Benno Boost review

By Mark Sutton

Benno Boost review

RATING: 4.7

HIGHS: Surprisingly agile for something so capable and genuine fun to ride, Bosch Performance Line CX motor is well-matched, High volume off road tyres open up countryside, Dual battery possible Excellent carriage options and luggage bags are very well thought out, Great price for a bike this capable, Comfortable ride

LOWS: One of those bikes where route planning is advisable down to weight and length, I’d like to see a hub gear and belt option

One of the first to get serious about the idea of carrying cargo off the beaten path, it felt apt that to get our hands on the Benno Bikes Boost for review quickly on the back of detailing Tern’s Orox, another making an impression in this emerging niche.

Really your options for serious off road cargo haulers are limited and there’s good reason for that. Cargo bikes in general require an immense amount of testing, strengthening, then testing again to get to market as a viable product. If you’re planning to take that loaded up bike off road then a manufacturer must take extra steps to ensure they put a robust product to market.

Luckily, Benno Bikes is backed up by the know-how of beach cruiser brand Electra’s Founder (now part of Trek) Benno Baenziger. With decades of design knowledge under his belt, he returned to the bike market realising the potential that pedal assist motors offered from a design standpoint. In his view, with this innovation the bicycle’s potential as a utility vehicle was greatly expanded, hence the ‘eTility’ catchphrase coined and attached to Benno’s bike range.

Benno Boost review: the headline details

Pros

• Surprisingly agile for something so capable and genuine fun to ride
• Bosch Performance Line CX motor is well-matched
• High volume off road tyres open up countryside
• Dual battery possible
• Excellent carriage options and luggage bags are very well thought out
• Great price for a bike this capable
• Comfortable ride

Cons

• One of those bikes where route planning is advisable down to weight and length
• I’d like to see a hub gear and belt option

Features

• Compatible with up to two child seats
• Front cargo tray and longtail type rear
• Fits riders from 5’1″ to 6’3″
• 24-inch by 2.6″ tyres
• Pair of high power Supernova lights (Mini 2, E3)
• 10-Speed Deore gearing
• Comes with fenders, a kickstand and other add ons
• Fits most panniers and accessories
• Comfortable saddle with lift handle built in
• Four piston Magura hydraulic brakes
• Able to handle a trailer with adapter

Specs

Motor: Bosch Performance Line CX 250W 65Nm, GEN 3 motor
Battery: Bosch Powerpack 400Wh or 500Wh Lithium-Ion Battery
Range: Approximately 80 miles single battery 160 on dual battery
Weight:
Frame: 6061 Aluminium Alloy (regular and low-step available)
Gearing: Shimano Deore 10-speed 
Brakes: Magura MT Thirty
Suspension: Rigid

Benno Boost review: The ride

Let’s continue with a little on the motor, which aside from being the centrepiece, is in large part the reason why a bike like this can exist in the first place. In this instance, Benno has chosen the Bosch Performance Line CX, which has a torque output of up to 85Nm.

I was in little doubt that a motor with that much punch could deliver me to the summit of countryside hills while loaded up with cargo and in keeping with every other time I’ve reviewed a bike with a Bosch motor, there’s very clearly a reason why this is the brand so many premium labels turn to; once I got pedalling making the hill was never in doubt. There was one instance where the uneven dirt hill ahead of me would have been intimidating for some e-MTBs I’ve tested, but the Benno Boost powered right on up with three bags of shopping in the rear basket.

I make the comparison because to my surprise the Boost actually handled in many ways like a hardtail mountain bike. Despite its long wheelbase and load carriage capability, I found myself stood up in the saddle a lot more than I imagined, really hacking this bike around the singletrack of my local area (albeit without the shopping). The agility afforded by the 24-inch wheels, off road tyres and the geometry was unexpected, but I loved it. Instantly, this was a fun bike to ride, regardless of its utility capability. From that moment on, I was warm to the notion that this bike could be the camper’s best friend.

It’s comfortable too, which again is not a given for this kind of bike. I can see that the Benno Boost I have for review has an upgraded dropper post from KS, which also gives some forgiveness when you hit bumps in the path. That’s a very welcome feature, but not a standard one I can quickly spot on most of the builds available to buy online.

