Urban Arrow FamilyNext Pro Review

Urban Arrow has carved it’s name in the front loader cargo bike world specifically with their FamilyNext electric cargo bike. The FamilyNext Pro is the next chapter for the brand as they bring a whole new design from top to bottom to your future vehicle replacement.

With a price tag of $8999 the Urban Arrow FamilyNext Pro leaves little room for improvement with Safety at the forefront.

Powered by Bosch’s Cargo Line mid-drive, the FamilyNext Pro is a Class 1 electric cargo bike with a 545Wh battery. Paired with an Enviolo Heavy Duty rear hub for gearless shifting on the fly with a twist grip shifter, the FamilyNext Pro has the power to get you up the steepest of hills and more than enough battery for a day around town.

The Gen 4 Bosch Cargo Line drive unit has 100Nm of torque and a peak power of 750w. This in turn delivers 400% support factor for riders while pedaling. New to the Cargo Line is the Cargo Mode, unique to this drive unit similar to AUTO found on other Bosch drive-units.

The Gen 4 Bosch Smart System has plenty of new features, with the FLOW app, that we could be here all day talking about. The big takeaways for us are: theft protection with a locking feature, navigation, updates and service, and motor tuning options.

This new release is more than an upgrade to the drive unit and the drivetrain; the new design to the front end is really where we see the most change.

The FamilyNext now has front suspension for smoother rides and more stabilty. It will come outfitted with SR Suntour Mobie34 CGO Boost.

Utilizing EPP Foam the front basket is now taller in the rear and has more coverage over the front end. The metal frame has integrated lighting on the front upper corners and there are integrated reflectors into the foam. The added height to the back of the basket gives more support to the kids on board and elevates the seatbelts for more shoulder clearance. The seatbelts also feature a new design for a simple one-handed release.

Riding around the neighborhood or cruising across town, the FamilyNext Pro is comfortable and smooth, ensuring a great time regardless of the distance. While you may not be racing around at mach speeds, the Bosch Cargo Line has ample power to keep the wheels spinning, whether you’re hauling the kids and their friends or tackling those steep hills.

We had our questions about the 545Wh battery, but after our test period, we realized we never came close to draining it fully, even after being out all day. That being said, we spent most of our time riding in the new Cargo mode, which we found to be the ideal mode for a balance of power when you need it and maintaining the efficiency of pedaling a big 112 lb bike around town.

With such a big bike comes a big load capacity. At 550lbs split between rider and cargo, Urban Arrow gives the stamp of approval for 275 lbs up front and 275 lbs in the back. After pay our dues and shuttling each other and friends around, we found 100-200  lbs up front was very easy to pedal with. What makes it a little tricky is the excitement of your passengers and whether or not they’re aiding in keeping the balance or just having too much fun looking around and waving.

Getting in to the weeds a bit on some things we noticed that are worth paying attention to. Although, if this is your next bike they’ll shortly reveal themselves after the first few rides.

The kickstand, while very easy to use both lifting the bike up on and pushing it off with its rocker design, doesn’t always hold the bike up. I mentioned in the video, but for those of you that missed it. I found a few times that I had to catch the bike from tipping over. What caused that? Well not a fault of the kickstand design, more of lack of even ground or level enough ground to adequately lift the front wheel into the air. I noticed mainly on the grass in parks, if there was a bit of a dip or pocket that the kickstand settled into, it would offer enough lift or support to keep the bike planted up right.

Not the end of the world problem, and something that could be circumvented easily. So I mentioned it as a word of caution to future riders.

Handlebar position was another thing I noticed only after shuttling a friend around. While kids’ heads clear the cable routing and handlebars with ease, larger riders, friends perhaps, sit up much taller. I found that with the lower stem angle, there is an overlap with where heads and helmets were, and where the handlebars sit, which can affect the turning radius.

Again another situation where the solution is found in preventing the problem. The adjustable stem is there for a few reasons, and we suspect this is one of them.

It feels natural to say it’s for families. Specifically, those looking for a vehicle replacement and a way to make the most of the brief moments commuting. Whether it be transporting kids to and from school, or getting the weeks groceries.

While the independant can still take advantage of a front loader cargo bike like this, for most we’d wager that it is a bit more than is needed on the day in and day.

Daily use, truly is what the FamilyNext Pro craves. To be put to work and integrated into the daily lives of those who bring it home. I know the verbiage of “vehicle replacement” is often what is used as the placeholder, however, I don’t think it has to replace your vehicle, it can just accompany it.

For myself, I have a big utility truck which I do everything in my power to drive as little as possible. Specifically around town. Our time with the FamilyNext Pro proved that even for just myself I could use it day in and day out, running errands or squeezing in a midweek date night.

Ultimately, we do think it favors young families. A lot of the design and tech that is featured in this newest rendition from Urban Arrow prioritizes visibility and safety. Two critical details that should not be overlooked when taking your kids out for a ride.

Is the Urban Arrow FamilyNext Pro for everyone? No…

First and foremost, price. This is a hard pill to swallow for a lot of interested folks. However, when you compare it against other top tier bikes (electric and not) it sits in a very comfortable sweet spot for value.

Price shouldn’t be the end all gauge on what makes a good bike though. We’ve had our fair share of time on five figure bikes, which can be great but they aren’t the ones we have in our own personal quivers.

Alongside the entirety of the front bucket and all the tech it has to feature from safety to visibility, comfort and ride performance where the big stands outs for us.

The Bosch/ Enviolo combo really unlocks the capabilities of this bike. While we heard a few murmurs in the background about how it should be class 3, I quite frankly agree with Urban Arrow that the Class 1 rating makes the most sense and am glad to see it.

The addition of front suspension and minor changes to the overall design add up to a smooth and comfortable ride. Logging 20+ miles in one pull is awesome and to think of bringing kids along for a multihour ride where they’re able to comfortable and take it all in as well. It’s really an awesome experience just waiting to be seized.

All in all, no, the FamilyNext Pro is not the next bike for everyone, but for those of you looking to soak up as much time as possible being outside and slowing life down just a pinch, well you’re probably already reading endless reviews and scouring for as many videos as possible.

While the FamilyNext Pro might not be my own next bike, I have a list longer than I can keep track of full of friends and family members that are ready to get their hands on one.

Price: $8999
Colors: Black, Green/ Black
Weight: 112lbs (550lbs load capacity)
Website: urbanarrow.com