I stopped into the local cargo bike store with a loved one who was shopping for a longtail e-bike and was surprised not to see Yuba bikes. The store owner informed me that Yuba had pulled out of North America. Not only that but Riese & Müller is leaving the US also.
R&M makes drool-worthy bikes – I long coveted a Load 75 as my “if I won the lottery” bike – but it’s the Yuba news that hit me. Just a month ago I wrote a blog post sharing a pro tip for the Yuba Spicy Curry and I had a couple more planned. I love my Spicy Curry. I’ve ridden over 10,00 miles on this model over nine years. My kids grew up on the back of it.
Now I won’t be able to buy another. And if anything goes wrong with my current bike it might be hard to get replacement parts. Yuba was based in California, but it sounds like they’ve moved headquarters to France. Argh.
Apparently import tariffs are to blame. It hadn’t occurred to me that those would have such a big impact on high-end e-bikes, but it made sense once it was pointed out to me. I’m out of the loop on the cargo bike market and couldn’t have imagined that a brand like Yuba with a seemingly strong position would leave the US entirely. Are similar things happening due to tariffs in other niches and hobbies?
E-Cargo Bikes keep getting better and I’m sure I can get a great one if I need to replace mine. I probably only have two years left of needing to carry two kids on the back at once; after that, a Tern HSD or GSD would be a nice downsizing option that would take a single older passenger comfortably. But I’ll always have a soft spot for Yuba bikes, especially the Spicy Curry, and I hope my friends and I who ride them will be able to get parts and repairs for our bikes as needed.
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