I’ve been working in the electric bike industry for nearly two decades, and publicly reviewing e-bikes for around half of that. I used to say I’ve touched hundreds of e-bikes, but now that I’ve lost count, I wouldn’t be surprised to find I need to add a digit to that. With so many saddles that I have to sit on, I get to ride a lot of e-bikes for a few weeks, but I rarely get to spend months on any one bike. So when I finished my one-month review of the Xtracycle Hopper electric cargo bike and had a unique opportunity for a longer-term project, I jumped on it.

My best friend and his wife have a couple of kids and are a bike-friendly family, so I made him an offer: take this bike and ride it as much as you guys can. Now, having just hit 1,000 km (620 miles) on the thing, he’s back to share his experiences with me. And by extension, with you all.