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Yuba FastRack Review

Yuba FastRack
By
Toby Hill,
E-Bike Reviewer
Yuba FastRack
By
Robb Dorr,
Co-founder

45 mi

RANGE

20 mph

TOP SPEED

5 hrs

CHARGE TIME

76 lbs

WEIGHT

Mid-drive

MOTOR TYPE

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Yuba FastRack Review: Takeaway

If I were in the market for a cargo e-bike, the Yuba FastRack would be my No. 1 – hands down. It delivers all the utility you need – from carrying loads of just about any shape or size (I secured particularly unwieldy items with the Yuba-branded tie-down straps provided with our test bike) to ferrying passengers both small and fully grown – and delivers more than enough pedal support and range to get its various jobs done.

I wish bikes like this had existed when I was driving my kid to and from school every day; it surely would’ve gotten us out of the car – and those interminable drop-off and pick-up lines – and enjoying the fresh air a bit more. That said, the FastRack made my grocery runs and trips to the home improvement store much more joyful experiences – and no trolling for parking at Trader Joe’s!

A truly viable candidate for replacing your car, the FastRack comes well-equipped but can be further kitted out to your specific use with Yuba’s vast selection of add-on accessories.

Ideal for...

Grocery shopping
Hauling bulk items
Taking the kiddo(s) to and from school
Delivery work
Replacing the family car

E-Bike Overview

The FastRack is the newest electric from cargo bicycle maker Yuba Bikes. It’s a compact cargo e-bike with a mid-tail rear end and a patent-pending convertible rack system that truly sets it apart from the competition.

Rather than requiring a host of bolt-on aftermarket accessories like passenger running boards and a rear cargo platform, Yuba’s Dual-Rack System (DRS) makes the rear of the bike instantly convertible to a handful of different functions via a quick-release lever and a handful of T-bar levers – absolutely no tools or additional hardware required. Choose from four different DRS modes:

  • Flatbed Mode: A flat platform across the rear rack for hauling the biggest cargo.
  • Cargo Mode: A moderately narrower platform with walls flipped up on the right and left sides of the bike for stabilizing loads.
  • Side-Loader Mode: The platform folds down around the rear wheel and a pair of footboards flip down and lock into place to carry a passenger.
  • Compact Mode: Side-loader mode but with the footboards folded up to narrow the bike’s profile for easier storage or navigating through tight spaces.
Yuba FastRack Passenger: The Yuba FastRack with the Dual Rack System in Side-Loader Mode to carry a passenger. Photo courtesy Yuba Bikes

The FastRack gets its Class 1 pedal assist up to 20 mph from a 250-watt Shimano STEPS E7000 mid-drive motor juiced by an externally mounted 500-watt-hour battery. The E7000 mid-motor has three assist modes (Eco, Trail, and Boost), along with a Walk mode, and dishes out 60 Newton meters of maximum torque.

In addition to the DRS out back, the FastRack comes equipped with a front tray rack mounted to the beefy alloy frame’s headtube so that front loads are decoupled from the bike’s steering and won’t cause the front wheel to flop. Speaking of wheels, the bike rolls on 20-inch hoops shod with 2.4”-wide Schwalbe Super Moto tires. To cushion bumps in the road, Yuba specs a short-travel SR Suntour Mobie suspension fork.

Shifting duty is handled by a Shimano Deore 10-speed drivetrain, while a set of Magura MT32 hydraulic disc mountain bike brakes with 180-millimeter rotors are in charge of moderating the 76-pound bike’s speed. The FastRack’s cockpit includes ergonomic grips on a set of low-rise handlebars clamped in a stem that can be rotated 90 degrees for compact storage, a Yuba-branded comfort saddle, and a telescoping seatpost with a set of rear-facing narrow handlebars for passengers on the back rack to grab.

Axa front and rear lights provide visibility to motorists and other road users, and riders can also ring the bike’s handlebar bell to make their presence known to pedestrians and fellow cyclists. A dual-leg kickstand provides a stable parking perch for the FastRack, and for indoor storage, the bike can rest vertically on the back of the rear rack and be wheeled into place by tilting it back on a set of soft urethane wheels that won’t damage floors.

