Price: $2,890 and up
Weight: 57 lb. (as tested)
Style: Electric assist cargo bike
Drivetrain: Shimano STEPS system, Shimano Deore
Wheel Size: 26-inch rear, 20-inch front
The Best Bike For: bike commuters who have a lot of errands to run
When my Subaru hit 220,000 miles and subsequently bit the dust, I became a full-time bike commuter. Last week, I had a long grocery list and a craving for watermelon, and I knew this was too big a job for my roll-top backpack. But heck yes was it a job for the Cero One. I loaded the two racks up with two weeks worth of groceries quite easily using the large rear rack and a bungee net over the front platform. The handling was still incredibly smooth and balanced, partially thanks to the smaller front wheel (20 inch in the front, compared to the 26-inch rear), which lowers the center of gravity for the front rack.
The battery-powered Shimano STEPS drive system has a 93-mile range and gently assists you as you pedal up to 20 mph—any faster is on you (of course we want it to go faster too, but then it would be a moped). The user display lets you know your total hours and miles, as well as how much further you can go on each setting until you need to recharge. Charging time 2.5 hours for up to 80 percent battery and 5 hours for a 100 percent charge.
The Cero One is outfitted with a Shimano Deore 10-speed shifting system and a 11-42t cassette, which means you’ve got plenty of gears to spin uphill with heavy cargo, or to upshift and take the motor to it’s top speed in a hurry. It has disc brakes with 180mm (front) and 160mm (rear) rotors, which bring you and your cargo to a controlled stop without pitching all your farmers’ market loot onto the street.
It’s totally reliable and comfortable as an around-town vehicle, complete with bright, button-operated lights, a center stand to keep it balanced at rest, puncture-resistant tires, and an integrated steel ABUS lock. It’s customizable as well—buyers have three different rack options at checkout for the front and back: a big basket, a narrower basket, and a platform. It comes in one-size-fits-most, with an adjustable stem angle and height. The bike is delivered mostly assembled—all that’s left for you to do is put the pedals on, straighten the handlebar, and install front wheel and front basket.
Shimano STEPS System:
The Shimano STEPS assist system has a 93-mile maximum claimed range (or shorter at higher assist settings) and gently assists your pedaling up to 20 mph. It whirs along giving you a little boost as you pedal, and gently shutting off as soon as you start to coast. This is especially useful to get a heavily loaded bike quickly up to speed from a stoplight.
Buttons on the left side of the handlebar allow the rider to adjust the assist setting up or down, and operate the lights. The user display shows your current speed, and lets you toggle through your trip time and mileage, lifetime totals and maximums, as well as estimates how much further you can go on each setting until you need a charge. Charging time is approximately four hours from empty to full. Though it's not the snappiest motor on the market, Cero's team chose the Shimano system because of the cost and weight savings benefit, as well as the well-established service network and warranty in the United States.
Designed for (almost) the whole family:
Cero founder and CEO Kiyoshi Iwai, originally from Tokyo, started the project about three years ago when he moved to Los Angeles. He was inspired by the mamachari, or mom bike, a very popular e-bike in Japan featuring child seats and big baskets. His motivation was to provide as many car replacements for people as possible in his new home of LA.
Complete Your Commuter Outfit
Bring on the Rain
Banjo Brothers Commuter Backpack
Water-repellant outer, waterproof liner.
$100 | Banjo Brothers
Flannel for Life
Kitsbow
The Icon Shirt V2
Rugged, casual, and hand-sewn in California.
$220 | Kitsbow
Minimalist Lid
Thousand Heritage Collection
Inspired by vintage moto helmets.
$85 | Thousand
The Cero comes in one-size-fits-most, with an adjustable stem angle with 90 degrees of angle adjustment, and the stem offers up to 100mm of extension adjustment. I was able to comfortably ride this with the stem and saddle low (I’m 5’2”) and my boyfriend (who is 5’10”) adjusted them just slightly higher and found his perfect fit as well. The website claims it can fit riders between 5’2” and 6’4” with the seat and stem adjustments. The bike itself has a unique wheelset—the front wheel is 20 inches, a great deal smaller than the 26-inch rear wheel, which lets the front rack sit lower for easier loading, and a lower center of gravity.
The frame comes in four neutral colors—black, grey, white, and blue—so if you like your everyday ride on the flashier side, embellishments are up to you. But trust me, you’ll turn enough heads with a rotisserie chicken in tow.
Commuter-perfect perks:
The bright, button-operated lights are welcome, but they draw from the same battery as the motor, so they can cut into the Cero's range. A center stand keeps it balanced at rest, and puncture-resistant tires, and an integrated, key-operated ABUS lock improve reliability and security. When ordering, you have three different cargo-carrying options to choose between for the front and back: a large basket, a narrower basket, and a wide platform rack. You can also add a chain lock and holster, a child seat, or a surfboard rack when you order online. Cero claims the bike can carry one adult and one child total between the seat and rack options, but I have personally verified that it can handle at least two adults and a dog at one time (as long as you don’t exceed 300 lbs).
Additionally, the One is more budget-friendly than comparable e-cargo bikes in its category. The Yuba Spicy Curry, which has a Bosch motor but no included lock or kickstand starts at $4,499. The Tern GSD, also with a Bosch motor, is $3,999. Both offer add-ons or components that elevate their carrying or storage capabilities a touch beyond the One, but for the same basic and high-quality function, it's hard to beat the Cero One at $2,890.
Just Makes Car-Free Life Better
This bike makes me really, really happy to ride it. The STEPS system relieves a lot of the top-end effort and takes the “ugh” out of running errands by bike on a hot day. I have yet to have a load that’s too much for it to carry all at once (though I’m sure we could max it out with people if we tried). Even fully loaded, it’s easy and smooth to maneuver, and never tossed anything out of the baskets as I clattered over railroad tracks. I could comfortably take my alley-and-grass route to work. It’s got a lot of options to customize it to your commuting needs, and might make you consider going car free (on purpose).
