You can call it a cargo bike. You can call it a passenger trike. You can call it a rickshaw. You can call it a lot of things. But after spending the last few weeks with the Oh Wow Cycles Conductor Plus, I think the most accurate description is this: it’s the pickup truck of electric bikes.
I’ve used this thing for just about everything. I’ve packed it with kids – my nephews and niece giggling in the roomy rear section, either sitting happily on the fold-down bench with their feet planted firmly on the integrated footrests, or hay-ride style in the cargo-carrying rear bed with their full-size golden retriever along for the ride in there too.
I’ve carted around my adult sister. I even gave my dad a lift, and there was still room for more. Honestly, I think it could fit two modestly trim adults back there if you really wanted it to.
But the Conductor Plus is not just a people-mover. I also used it like a rolling cargo hauler. One day, I rode it to Target and came back with a full-size shelving unit strapped into the back. Another day, I turned it into a literal rolling booth for a neighborhood Purim carnival – decorated it with signs that said “Free Balloons,” a helium tank in the rear bed, and a chair for me to hand out balloons to kids (and fun-loving adults) around the neighborhood. The rear bed fit that helium tank, a chair for me, and my years of balloon animal-making skills. Whether balloon dogs or real dogs, that rear bed can hold a lot. (Theoretically there’s a 465 lb or 211 kg weight limit for the whole bike, but I don’t think I got close to testing that fully).
Sure, there are other heavy-hauling electric cargo bikes out there, but two-wheelers just don’t offer the same kind of stability at low speeds or massive volume of cargo that a trike provides.
The secret to all this versatility is that unique rear end. The Conductor Plus uses a fold-up/fold-down bench setup with an open cargo bed area that can be reconfigured on the fly. It’s like a bench-seat pickup in e-bike form.
Combined with a stable frame, fat tires, and a beefy 176-pound (80 kg) curb weight, the whole thing feels planted and secure no matter who (or what) you’re carrying.
I’d bet a lot of that stability comes from that weight – it’s definitely not light, but it keeps the ride steady even when you’re fully loaded. And even while riding over hilly inclines, it still felt plenty stable during turns.
I wouldn’t want to have to lift it into a truck, but as long as you’re planning on keeping all three wheels on the ground, the weight seems to be a benefit, not a detriment.
Performance-wise, it’s plenty peppy. The 750W motor has all the torque I needed, even with three extra kids onboard. Dual batteries (on the higher-end version) gave me long range – realistically over 50 miles (80 km) with a mix of throttle and pedal assist.
The good news is that a trike is usually ridden a bit slower, meaning the range ends up being longer than you’d expect. It can still hit 20 mph (32 km/h), and I definitely tested that on straightaways when I was by myself, but with cargo or passengers, I tended to ride a bit slower.
And it stops just as well as it goes, thanks to a total of three dual-piston hydraulic disc brakes for safety, each with their own parking brake. That’s an underrated feature, especially when you’re loading up kids or dogs and don’t want the bike rolling away on you. I’ve tried electric trikes before that had no parking brake, and they will literally just roll away from you when dismounting on even the slightest hill, since there’s no kickstand on the ground to “anchor” yourself.
And speaking of safety, the battery (or batteries, on the dual battery model) are UL-certified for extra peace of mind.
There are a few downsides to note. It’s heavy, like I said, which makes it hard to transport in a vehicle unless you’ve got a full-on ramp to get it in the back of a truck. You’re not throwing this on a bike rack or carrying it upstairs to your apartment. You’re definitely going to need a dedicated garage to park it in (and it will take up more room than a typical bicycle in your garage).
And it’s not cheap, either. The single-battery version runs $3,800, while the dual-battery model climbs to $4,250. But honestly, for what it replaces (second car, cargo bike, grocery-getter, dog hauler, mobile balloon stand…), it starts to make sense. And if it means your family can get around without needing a second car, then it probably pays for itself in literally just a couple of months when you factor in the savings on car payments, gasoline, insurance, etc.
I honestly think this would be an ideal vehicle for dropping the kids off at school, doing large grocery runs, or all sorts of other utility style tasks – the things many Americans use a pickup truck or an SUV for every day.
In my opinion, the Oh Wow Cycles Conductor Plus is one of the most versatile electric bikes I’ve tested in a long time. Whether you’re hauling humans, dogs, shelving units, or helium tanks, this bike just says “yes.” And isn’t that what a good pickup truck or SUV should do – actually serve for utility tasks?
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