Yuba sells the FastRack consumer direct at yubabikes.com and through a select network of independent bicycle dealers. MSRP: $3,999.

Reasons to Buy

The Dual Rack System is the most obvious selling point of the FastRack, and it delivers its promised versatility and convenience in spades. The DRS couldn’t be easier to switch among its various functions, and it eliminates the need to mount, remove and store key cargo bike accessories.

Yuba’s FastRack compact cargo ebike, loaded up front and rear on a grocery run. Photo by Toby Hill

But the FastRack is also an extremely well-equipped and smartly designed e-bike beyond that novel tech. The Shimano mid-motor puts out buttery-smooth pedal assist, with plenty of power no matter the load carried (440 lbs max gross vehicle weight recommended) or steepness of grade encountered (more on that below).

Yuba cut no corners on component spec, especially with the Shimano Deore drivetrain and muscular Magura disc brakes. There’s also no need to add lights, fenders, and passenger-protecting rear-wheel covers, as all of those already come stock. Still, the FastRack is highly customizable with a wide range of add-on accessories including padded passenger seats, child seats, and handles, a pop-top enclosure to protect kid passengers from rain, a front basket, and front and rear bags.

The FastRack gets all the range you’re likely to need for day-to-day errands and kid drop-off and pickup, and it’s a fantastic-looking package, to boot. (More on both of those points below.)

Things to Consider about the FastRack

The buy-in is not cheap here, at just under 4 grand. But we feel that the investment is worth it. Sure, you can find a cargo e-bike for about half the price, but you’ll get a less sophisticated hub motor, most likely without smoother-feeling torque sensing, and the componentry won’t compare to the FastRack’s.

How the Yuba FastRack Performed

Circuit Test

We performed the Circuit Test on a 0.75-mile loop with 65 feet of total elevation gain and loss. The rider weighed 175 pounds, and the Yuba FastRack was loaded with 20 pounds of cargo on the front rack and 40 pounds on the rear rack.

Here’s how the FastRack performed:

Lap #PA LevelAvg. Speed
# 1Eco15.3 mph
# 2Trail16.7 mph
# 3Boost18.4 mph

Hill Climb

We performed our Hill Climb assessment on a 0.55-mile route with 106 feet of elevation gain, a 3.6 percent average grade. The rider weighed 175 pounds, and the Yuba FastRack was loaded with 20 pounds of cargo on the front rack and 40 pounds on the rear rack.

Attempt #TimeAvg. Speed
# 1 (PA level: Eco, lowest)1:0310.5 mph
# 2 (PA level: Boost, highest)0:4015.2 mph

Braking Test

We performed the Braking Test from a maximum assisted speed of 20 mph on a flat paved surface. The rider weighed 175 pounds, and the Yuba FastRack was loaded with 20 pounds of cargo on the front rack and 40 pounds on the rear rack.

Attempt #Stopping Distance (ft)
# 131′
# 229′
# 329′
# 427′
# 528′

Specs & Components

Frame
6061 T-6 aluminum
Fork
SR Suntour SF20 Mobie
Sideloaders
DRS Included
Motor
Shimano STEPS E7000, 250W
Battery
500Wh Shimano STEPS
Shifter
Shimano Deore 10-Speed Trigger
Derailleur
Shimano Deore 10-Speed
Cassette
Shimano 11-36T 10-Speed
Crankset
Lasco 170mm
Pedals
Alloy Flat
Chain
KMC X10e
Brakes
Magura MT32 hydraulic, 180mm rotors
Handlebars
Yuba 31.8mm City Handlebars
Grips
Yuba Ergonomic
Stem
Yuba 1 ⅛” Adjustable
Headset
Cane Creek Viscoset
Saddle
Yuba Comfort
Seatpost
31.6mm Telescoping
Rims
Alloy Double Wall, 36-Hole, 20”
Hubs
Through-Axle Quick-Release Sealed Ball Bearing
Tires
Schwalbe Super Moto, 20” x 2.4”
Included Accessories
Axa Lights, Fenders, Handlebar Bell, Mesh Rear-Wheel Covers, Compact Double Kickstand

The specs above come from the manufacturer and may vary from what you’ve experienced. Notice something that needs correcting? Let us know.