Benno Boost – the build

It wasn’t so much a single component or feature that brought about this ride comfort, rather a sum of all parts, however. The small details on the Benno Boost, like the ergonomic grips, are extras that can really add to the experience, but that don’t necessarily come as standard on all electric bikes we review.

This bike I was sent rolls on customised 2.6-inch ‘Big Betty’ tyres from Schwalbe, though you may find many builds come with a more urban-ready tyre as standard. This tyre was originally developed as an enduro and downhill tyre, but comes adapted here to suit the purposes of the Boost. The characteristics of the tyre count for a lot though, with a big bold tread making them excellent for traction and grip, while the tread is open enough that they also do not attract muck if the conditions are damp. They are as good as a perfect match and they make a big difference to this bike’s handling. As I say, this tyre isn’t necessarily the standard spec, but the Boost is customisable to be either and urban or a countryside hauler.

When it comes to cargo off bike handling is also important and here Benno delivers full marks on the robust kickstand deployed and of course you have Bosch’s walk mode too for times when a push and walk is needed. There is one inescapable problem you will encounter with almost any cargo bike that is built to carry quite as much as the Boost and that’s the infrastructure in the UK. Having encountered one impassable swing gate that could not be navigated I was more careful to plan my route thereafter. That’s no fault of the bike, of course, just a pointer if you are considering buying a cargo bike.

Benno Boost: how is it as a cargo bike?

Really one of the pleasantly surprising things about the Benno Boost is that, considering the high capability and versatility, the price is not so out of reach that it will put off a serious could-be cargo biker. The accessories aren’t bad value either and I was rather pleased with the quality of the bags in particular, with each offering versatility in their use thanks to an array of velcro and clips.

For the most part I just did shopping trips by bike, but there are a dizzying array of ways to use this bike, which Benno best illustrates on its Boost page. At the upper end of its ‘eTility’ capability an illustration is showing four children along for the ride courtesy of an available trailer adapter, the large rear basket with footrests and rear wheel protection. Added to that is a front loader basket that has a bespoke bag that I found myself using just as often as the rear capacity.

The racking is robust too. What’s increasingly noticeable in the cargo bike and especially longtail space, is that the bike designers are really working hard to make the quality of the accessories match up to the main bike, rather than considering them an afterthought. In Benno’s case I know from speaking with the Founder that he has had bikes in the hands of Swiss mountain rescue, among others, so a low-quality product won’t cut it.
Really one of the pleasantly surprising things about the Benno Boost is that, considering the high capability and versatility, the price is not so out of reach that it will put off a serious could-be cargo biker. The accessories aren’t bad value either and I was rather pleased with the quality of the bags in particular, with each offering versatility in their use thanks to an array of velcro and clips.

My use was a lot more pedestrian, but there was not an occasion where I was lacking capacity to run errands. The expandable bag that folds out from the rear basket had more than enough volume for a week’s shop and you have plenty of mounting points to secure a load down with bungee cords or similar.

Final thoughts and the competition

I can’t pick out anything I dislike about the Benno Boost, which is rare, normally there’s at least one small gripe. If I’m being picky, my falling out of love with derailleurs is going to come into play. Nowadays I much prefer a hub gear and belt drive and I can’t help but feel that a bike like this in only a few years time will come with a mid-motor and gearbox all in one; albeit it will then cost a fair bit more up front.

Really, then, it comes down to how the Boost weighs up on price versus its competition and there’s no shortage of that. Some that spring to mind are the Tern Quick Haul Long for a more urban tilt and the more beefed up Orox (subject to our review here) if you’re looking at something yet more capable than the Benno Boost for off road jaunts.

For me, the Benno Boost is probably going to stand in its own space for a while as the quality, but affordable entry to lugging your camping gear into the wilderness and I have to say, I can see high appeal in owning something like this, if only down to its sheer versatility. It really can do it all.

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Content retrieved from: https://www.cyclingelectric.com/reviews/benno-boost-review.