After a very convincing first test of the Moustache Lundi 20, the first cargo bike from the French brand, we decided to take the plunge and adopt it daily. For a little over a year, this longtail has become an almost daily companion, our preferred means of transport for short trips and occasional trips within a radius of less than 5 km. Fourteen months and 2,000 km later, the conclusion is clear: the Lundi 20 is an excellent cargo bike, undoubtedly one of the best choices in this very particular market where the longtail rubs shoulders with the cargo bike.
During this almost daily use, we discovered other facets of the Lundi 20, strengths and some weaknesses that a traditional test, due to its time limitation, cannot reveal. This feedback is therefore a complement to our initial test of the Moustache cargo bike, from which we take no backspeak.
A reassuring design for everyday use
One of the aspects that convinced us when choosing our cargo bike was the care taken with the rear section, the one designed to accommodate children. Small details like the full wheel and chain fairing (especially when you are the parent of young children) or the protrusions on the crash bar to prevent friction, these are small details that are not present on every model and which contributed to the choice of Lundi 20. A year later, this aspect has certainly lost importance, as the children grow up, but it has contributed to our peace of mind as a regular pilot of the cargo.
We also found this safety in the brakes, and even if critical situations could be counted on the fingers of one hand over the past year, this disc braking system responded satisfactorily every time it was used a little more than usual. On the other hand, the small 20-inch wheels sometimes seemed a little tight, especially on slippery terrain or when we had to climb onto sidewalks. The Lundi is not the most comfortable in this exercise due to its fairly low ground clearance, we will come back to this, but it is an element that easily becomes part of driving habits and with which we learn to deal over time. But it's also a more general aspect of cargo bike riding that means you can't do everything you usually do on a mountain bike on the road.
Comfortable, but could do better
In addition to being reassuring, a cargo bike must be comfortable and easy to use. On this point, the Lundi 20 does well and, again, it owes this largely to certain choices that were made during its design.
We cite as proof the presence of a telescopic seat post which allowed, in our case at least, to have a single saddle height adjustment for the two regular users of the cargo. Not having to change the saddle height when switching from one driver to another is not the only advantage. Having a telescopic saddle also allows you to reduce the seat height at a traffic light and thus be more stable on your feet, which is not a luxury when the bike is loaded. Once the light is green, all you have to do is play with the trigger on the handlebars to find a more optimized pedaling position.
The comfort of the Lundi also depends on its riding position, which is partly determined by the handlebars. This positions the rider fairly upright, with their head raised, which is ideal for having a global view of the road and anticipating traffic. This position is also particularly relaxing, and even if you don't necessarily set off for dozens of kilometers when riding a cargo bike, this aspect of comfort is often underestimated.
Our only complaint about the overall comfort of Moustache's electric cargo bike is the lack of a front suspension fork. The manufacturer is an expert in this area, not only when it comes to choosing suspension for its mountain bikes (like the Game, for example), but also because it also makes them with the Magic Grip that equips its full-suspension bikes. Therefore, the decision to do without a fork is still regrettable, because even if it doesn't seem essential, it would certainly have provided additional comfort and control.
The Lundi 20 in everyday life
Undoubtedly, one of the most important aspects of a cargo bike is the bike's roominess and practicality. In this respect, the Lundi 20 benefits from both the advantages and disadvantages of its very compact size. The most obvious aspect concerns the cargo bike's maneuverability. Its small size, very short turning radius and even the possibility of parking it vertically make it undoubtedly one of the easiest cargo vehicles to park/store. On this point, the 1.85 m length of Moustache's cargo is a huge advantage, since it is only 5 cm longer than a Lundi 27 from which it is derived.
For practicality and carrying capacity, it is logically more limited. In our case, with two little passengers aged 3 and 9 and their schoolbags, the available space quickly runs out. We then find ourselves finding rather original solutions by exploiting the slightest accessible area to store a bag. Of course, the most suitable solution is to go for the accessories box. In this case, Moustache offers two front luggage racks, but their price (€79 and €119) is enough to give you pause. It should in any case be taken into account when purchasing a cargo bike. We thought we could do without additional carrying space, but we quickly changed our minds.
