Overlooking the Colorado front range on the first outing with our Globe Haul ST

Globe Haul ST - Short Term Review

Yet another white guy writing about bikes; this time an awesome e-cargo bike!

Published: 12 Sep 2023

Topics: Cycling, Life

TL;DR: I bought a Globe Haul ST e-cargo bike and love it so far.

Globe Haul ST bike with yellow panniers and a red rack on the front — I added some fun, yellow Specialized/Fjällräven Coolcave Panniers that work as a place for my kids’ feet as well as carrying my laptop bag and groceries

Micro Mobility

I’ve been wanting an e-bike for several years to cut down on short car trips but they were too expensive, too big, and felt unable to be “one bike to rule them all.”

I wanted a bike that was compact and able to carry all sorts of racks, bags, and accessories along with at least one of my kids while I work from local coffee shops, visit the library, run to the grocery store, and take the kids to places near our house.

Because I’m lucky to have good bike paths and shared roads near me, could I find a bike to truly replace our second car?

After seeing this review at The Radavist, the Globe Haul ST instantly jumped to the top of my list. There was something about that review (and the olive green color about to be released) that hooked me. Also, I’ve been following bike designer Erik Nohlin for several years and his dedication to building bike-first, car-lite living is relentless.

Globe Haul ST bike with my son giving the thumbs-up sign — The Globe Haul ST is nine-year-old approved!

The “Honeymoon Phase”

I purchased the Haul ST just over a week ago and wanted to document my first impressions and excitement (obnoxious bike bloggers would say “stoke”) for the bike.

Full disclosure: I am just another white, middle-aged dad that loves cycling, so this is a very biased review and I’m fine with that. These are my observations specifically for my needs, so your mileage may vary.

This is purposely written in the honeymoon phase and I plan to write a follow-up review after six months and a full Colorado winter to honestly assess how my excitement holds up.

Globe Haul ST bike with a red crate and blue laptop bag in a cemetery — Everyone takes bike photos in cemeteries, right?

What I Love

Fast and fun — the motor makes me feel like a kid again!
Tons of mounting and accessory options
Compact design that fits in my small garage
Built-in lights (good quality Lezyne ones at that)
Tan-sidewall tires called “Carless Whisper”
Green color with great Fjällräven color-matched accessories
Tight turning radius
Good hydro brakes
Sturdy kickstand
Removable battery for storage inside during the winter
Handles cargo and its own weight extremely well. Never feels like it will tip over and if anything, rides better with some weight on it.

Adding an old Coca-Cola crate to the front rack — Attaching an old Coca-Cola rack to the front rack of the bike for flexible carrying options. We just used zip-ties for now and they work fine?

Customization Done So Far

Globe Passenger Seat (but not the handlebar, yet)
Globe Front Rack with an old Coca-Cola crate attached with zip ties
Two Specialized/Fjällräven Coolcave Panniers in yellow and yes, you must buy the pannier adaptors to fit on the bike
Added a Rapha Explore Bar Bag I already owned for a place to stash my wallet/phone because I don’t like stuff in my pockets
Mounted a Bontrager Pro Folding Lock so I always have it with me
I received the Specialized/Fjällräven Cave Pack as a birthday gift and I love that it perfectly fits in the panniers

A bike headlight and a black bike lock mounted to the bike — The permanent Lezyne headlight is bright, multi-functional, and always on; which is one less thing to remember when heading out. The Bontrager Pro folding lock easily mounts to the side of the headtube, so I always have it with me.

Nit-Picks

No bottle mounts on down tube, only on the head tube
No light status indicator of which light mode I’m in (just on/off)
Stupid two-part seat adjustment needs a wrench to adjust any part of the seat - why have a QR if you still need a tool?!
Would be nice to have a visual gear indicator since I’m less mentally connected to what gear I am in
App is useless beyond locking the motor (which admittedly is nice peace-of-mind in busy areas)

Close-up photo of the tires which are called Carless Whisper — The tires are called “Carless Whisper” which is 10/10 branding and Specialized should give that copywriter a raise!

The Future

I’m curious how many miles I’ll put on in cold weather and after the honeymoon phase is over
Will this really be a short trip replacement for my car? We’ll see, but I want to cut down on typical American car dependence
I want to show my kids that bikes are better than cars and make riding a normal part of our life

Wrap Up (for now)

Could I have done this all with one of my current bikes?

100% yes.

I have several bikes and could have added racks — but I simply didn’t. I can’t emphasize enough how much I hate showing up somewhere sweaty and hot, and that was the main deterrent in the past.

The ease of having a bike ready without showing up a sweaty mess is clutch for me. The Haul ST has removed every bit of friction and asks “Why not take the bike?” for most of my daily tasks.

But yeah, let’s see how I feel six months from now ;-)

Two grown adults on the bike and smiling widely — Find yourself a friend that is up for any adventure!