Estarli Co-Founder, Oliver Francis, shares his unadulteratedly biassed but equally honest family e-cargo experience this summer.

Oli lives in the heart of the Chilterns, forty minutes from the factory. He was excited to have the e-cargo for the summer but a little bit sceptical about its value in his small village. “It’s been incredible,” he says. “I thought it would be efficient and fun in the sun but I didn’t realise quite how much it would define our days and shrink the village (In a good way!).” Oli does about half the school drops for his four and six year olds. “Compared to driving, it’s about 99% less stressful and twice as fast. That’s what happens when parking is removed from the scenario. Add to that the environmental factors and it’s such a stark improvement. Compared to walking, it’s ten minutes compared to forty-five minutes and that has such an impact on the pace and inherent stresses of the mornings. We leave relaxed and smiling and never have to rush - setting the mood for the day like that is priceless.”

Oli has been riding the e-cargo in the ‘Family Pack’ setup which means the rails and footrests are included. He uses a single family bench at the front for his eldest and an Urban Iki Junior seat at the back for his youngest. Oli thought the all-weather cocoon would primarily help in bad weather and as a bit of a psychological barrier to protect the kids but it has been its versatility when the kids aren’t on the bike that has surprised him the most. “The back of the bike becomes a bottomless trunk,” he says. The first time I tested its capacity was such a flop because I massively underestimated what it would hold! I filled a Tesco basket and the stuff didn’t touch the sides. It genuinely holds your full family shop with ease - I’m talking about a large supermarket trolley. The best bit is - probably because food doesn’t wriggle around like the kids - it still feels like you're carrying barely anything!”

The village Oli lives in has a couple of schools, pubs, shops and parks. “I thought the e-cargo was more suited to towns because you can do a greater range of errands. Perhaps that is still the case but it has shrunk our village in such a positive way. We go to the park more because it’s not a hassle to get there. I give my mates and my wife lifts everywhere (yes, it took a little bit of persuading to give her a lift to Sports Day and arrive in front of ALL the other parents!) and the shops that weren’t really a consideration are now only a short hop. Obviously, that’s the purpose of the e-cargo but I think you’ve got to experience it to really understand it. Your community just feels closer to home and it’s so sociable for the rider and passengers.”

If you’d like to watch Oli’s full review and hear from his candid kids the link is here - https://youtu.be/-U4RiuDgTtY?si=Rde1sAY4QnqgftBG