Ratings

Power
5/5
5

The FastRack’s 250W Shimano STEPS E7000 mid-drive motor, which puts out 60Nm of max torque across three pedal-assist (PAS) modes (Eco, Trail, and Boost), has all the muscle you’ll need to pedal without strain on all but the steepest uphill grades. In fact, I hardly ever found it necessary to toggle into Boost mode since the lower two PAS levels provided plenty of support on flat and moderately uphill terrain even with the bike loaded up with cargo front and rear. I reserved the Boost setting as a rarely used hill bailout mode or to get up to speed quickly from a dead stop in heavy traffic. Once up to speed, I’d switch back down to Eco or Trail and cruise. This means you’ll be able to get a nice long run time and range out of the FastRack’s battery, which we’ll get into below.

Range
5/5
5

The Yuba FastRack carried me 45 miles over almost 1,500 feet of total elevation gain on a single charge. This was keeping the Shimano STEPS E7000 drive system mostly in the two lowest assist modes — Eco and Trail — and shifting to Boost for only the steepest uphill grades I encountered. Over that total distance, I rode with loads ranging from nothing at all (though only very little of this) to as much as 60 pounds of cargo in addition to my 175-pound body weight.

The range impressed me in light of the fact that the FastRack’s battery isn’t huge, at just 500 watt hours. It’s a highly efficient e-cargo hauler.

Comfort
4/5
4

The FastRack’s frame geometry and moderately tall handlebar height place the rider in an upright position that makes it easy to keep eyes on the road ahead and prevent back strain. The Yuba Comfort Saddle is, … well, pretty comfortable, even if it’s not the plushest perch out there. Pretty much the same goes for the house-brand ergonomic handlebar grips, which I’d personally like to be a little more compliant. Fortunately, the SR Suntour suspension fork does a terrific job muting road vibration and bumps in the road from reverberating up into the rider’s hands, especially when the front of the bike is loaded and that extra weight helps break through the fork’s initial resistance.

Durability
5/5
5

Boasting big, clean welds and large-diameter tubing, the FastRack frame is built to last a lifetime. Yuba could have cut some cost by going with a budget-priced commuter-oriented drivetrain, but instead, spec’d the bike with stout mountain bike-level Shimano Deore components built to withstand much harsher duty than the FastRack is ever likely to see. You also won’t ever have to worry about the 20-inch double-wall alloy wheels with 36 spokes outright failing on you; minimal maintenance is all that should be needed. The overall build quality of the Yuba FastRack is rock solid and simply superb.

Style
4/5
4

With cargo bikes still being somewhat of an anomaly here in the US, the FastRack is bound to be an attention-grabbing conversation starter whenever you take it out. Add the bright green color of our test bike and you multiply that eye-catching effect. But if you want to go more low-profile, Yuba’s color palette has you covered with a tasteful robin’s egg blue frame color or a strictly-business gray finish. And although Yuba does not integrate the FastRack’s battery inside the frame for the cleanest appearance, the power pack’s position snug inside the frame’s tightly spaced front triangle is a fine compromise. It also allows you to quickly remove the keyed battery for indoor charging or for an extra bit of theft protection when stopping off at the market.

Our Research Methodology

We personally research and test every e-bike featured in our reviews and guides to provide accurate, data-driven recommendations. Learn how we review.

About Our Editorial Team

Toby Hill
Written by Toby Hill
E-Bike Reviewer
A trained journalist with 30 years of print and online experience, Toby Hill is an avid cyclist who has fully embraced the exciting new ride experiences that e-bikes have brought to his favorite pastime. He's ridden and tested dozens of e-bikes of all styles and technologies.
robb dorr
Edited by Robb Dorr
Co-founder
Robb is a massive cycling enthusiast who has more than 20 years of non-motorized cycling experience. He started eBikes.org to lower the barrier of entry to cycling and reduce the intimidation people can experience when getting into the cycling world.
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