With its big, padded saddle and shock-absorbing seatpost the MOD Easy is just that: an easy ride. For anyone wanting to dial their comfort even further, they can let a little air out of the monster Kenda Flame 24 x 3-in. tires.
Be forewarned, running such big tires soft has its pluses and minuses. On the plus side, these tires can be run at very low pressure with little risk of a pinch flat and it will make the bike feel like a rolling La-Z-Boy. On the minus side, soft tires require more energy to propel, which will eat up more of the battery’s charge, further reducing the Easy’s range.
One of the other features of the 3-in.-wide Kenda tires we like is the traction they offer. With such a big footprint we found we could turn in hard and make it corner like a much shorter bike.
Because the MOD Easy comes in just one size, the bike was spec’d with an adjustable stem to allow riders to better tailor the fit by altering the stem’s angle of rise. It’s a terrific choice that will increase the comfort of most riders.
Out on the road or on the bike path the MOD Easy has the manners of a classic cruiser; the rider enjoys a relaxing, upright position. The suspension seatpost definitely makes a difference, but for heavier riders, i.e., over 200 lbs, the post is likely to be compressed without feeling like it comes all the way back up, unfortunately; it had trouble returning to its high position under my 170 lbs.
Some cruisers feature a design that puts the crank farther in front of the rider. What this does is allow the bike’s designer to keep the saddle closer to the ground while still allowing proper leg extension in the pedal stroke. We mention this because the saddle’s low position relative to the ground may cause some smaller riders to think they can comfortably ride it, but it’s easy to miss the relationship of the saddle to the pedals.
The relaxed steering of the MOD Easy satisfies in the way that only a cruiser can. When we say that it moves like the wind, what we mean is that it’s a summer breeze, not a gale force wind. The backswept bar means the reach never requires the rider to lean over like a Tour de France racer.
The MOD Easy with Side Boat—the version with the sidecar—comes with a caveat or two. Any trip out on this bike needs to be made without a deadline. Anyone on this rig is going to be stopped regularly by people wanting to know about it, how much it costs and where they can get one. Okay, not everyone will want one, but the average bystander will ask plenty of questions. That’s only partly a joke.
What riders do need to be alerted to is how the Easy corners with the addition of the Side Boat. Turns are not, uh, easy. Bicycles carve turns by countersteering. That is, the rider leans into the turn and the front wheel actually steers away from the direction of the turn ever so slightly; that’s how a rider initiates the turn. Well the Easy doesn’t lean with the Side Boat; the rider must steer, not countersteer and making the switch is something the body fights at first.
I found that when I first climbed aboard and went to carve right, I turned left because my body kept telling me I hadn’t made the bike lean over. I’d compare the change with driving a right-hand-drive car like in England or Japan. The brain sends out little messages of alarm because the view from the left side of the road seems wrong.
The MOD Easy with Side Boat forces the rider to lean their body and steer into each turn. The technique can be learned in just an hour or two, but allowing enough room for the sidecar takes some practice. It’s pretty easy to put the sidecar’s wheel in the dirt when riding on a bike path.
The cargo capacity of the Side Boat allows for a solid haul of groceries or bringing Fido along. Kids will love this thing until they start to outgrow it, which won’t take much time. The seat pad is comfy enough, but also thin enough that the tub doesn’t leave much room for legs.
We can’t argue with this e-bike’s style score (which is about 36 on a scale of 10), but when it comes to cargo bikes, there are easier ways to haul a load. A long-tail with a big basket will outperform this in all of the ways, but if you just have a bag or three you can toss them in here easily enough.
The display may only be a black-and-white LED, but its size makes it easy to read in all but the brightest conditions. The battery-life indicator sits in a corner and while reading it on the move is easy enough, the five-bar icon doesn’t give the rider enough info. We would like it if among the display’s functions like trip distance and average speed if there were a calculation of remaining range. This is not a bike to be caught out with zero battery.
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