Heybike Hauler review: Hefty yet comfortable e-bike for errands

If you live in a busy metropolitan area, chances are good you've seen your share of people tooling around on e-bikes. They seem to be everywhere.

e-bikes are now a part of everyday life. There's the simple rental tourist model that you'll often see moving in packs here in Nashville.

Then there are larger, more expensive offerings commuters use to replace cars and public transit without going full motorcycle or scooter.

For me, e-bikes and the e-bike lifestyle were never an ambition or something I ever saw myself buying into.

I like my car. No — I love my car, and its essential in Nashville, unfortunately. That all said, I may be one of the best people to take the latest offering from Heybike out for a test ride and see what all the buzz is about.

Heybike Hauler review - Core specifications

The Heybike Hauler is the latest offering from e-bike manufacturer Heybike and is touted as being their first cargo-focused model, with an emphasis on hauling, longer distance travel, and a bevy of practical day-to-day uses.

This is not the cute little tourist model, as the Hauler is beefy. Weight, size, and durability are features with the Hauler, not bugs.

The big takeaways for the Hauler at a glance:

• 440 lbs. payload capacity
• Speed up to 28mph.
• 1400w motor
• 55-mile max range with single battery
• Extra space for hauling cargo (or smaller passengers)
• Hydraulic disc brakes
• Hydraulic front suspension
• Digital display
• Headlight
• Turn signal

Heybike Hauler review - Unboxing

The Hauler arrived in a single large box that is incredibly well packed and padded for protection during shipping.

As you could expect, the box is very heavy. I would recommend having a family member, friend, or neighbor help move the Hauler box to where you intend to assemble the e-bike.

I did this alone, and it was challenging. Don't be like me.

Inside the box, you will find everything you need to assemble the Hauler: Bike components, battery charger, tools, two keys, and instructions.

Everything works with Allen wrenches. In the event you lose the tools included in the box, the sizes are standard enough to make finding replacements easy.

The assembly went well on my own, but having two people would have made the process incredibly quick and easy. I was able to unbox, sort the parts, and get the battery out of the frame with the key provided and onto the charger while I assembled the Hauler.

The manual provides step-by-step instructions with photos that are easy to follow. The entire process took about 30-45 minutes.

My Hauler box did not have instructions in it, but Heybike's customer service was amazing, emailing me what I needed within a day to complete the assembly.

Heybike Hauler review - Build quality

Nothing about the Hauler feels cheap. The bike is incredibly well made and feels durablem from the handlebars to the tires, the metal and plastics. Even the pre-assembly is top tier.

I'll be honest, I was a little surprised by this. I half-expected a corner to be cut here and there, but I could not find a single example of where the Hauler felt flimsy.

This is a relief as I am a clumsy person by nature, and I know in my heart that a day will come where I lay the Hauler down while I wipe out going around a turn or hitting curb. But based on what I have seen and experienced, I know that while I may pick up some fresh bumps and bruises, the Hauler will be just fine.

Heybike Hauler review - Features

The Hauler is not lacking in features. The Hauler is offering what you would expect from a bike in its class, and still gives more.

Heybike offers the Hauler in three colors: Blue Ivy, Golden Dream, and Milk White.

For me, the specs on weight, max speed, and range were already impressive. But when you factor in the safety features of a bright headlight, a brake light, reflective banding on the tires, and turn signals, I was on the path to being a believer.

It is a common sense thing, sure, but having safety factored into the overall design is a very nice touch. All I could think about is the nervous parent or family member buying a Hauler for their college student and feeling a little bit safer knowing that the bike has such features.

I know I felt safer tooling around on the Hauler as a result.

The standard, single-battery Hauler has a max range of 55 miles. However Heybike will sell you a dual-battery model that extends that range to 85 miles. We weren't able to test that.

The digital display is bright and incredibly intuitive.

Aside from the standard readings you would expect like battery level and miles per hour, the Hauler display also provides other information. For example, it has a trip odometer, odometer, max speed, average speed, lights, mode (standard or Pushcart), PAS level, and displays any potential error codes.

It is the little things, and having all my trip information in front of me while I ride is something I appreciate.

One of the few negative things I can say about the Hauler is the lack of ease for its namesake.

Carrying cargo is a key feature for the Hauler. While it is true there is a rack area behind the seat where you could use clamps or bungie cords to secure boxes, bags, or objects, it is not exactly intuitive out of the box.

