// ARS TECHNICA — MODA & SOCIETÀ
Xtracycle's Swoop ASM e-bike brings an automatic transmission to cargo bikes
A steel frame cargo bike with a unique twist: You can let it choose your gear.
The Velotric Discover M e-bike we reviewed earlier this year had a feature I found somewhat annoying: It would sporadically block much of the display with an alert telling me I should be in a different gear. While the implementation bugged me, the concept made a certain degree of sense; most e-bikes now know your cadence, how much torque you’re generating, and how that power is being translated into speed. That’s everything you need to know to determine an optimal gear.
Somewhere in the back of my mind, I thought, “If you’re so smart, why don’t you just shift for me?”
I was completely unaware that Shimano had already developed a system that did exactly that. And for the past few weeks, I’ve been using it on a $4,500 cargo bike from Xtracycle called the Swoop ASM that let me see what it’s like to hand control of my gears to an electronic brain.
The short answer is that the electronics on the Swoop really are smart enough to figure out when it should be shifting. But the system is less adept at the actual shifting process, making for rides that are less smooth than they could be when it’s active. But you can shut that feature off, and the Swoop will shine as a fantastic cargo bike.
Xtracycle got its start providing cargo trailers for mountain bikes and then branched into dedicated cargo bikes. The Swoop ASM is a long-tail cargo bike with what’s called a mullet setup: a larger tire up front and a smaller one in back. The small wheel is designed to help keep the weight held by the large rear rack a bit closer to the road. It also has a front suspension to help cushion the ride.
Notably, the bike is built with steel tubes. Most manufacturers’ lineups use a mix of either carbon fiber and aluminum because those two materials can be made into the exact same shape, simplifying manufacturing. But other materials still have their fans, as they can offer distinct combinations of weight, stiffness, and vibration dissipation.
I haven’t owned a steel tube bike since the 1990s, but the Swoop was a good reminder of why it still has its fans. It’s relatively lightweight (just under 70 lbs/31 kg) for its size, its ride is very comfortable, and it was surprisingly responsive when I stood in the pedals to accelerate away from stops. Despite its highly specialized geometry, the Swoop felt like a fundamentally good bicycle.
There are limits to how well a single frame size can adapt to different body sizes, but Xtracycle does its best to widen the comfort window. It includes a double-telescoping seat post to maximize the seat-pedal distance flexibility. There’s also a quick release on the front handlebar clamp, making it easy to tweak the angle where the grips meet your hands. I found settings that were relatively comfortable but still a bit short of ideal for my 6-plus-foot (188 cm) frame—even with the seat post at its recommended maximum, I could touch the toes of both of my feet down while seated.
Beyond that, plenty of nice touches make this a solid cargo bike. These include protective covers for the rear wheel and chain to keep clothing and limbs from accidentally getting entangled. A robust U-shaped kickstand keeps the bike stable even if you park it when fully loaded, and there’s a front cargo rack that can hold some baggage.