My daughter and means of transport, that's a thing in itself. The pram: hilarious. The car seat: unloved. The buggy: only for short journeys. As a result, my husband and I mainly transported our little daughter Sophia in a baby carrier during the first few months of her life. When Sophia was six months old, I finally wanted to expand my radius a little with her: visit friends on the other side of town, take a trip to the wildlife reserve, go shopping at the market.
The Ca Go FS200 in everyday life
The opportunity to test the e-cargo bike from Ca Go Bike over a longer period of time was a happy coincidence. I was hoping that the bike would make everyday life with a child easier: after all, the manufacturer from Koblenz advertises that it has developed a particularly safe e-cargo bike for transporting children. As a passionate cyclist, I missed the feeling of freedom in the saddle. Perhaps the whirring of the electric motor would also gently lull my daughter to sleep? On a bright, sunny day in March, the Ca Go FS200 Life Family arrives at our home in Bonn. A sleek, grey box with a modern, technical design. A proud 270 centimetres long and, with an unladen weight of 53 kilograms, heavier than me.
A detailed technical inspection is followed by the first test ride. I use a lot of force to balance the bike forwards to get it off the stand. The fact that the front wheel is covered by the transport box when steering takes some getting used to at first.
What is impressive, however, is how effortlessly the Bosch Cargo motor pushes the transporter forward from the very first few metres. I quickly forget how sluggish my ride-on undercarriage actually is. Thanks to the cable steering, the e-cargo bike has a very small turning circle. With a little practice, I steer the monster unerringly through the narrow streets of the southern part of the city, even turning manoeuvres and small parking spaces are no problem. Only parking remains a feat of strength for me, for which I often need several manoeuvring attempts, depending on how tight the parking space is.
High-quality components
Apart from the motor and steering technology, the high-quality individual components of the bike are also impressive: the continuously variable automatic hub automatically selects the right gear ratio for me; I can preset the frequency at which I want to pedal on the on-board computer. The Magura disc brakes have so much power that I can whizz down the local mountain at 40 km/h without any worries. Although the rear brakes make a quiet grinding noise after just 200 kilometres, this doesn't affect their function. Even unloaded, the Ca Go FS200 stable straight ahead. Riding one-handed for a short time, for example to give a hand signal, is possible from the outset safely and without unwanted steering reactions. This is due to the bike's long wheelbase and low centre of gravity: the transport load is low and both batteries are located in a lockable compartment under the transport box.
Without any major modifications, both my 1.93 metre tall husband and I, at 1.63 metres tall, can ride the e-cargo bike without any loss of comfort. The flat seat tube angle increases the seat length noticeably. By changing the saddle height, we both find a comfortable position - a little more sporty for my husband and more relaxed for me. Thanks to the groove in the seat post, the saddle is always correctly orientated forwards, even when adjusting the height. The only compromise is the spring stiffness of the parallelogram seat post - my husband is too heavy for the spring, I am too light.
The transport box
The centrepiece of the bike is the transport box. Ca Go prefers to call this the passenger cell or safety cell. These names alone illustrate the character of the e-cargo bike: the Ca Go FS200 does not want to be a simple pedelec for transporting loads; it wants to lift passenger transport on a two-wheeler into a new, safe age. That's why a lot of heart and soul has been put into the design of the box. The box is made of so-called EPP, short for expanded polypropylene. The soft, elastic, thermoplastic foam can absorb energy in the event of an impact, similar to a crumple zone. With a length of 70 centimetres, a width of at least 46 centimetres and a capacity of 200 litres, the box fits exactly one Eurobox or two crates of beer. A week's shopping - without a child in the box - is easily possible with the bike. However, Ca Go's core business is transporting children.
"For your most valuable cargo" - the company advertises with this slogan. The sophisticated safety concept also convinced my husband and me. Manufacturer crash tests have shown that the box and the belt system of the sprung child seats can withstand a collision. The safety collar, which is also fitted to the rear and side of the box in the Family Plus version, protects the head and neck of older children. Thanks to the collar, they sit so low in the box that it is no longer possible to let their arms dangle out - but their passive safety is increased.
