The Takeaway: An affordable cargo bike that can handle heavy loads and gentle inclines.
- A generous gear range with a triple chainring help you keep your cargo rolling.
- Smaller wheels and a steering-corrector spring make for easier handling.
- The Envoy comes with two giant removable panniers.
- Con: The cheap fenders tended to rub on the wheel occasionally.
Price: $731.49
Weight: 41.4 lb. (S/M)
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We’re seeing a surge in cycling as a social distancing-compliant way for people to get around (while avoiding public transportation), make grocery runs, and log a bit of exercise during the COVID-19 pandemic. And a cargo bike specifically will help you stay in shape while still providing enough capacity to tote food and supplies. If you live in a relatively flat area, consider the affordable and capable Mongoose Envoy. This long-tail hauler doesn’t have a motor for electric pedal assistance like many cargo bikes do, so you’ll definitely still get a workout in and save some money. Electric cargo bikes can help you move some serious loads with a lot less effort but many cost at least double the price of the Envoy.
5 Things We Love about the Mongoose Envoy
Steer-Assisting Spring
Helped me keep the bike under control.
Stable Kickstand
This double-pronged stand easily pops right out.
Triple Chainring
All the granny gears I needed.
Included Panniers
Waterproof, roomy, and easily removable.
Rear Rack Options
Plenty of attachment points for a basket or child seat.
I’ll admit it—I put off testing this bike when it first came into the office because it just seemed like so much work. How the heck was this bike supposed to haul around groceries without a motor? I’ll tell you: more slowly. But not necessarily with more effort—the generous 8-speed Sunrace cassette offers up to an easy-spinning 34-tooth cog in the back, and the triple chainring up front offers a 22-tooth gear (smaller rings on the crankset equal less pedaling effort). This allowed me to ride comfortably and lightly, even when the Envoy was fully loaded, on flat ground.
And unloaded, it didn’t hold me back from summiting the steepest, longest hill between my house and the office. But I was sweating and puffing in the lowest gear by the time I reached the top. You can definitely get some exercise on the Envoy if that’s what you’re looking for.
Frame: Aluminum
Fork: Steel
Crankset: Prowheel with 42-, 32-, and 22-tooth rings
Shifters: Shimano EF500
Cassette: Sunrace, 8-speed, 11-34 tooth cogs
Front Derailleur: Shimano FD-TX800
Rear Derailleur: Shimano Altus RD-M310
Rims: Xposure aluminum
Tires: Xposure 26-inch diameter x 2.35-inches wide
Pedals: Mongoose nylon flats
Brakes: Mongoose mechanical aluminum; Rotor diamter: 180mm (front), 160mm (rear)
Brake levers: Shimano BR-EF505
Handlebar: Xposure, aluminum
Stem: Xposure die-cast quill still
Seat Post: Xposure, aluminum
Saddle: Mongoose MTB comfort steel
Grips: Xposure Kraton, semi-ergo
Sizes: S/M (5’5” to 5’10”), M/L (5’10” to 6’2”)
Panniers Included
The removable panniers come with the bike, which is nice because it doesn’t require any extra purchases to be useful from the moment the rig is built. They’re super roomy, with enough space to hold a strategically packed week’s worth of groceries for me and my boyfriend. And the waterproof zippers and giant Velcro flaps over the tops keep the elements out. The panniers attach to the frame via five hooks—three on the tops and two on the bottoms—and are relatively easy to get on and off, even when they’re full, thanks to a small handle on top of each bag. But carrying them around by those handles felt weird, so thankfully the hooks allowed them to attach perfectly to either side of my shopping cart when I took it on a grocery run.
A Great Grocery-Getter
At the supermarket, I loaded the bags to the gills with my food for the week, including a 12-pack of seltzer and gallon of almond milk. The Envoy handled the weight (about 60 pounds total) well, still providing a smooth, manageable ride. Once it was loaded down, the spring coil connection between the fork and the down tube became really important, keeping it from tipping over while parked by keeping the front wheel balanced and pointing forward, as well as making it a lot easier to keep the heavy bike headed where I wanted it to go. The wide, 2.4-inch tires helped keep the ride plush over bumps, even when the bike was fully loaded down.
Parking the Envoy—and, more importantly, getting it going—is easy thanks to the kickstand mounted below the bottom bracket. A handle below the seat (which doubles as a handle for passengers) allows you to lift the bike up onto the kickstand as you lower the prongs with your foot, creating a tripod stance with the two rods and the rear tire. Compared to the back end of the bike, the front is incredibly lightweight and lifts up easily. When you’re ready to roll, simply push the bike forward and tip the stand back up into place. Not much heavy lifting required.
Pros
- Center kickstand
- Wide gear range
- Rack and panniers included
Cons
- Cheaper components to keep cost low
One bummer about the bike is that the smallest size is designed for riders only as tall as 5-foot-5. I’m 5-foot-2 myself, so the reach was a bit long for me. But it wasn’t terribly uncomfortable, and the seat adjusts plenty low. The Envoy also comes equipped with fenders so you can ride through puddles without ruining your work pants. To save money and keep it at this incredible price, the company used its in-house component brand Xposure and opted for lighter-duty fenders, but that doesn’t compromise the ride quality much.
So don’t dismiss this cargo bike just because it isn’t electric—it’s worth every penny.
Riley is a writer and outdoor adventure guide currently based in Tucson, Arizona where she leads mountain bike rides, rock climbing, and hiking trips. In her spare time, she writes stories and reviews outdoor and fitness gear. Find her writing in publications including Outside, Lonely Planet, SHAPE, Bicycling, Runner’s World, and others. When she’s not playing in the mountains, she’s probably laying down somewhere or eating (or both).
