rouge. The dinner-plate cog lets you keep pedalling on steep hills instead of handing the work to the battery, while the extra 100W keeps a fully loaded bike climbing when the hill gets serious. Sure, you’ll have to clean the chain now and then. That is about as onerous as it gets. In return, you get more climbing ability, more range and a Bullitt that masters the last mile without being limited by it. If that’s you, buy the EP801.
