I’ve dreamed of a bike like this for years, solidified by a trip to the Netherlands. The bucket is super durable- I even climbed in while 38 weeks pregnant. My 5.5 year old loves it sooooo much and enjoyed decorating it for the 4th of July parade. Because I’m recovering from childbirth, I love that this has been great for myself AND my husband to easily and comfortably use. The e-assist helps sooooo much! There are routes we would normally avoid on the bike but the e-assist makes it easy. Since we sold a car and replaced with this bike, it was extra important to be able to take more routes. The seat and handlebars are super comfortable- very smooth ride. It does take some getting used to on sharp turns with weight in the bucket. I also bought a throttle for the e-assist and I could not get the handle grip off to install it and didn’t want to ruin the grip so I abandoned ship. I recommend asking Madsen if they will install for you to avoid this situation. Customer Service was the best I’ve encountered anywhere. Madsen’s team was very responsive, very helpful, and very engaged. Overall, there’s nothing I can complain about not would I want to. This is a phenomenal bike and a phenomenal company!

Overall our experience with Madsen is great. I would say a few thing to think about in our first few weeks of using this item. 1. There isn't a high enough gear on the bike to match the electric motor so you end up spinning your legs a decent amount. 2. The black seats get HOT in the bucket. 3. The cover for the bucket topper is very tricky to get on the topper. I think some sort of elastic tube that could just be pushed to one side would be easier and then you wouldn't lose it. This bike is getting daily use by all of us in our family and we are really enjoying it for kids, dog, stuff, groceries, etc.

We had a little bit of a learning curve dealing with the weight and balance getting started and stopping, but got over that after only about 20 minutes of riding. The only complaint I have about this bike is how much attention we get for it! people are always turning heads and saying “wow look at that,” or asking about it and how we like it. But that is a small price to pay for such a great bike. We have entirely replaced our minivan with it and are doing just fine so far!

So glad I got a Madsen—only wish I’d had it sooner! Toddler GIGGLES on the ride to daycare, is there anything better? We love riding around and get so many awed comments. It handles much like a “regular” bike and my precious cargo is secure. I wish our area had more dedicated bike infrastructure so I went to the city council and asked for it—wanna ride my Madsen everywhere! Also shout out to Lisa and Madsen customer service. So responsive and helpful! A+ small business, thank you thank you!

I don't usually leave reviews, but I am beyond happy with our Madsen. I'm afraid to leave out one of the many things I love about it! Ride quality - the ride is stable and predictable, even with 2 kids weighing over 120 lbs in the back. I test rode a Tern, a Spicy Curry, and an Xtracycle, and they were all great but either too twitchy (Tern) or a much harsher ride (Spicy Curry) or just had less character (Xtracycle). No disrespect to the former as they are each amazing, but the Madsen is just that good! The steel frame flexes enough to really smooth out the ride, making it more comfortable than some suspension bikes I tested, but it is not flexy in an unpredictable or unstable way. Leaning into turns at high speed is fun and confidence inspiring. 20mph with the kids is very comfortable, and 35 downhill by myself is fun and stable. Standing upright on the pedals going down a gentle slope is so much fun and feels very freeing. The bucket - wow!!! I was nervous my 5 year old (big @ 70lbs) would be cramped, but he fits comfortably with ample space along with my 2yo and a couple backpacks and their breakfast on our way to school. The bucket has been so fun & practical in that there is no need to worry about panniers or strapping things down or special kids seats or hooks; just throw it all in and go! I even had my wife and the dog in there once. Groceries? Throw 'em in the bucket. E-assist - I was on the fence about e assist or not as I am an avid bike commuter on my own already and figured I could use the exercise, but I'm SOOO glad I went for it! It makes me that much more eager to get out on the bike when I'm tired or it's early in the morning. No way I'd have done 60 mi in 36hrs without the assist while toting the boys and gear. Tired after picking the kids up from school? We went to the park anyway because the e-assist made it less daunting. And I found myself to be more emersed in my surrounding with e-assist as I'm less focused on working my tail off and really just taking in the sights. Very pleasant experience, and if I want to sweat I can turn it down to assist lvl 1. 100% advocate for e-assist now, no 2nd thought about going anywhere, definitely a big gas saver. Takes me up steep hills with ease. Weight and size - I was worried about getting it around since it's larger than other cargo bikes (notably the Tern), but let's be honest, I wasn't going to be throwing the Tern over my shoulder either. As far as maneuverability, I thought sidewalks and tight turns might be problematic, but quite the contrary. I feel stable at low speeds and have been able to maneuver around sidewalks and in-between potholes with ease. And with the stable long wheelbase and low center of gravity,drifting into the grass or some gravel is easy and fun. Brakes - some noted the mechanical disc brakes left something to be desired, but after some break-in on the first 30 miles or so, I found they grabbed adequately and we're easy to modulate even with a bunch of weight, and we live in a very hilly area. And mechanical are so much easier to work on at home, a wrench and some YouTube and anyone can service them. Not so much the case with hydraulics. The freedoms - my kids love it and so do I! We are going out any chance we get. We've been to the park more in the last 2 days than we had in a month without the bike. I'm actively looking for a reason to go out, and loving it when I do. When we get home, my 2yo grabs his seatbelt so I cannot take him out of the bucket! Bafang vs. the competition - I will say that the Bosch motors I have tried were smoother and better integrated into pedalling, but I would take this Bagang over them every time. Here's why; it kicks in stronger at the start of pedalling and has a more consistent / linear power output which makes it actually more fun in a way I can't quite describe. It's power is more than adequate to get me up big hills. The battery range has been great too! The other big plus; the cost and parts availability! I've read about failures of Bosch parts, and while their customer service is probably great, what a pain! Need a second battery? Bosch = $800. Bafang = $400. Want a throttle? $10 on Amazon. Need a cable replacement? Amazon. It's a no brained to me. I noticed one person report a lack of negativity reflecting dishonesty, so here is my 1 constructive critique; the little hanger that guides the chain part of the way back is a little flimsy and bent a bit when I was walking the bike and made a tight turn and it hit my ankle. I was able to o bend it back but it just seems a little flimsy for something that sticks fairly low off the bike. Not sure if thicket metal or a different type of reinforcement would help this. Overall, fantastic experience, and Madsen customer service (speaking with them directly!) was the single best customer service experience I've had, and they were eager and excited to help me and share their excitment for the product. A+