Testing the Kettler Familiano e-bike: The child carrier

Kettler Familiano LN: The traditional manufacturer Kettler Alu-Rad is presenting a modern, well-designed cargo bike that is aimed specifically at young parents, but is also tailored to transporting loads. Highlights are the high permissible total weight and the powerful motor with a double battery and thus a long range.

Ten or fifteen years ago, anyone who wanted to transport their small children by bicycle basically found only one contemporary solution: the child trailer, also known as a trailer. The practical, versatile one or two-seaters huddled in front of day-care centers, made narrow bike paths unsafe and were pushed through the shelves in supermarkets as a replacement for prams. They were uncoupled in front of the outdoor pool and pushed onto the sunbathing lawn, and in front of the house either a tarpaulin was pulled over it or they were folded up and carried into the basement.

Kettler Familiano: The transport e-bike that rides like a "normal" e-bike

But times have changed. The combination of e-bike and trailer is still popular, but with the constant development of electric bikes and in view of new concepts for cargo bikes, something else is now in demand: the family bike specially tailored to transport children. This new genre has only been present in everyday life for two or three years; Previously extremely exotic, you can now find the e-parent taxis in noticeable numbers on the street, in front of the playground and at the kindergarten.

Popular are sluggish models with a fixed, covered compartment, as a tricycle, non-tilting and quite wide; However, there are also "sportier" variants that are closer to normal e-bikes - for example the Familiano from the traditional manufacturer Kettler Alu-Rad. Their concept is not completely new, but the Kettler developers implemented it skilfully: The rigid bike rolling on voluminous 20-inch tires is equipped with an extra-long rear carrier on which two child seats can be attached one after the other. An older child, who can already sit up and hold on to himself, sits on a spring-loaded children's saddle with handlebars; behind it is a classic child seat for the smaller sibling. Footboards that attach to the chain stays provide comfort and safety for taller passengers. The children's saddle with its own "handlebar" will be available from April; The price has not yet been determined. In any case, this is a clever gadget to make riding a little more entertaining for a three or four-year-old child.

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Kettler Familiano: 180 kg total weight – driver, two children plus groceries, no problem!

In addition to transporting the offspring, the luggage rack can of course also be used as such - Kettler offers an extra-long transport basket for this purpose, which can be loaded with purchases etc. in addition to the already quite spacious front carrier. The Familiano allows a total permissible weight of 180 kilos; Even if the driver and vehicle add 110 kilos, the loading capacity is still enormous.

It goes without saying that a bike like this needs a powerful drive. Kettler uses the most powerful unit in the Bosch portfolio, the Performance Line CX developed for e-mountain bikes, which in the latest design (recognizable by the large sprocket at the front) is even easier to run. Together with the compact Purion display on the handlebars, which simplifies operation, this motor is ideal for everyday transport: it pushes you hard when starting off and on hills, and it is also very elegantly and discreetly integrated into the frame of the Familiano. The batteries – two can be mounted at once, which makes the cargo bike a range star – are conveniently located on the rear frame and are easily accessible; the bike, which is quite long despite its small wheels, should be parked outside in many places (under a protective tarpaulin), and then the batteries should be stored and charged in the house.

Kettler Familiano: Top-equipped, with the new Bosch CX, Enviolo manual transmission and first-class brakes

A hot topic with cargo bikes is the steering behavior. Models whose loading area is arranged in front of the driver take some getting used to in this regard, as their handling is quite different from that of conventional bicycles. Also not without trailers - mainly because of their width. The Familiano, on the other hand, basically rides like a normal e-bike. Where one would expect a rather sluggish character due to its length, the 20-inch wheels ensure maneuverability; In terms of width, the cargo bike is no different from normal bikes anyway. Especially when the front basket remains empty, a certain rear-heaviness can be felt, which on the other hand helps when jacking it up on the solid two-legged stand.

The voluminous Schwalbe tires, if they are not inflated to the maximum, replace a suspension - if their rolling resistance is a little higher, this is more than compensated for by the powerful motor. The same applies to the gears: The continuously variable Enviolo transmission is easy to operate and allows the translation to be adjusted precisely, but it is less efficient than a derailleur gear - but it doesn't matter if the Bosch Performance CX is on board...

With a four-piston disc brake at the front, the braking system is also tailored to heavy loads. The manufacturer has also made sure that this e-bike has to fit people of different sizes: With a short seat tube and large adjustment range of the seat post, both mothers and fathers can sit on the Familiano. The handlebar stem is of course also adjustable. The details that are convincing in everyday use also include the bright lighting system and the practical frame lock for shorter stops - for example in front of the kindergarten.

Kettler Familiano: An e-bike for the whole family

Does this mean that the combination of bicycle or e-bike and trailer is outdated? Not quite, because of course a cargo bike cannot do certain things. The Familiano does not offer the option of detaching the luggage compartment and pushing it in front of you by hand; Anyone who wants a transporter that can also be used "solo" will find the classic solution of e-bike and trailer at Kettler - optimized by the trailer's own coupling system, which can be found on the Quadriga models, for example. But this aspect is also one of the strengths of the new family transporter: if the children are in daycare, the bike can be ridden almost like a normal, powerfully motorized e-bike. In everyday life, this ensures a lot of flexibility, not to mention driving pleasure.

In contrast to a pure (usually two-lane) children's transporter with a compartment, the Familiano has clear advantages. Unlike such a model, it can also be used without children or loads; it does not have to be purchased in addition to a conventional e-bike or bicycle, but can replace one. However, one advantage offered by the child transporter with a closed compartment and the trailer is the all-round protection from the weather, which children in the seat on the luggage rack do not enjoy.

There is no question that the future belongs to cargo e-bikes. With the Kettler Familiano, the segment has been enriched by an interesting variety, and families looking for a car replacement for city traffic should take a look at the new Cargobike.