Uli Frieß, MYBIKE test editor: "The FS200 Life Family is a sophisticated, comfortable and well-equipped child transporter with a focus on safety. Its dimensions and weight limit its suitability for everyday use somewhat."
The car stops more and more often
Because our daughter is still too small to sit, we can't yet strap her into one of the two child seats supplied. However, an Isofix device allows us to use a Maxicosi infant car seat. As Sophia doesn't like this, we decide in favour of the Weber seat. This baby hammock can also be easily clamped into the box. During the first test drive, Sophia peers curiously through the viewing slits of the box and observes what is happening on the road. Because she is secured against the direction of travel for safety reasons, I can maintain excellent eye contact with her. This reassures her (and me too!). And after a few minutes, Sophia is actually rocked to sleep by the rocking of the hammock in combination with the whirring electric motor. She only wakes up again when the bike is switched off - and the kickstand locks into place.
We'll be using the Ca Go FS200 regularly over the next few weeks and months. We transport pizza, potting compost and ice cream, cycle to a wedding with Sophia and visit friends in Cologne. The Ca Go is convincing both in city traffic and in sporty use, for example on rough surfaces in the forest. We regularly cycle with Sophia through the nearby Kottenforst forest so that she can take her afternoon nap. I also get my workout in eco mode. Thanks to the rather sporty seat and handlebar position, I enjoy the longer rides.
Use in wind and weather?
Our car is left parked more and more often, even in bad weather. The elaborately designed all-weather top, with a fastening system consisting of magnetic, Velcro and zip fasteners, protects our shopping from the rain and Sophia from the sun. Only when it storms do the magnetic fasteners fail. If the wind blows from the side, it pushes the plastic tarpaulin into the box; if it also rains, it drips onto Sophia. At home, we have to park the Ca Go on the street. Like many bike-loving city dwellers, we probably don't have the luxury of a sufficiently large ground-level parking space into which we could push our cargo bike. As a result, our new family member spends the night in the open air right outside our front door. We protect it - as best we can - from the wind and weather and from potential thieves: If the bike computer is removed, the electric motor cannot be started; we also secure it with a thick lock. If we are not at home for a few days, we put the so-called Ca-Go-Bike-Garage over it, a tarpaulin like the ones used on motorbikes.
The two batteries can be removed from the lockable compartment and taken into the living room for charging. Their capacity is impressive: in total, we only had to charge them six times in over 1200 kilometres. Depending on the mode (from Eco to Turbo) and terrain, we were able to cycle 100 to 280 kilometres with two fully charged batteries.
Details of the Ca Go FS200
- Motor: Bosch Performance CX Cargo
- Torque: 85 Nm
- Display: Bosch Kiox
- Battery size: 2 x 625 Wh
- Gear hub: Enviolo Automatiq, stepless
- Frame: Aluminium
- Fork: SR Suntour MOBIE-A32-CGO 20"
- Brakes: Magura; v: CME4, 203 mm, h: CME 5, 220 mm
- Tyres: Schwalbe, front: Big Ben 55-406, rear: Super Moto-X 70-584
- Lighting system: front: Supernova Mini 2 Pro, rear: B&M Secula
- Weight: 55 kilos
- Permissible total weight: 225 kilos
- Frame size: Universal
- Wheelbase: 2065 mm
Conclusion on the Ca Go FS200
Even after more than five months and over 1000 kilometres ridden, wind and weather have not had much effect on the Ca Go. One annoying thing is that the Velcro fastener of the expensive all-weather top has come loose at one point. Otherwise, we have no major faults to criticise. For our purposes in the city, it was a great replacement for our car. The trips into the countryside were a particular highlight, where the cargo bike also proved its off-road capabilities on field and forest tracks. The only thing that puts us off is the price: the Ca Go FS200 Life Family is currently available from 8290 euros. If you want more comfort and safety, choose the Family Plus model (incl. all-weather top and safety collar) from 9350 euros.
- Plus: Very high-quality components, well thought-out design, convincing safety concept
- Minus: High price, quality of the Velcro fastener's adhesive bond, raining into the all-weather top in strong crosswinds