Heybike will sell you a Rear Rack Basket made for the Hauler for an additional $99. With the retail price of the Hauler, a simple rack basket like that should be included.

It feels a little bit like Sony or Nintendo saying they will sell you an amazing, next-level video game system that plays games better than anything else on the market. But it does not come with controllers, and you will need to buy them separately.

Heybike Hauler review - Riding it

Since receiving the Hauler, I have taken it out for several rides around my neighborhood and down to my local taco truck.

Admittedly, the distances I traveled are nowhere near the maximum range of the Hauler potential. My area is not what I would call optimal for e-bikes and a 47-year-old man who has not regularly ridden bikes for many years.

That said, I really enjoyed my rides. On day one, I had to adjust the seat, find my ideal gear and level of motorized support, and dial everything to my liking, while also remembering how to ride a bike again.

I am happy to report there were no accidents and the process was very smooth.

First, the seat on the Hauler is incredibly comfortable. I am a big guy and big folks on bikes can be a little uncomfortable on tailbones over time, but the seat on the Hauler is cushioned and very accommodating.

A trip to longer ranges would lead to some soreness, but I believe that would be true of nearly any bike and rider.

I am also a little bit on the taller side, and I was very happy to see that the Hauler offers a range of adjustable seat heights to prevent my knees from hitting my stomach or chest while I ride.

Again, it is the little things.

As for the ride itself, as I mentioned I am a rookie when it comes to e-bikes, and I was not prepared for how wonderful it is to have that adjustable level of motor support to tool around.

The Hauler offers a range of PAS (pedal assist system) gears and intensities to meet your needs, There is freedom to take next to no assistance for a great workout ride as me and the Hauler are heavy or dial the assistance way up to take a relaxing ride with little effort required.

The lights and safety features and I can report they all work very, very well in both daylight and nighttime hours. Pedestrians and drivers could see me easily with the lights and the reflective safety banding on the Hauler tires.

The Hauler also offers a Pushcart setting for moving the bike around without any PAS support. But be warned about the weight of the bike if you are on the smaller/petite side.

Another negative to the Hauler is the overall size. It is a long, heavy e-bike, and it is will not be easy to store for people in apartments, and it would be nigh impossible for someone living in a 3rd-floor or higher to walk it up.

The Hauler can also be cumbersome to move unassisted and in tight areas.

Heybike Hauler review - Handy but pricey

The Heybike Hauler retails for $1,399.00 US for a single-battery model and $1,799.00 US for the dual-battery model that extends the range to 85 miles, as I've previously discussed.

Nothing about the Hauler is inexpensive, and making the purchase is a major investment that denotes a great need or the freedom to indulge in using the Hauler for recreation.

It's certainly good for travel and fun. I could easily see the Hauler being a great tool for students and workers in e-bike-friendly areas as a means of transportation, for delivery app riders.

However, that hinges on being in a metropolitan area where it would be easier to get around.

The Hauler can reach 28mph, but that is never going to work on highways or high-speed areas. If you are in a rural area, pushing the maximum range could be a gamble.

The Hauler can handle trails and dirt roads as well as paved roads, but it comes down to where you live to assess the day-to-day value.

It's certainly fun to use, but at $1,399.00 it's not an easy purchase.

I would not spend this much on the Hauler, but that is just where my life, location, and needs dictate. If I wanted to buy into bikes or e-bikes, I would have gone down the less expensive side to test the waters, or rented an e-bike to see if it is something I would enjoy.

For someone with the budget to buy an e-bike, it's certainly a recommendation. The Hauler is amazing, and if an e-bike fits your lifestyle, you will be hard-pressed to find faults.

As someone new to the e-bike life, I found little fault outside of the retail price and the lack of cargo basket as standard. I loved the rides and I look forward to taking more as we get closer to autumn in the U.S., and it is not the temperature of the sun outside my apartment.

If you need an e-bike, the Hauler from Heybike is an amazing example that will serve you for years.

Heybike Hauler - Pros

• Sturdy construction
• Great ride
• Adjustable motor support

Heybike Hauler - Cons

• Heavy weight
• Price

Rating: 4 out of 5

Where to buy the Heybike Hauler

You can buy the Heybike Hauler from Heybike directly, starting from $1,399.