Originally Posted by
augsburg
We looked at the Douze at the International Cargo Bike Festival last month in Berlin. It looks very good.
The Brose motor in the Douze is very well thought of - better than Bosch and Shimano in many regards - that is, quieter and more powerful. Plus the Brose has an extra freewheel at the crank so you can pedal without power - decoupled from the drag of the motor. Brose is now setting up a service center for North America in Seattle, so service on a Douze would be easier.
The Douze has front suspension, something that would be pretty nice on a bakfiets style bike. Our Bullitt E8000 rides a little rough on poor pavements.
Only issue with Douze for us is finding a shop selling them in North America. Maybe once Brose establishes itself in Seattle, Douze will come to the Americas?
Thanks! It's very, very flat where I live, so I don't think I'm interested in an e-assist; the selling point for me was the separable frame. I'm planning to test-ride one in Milwaukee, which is the only city with a Douze dealer east of Portland!