Another element to take into consideration: the Moustache's handlebars are absolutely not suitable for using a smartphone. Admittedly, the cases where we needed to use Google Maps can be counted on the fingers of one hand, since most of the time the Lundi was used on short and already known journeys. However, this is a small flaw that we did not identify during the test on Monday 20th and which could be annoying for some users.
Finally, also keep in mind that not all types of locks are easy to use with certain cargo bikes and in this respect Monday 20th doesn't make their job any easier. Indeed, the space between the spokes is very small on 20-inch wheels. As for the rear protection, it sometimes prevents the bike from being stuck to a post. Finally, in general, the frame leaves relatively few crossing points, the most obvious being blocked by the presence of the battery. Therefore, you sometimes have to be ingenious to succeed in connecting your bike to a fixed point.
2000 km and almost no problems: reliability at the rendezvous
Another important criterion: reliability. After more than a year of use and 2000 km traveled, a "check-up" of the bike is necessary to see if its equipment is still as effective. It is clear that, despite maintenance reduced to the bare minimum (cleaning, lubrication, tire inflation), we have not had to intervene on the bike, neither to adjust a setting nor to carry out a repair. This is of course not proof of its infallibility, but it does confirm that choosing good equipment from the start is very important, especially for a bike that is subjected to rather unusual stress, made on short journeys certainly, but loaded and in all weathers.
The same goes for punctures, which are becoming increasingly rare, it's true. We could just as easily cite luck as the choice of the excellent Scwhalbe balloon tires on Lundi 20.
In the end, only one part of the bike let us down: the kickstand. It broke on the right side after a few months of use. How? A careless driver, having pulled over in a hurry, forced us to swerve to the right. The stand then hit the pavement before bending and giving way. A stroke of bad luck? Perhaps. But the stand (like the chain) are located particularly low on the Lundi 20 and in this respect, they can be victims of this type of mishap.
In any case, this is a bump in the road and not a mechanical problem. The design can be questioned, but it is not directly responsible for our problem.
On the road, always the most attractive
This is the point on which the Lundi 20 convinced us the most during our first test and it is undoubtedly the main reason that made the Moustache cargo our daily family bike: the Lundi 20 rides like a simple urban bike and knows how to forget its weight and size in favor of real riding pleasure.
This aspect, we were able to systematically verify and it is shared by the one who takes over from us at the handlebars of the bike. Unlike other cargo bikes, this longtail does not require any acclimatization time, nor work sessions and adjustment of trajectories. It is ridden and above all, it behaves like a classic e-bike. More dynamic than most of its competitors, it doesn't allow you to go crazy, but it proves very effective when you have to zigzag between vehicles, go up a line of cars badly aligned at a red light or simply get out of traffic quickly. On this point, its responsiveness and its adapted motorization are two undeniable assets.
Autonomy: just what you need
Autonomy on a cargo bike is a less sensitive subject than on other e-bikes. The reason? In the vast majority of cases, cargo trips (excluding professional use) are much shorter than others. Therefore, the need for a large capacity battery is not as essential as on an e-bike dedicated to commuting, for example. This is undoubtedly one of the reasons why the Dual version (the one equipped with two 500 Wh batteries) represents only a very small part of Moustache sales. Indeed, the Bosch 500 Wh Powertube of the classic version is more than enough for classic journeys and, in our case, recharges on average once every 50 km.
Verdict after a year of testing:
No, after a year of use, the results of Lundi 20 are not perfect. Daily use of a bike, as well as some of the hazards we encountered, revealed not just flaws, but points where Moustache's cargo bike didn't always meet our needs. But all of this is normal. To be honest, no bike, cargo or not, can tick all the boxes, especially when used not by two, but by four people. In our case, its two drivers and two passengers (all very demanding) sometimes had to deal with a few shortcomings, but in the end, no one regretted choosing the Lundi 20, quite the opposite.
Comfortable, very pleasant to ride, particularly well-powered and very safe, our Lundi 20 has devoured the kilometers without a hitch. It has proven to be a reliable and efficient companion whatever the weather. In the end, one year and 2000 km later, the results are very positive and, even if certain points would benefit from being improved (why not in a second version of the Moustache cargo bike), the Lundi 20 remains our favorite electric cargo bike.
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