Babboe City
Babboe · Twee-wieler bakfiets· €1999.00
Our verdict
The Babboe City is still the cheapest serious cargo bike in the Netherlands and perfectly functional for flat city runs with young kids. But the shadow of the 2024 recall and the lack of pedal assist make this an explicit pick for buyers who know what they are getting and value a sharp price over premium peace of mind.
Detailed review
Nowhere in the world is cargo-bike culture as developed as in the Netherlands: more than 100,000 bakfietsen cross Dutch cities every day, from daycare to supermarket and from school to the park. The Babboe City has been the entry point to that universe for over fifteen years — the bike countless parents used to drop off a child by pedal power for the first time. For anyone hauling one to three small kids (toddler up to about eight years old) mostly inside the city on a limited budget, it is still the most logical buy. It is explicitly not a long-distance bike: if you ride ten kilometres or more daily or live in a hilly suburb, you will curse the lack of a motor within a month.
In practice the City feels lighter than the chunkier Babboe Curve-E thanks to its two-wheel layout — you lean into corners like on a regular bike, whereas a trike stays upright and gets wobbly at speed. The wooden box swallows up to about 80 kg of load, enough for two kids plus a week of groceries. Without pedal assist you feel every extra kilo: pulling away from a canal-side traffic light takes effort, and fighting a stiff North Sea wind along the IJ is pure leg training. Empty, it rides smoothly and directly. An Urban Arrow Family with Bosch CX eats the same route for lunch — but also costs two and a half times as much.
Then the elephant in the room: in early 2024 the Dutch NVWA forced Babboe to issue a large-scale recall after multiple models showed frame cracks, particularly the City-E, Mini-E, Pro Trike and Big. The non-electric Babboe City was less affected because its simpler frame carries less stress, but the incident hit the brand's reputation hard and still gives many buyers pause. Babboe has since reinforced frames and tightened production control, and used prices have collapsed. Anyone chasing a sharp deal who deliberately picks the non-electric model still gets a lot of cargo bike for the money here — but anyone who wants maximum peace of mind or electric assistance is better off with the Gazelle Makki Load or the Urban Arrow Family.
Who is this for?
- Parents on a limited budget looking for a first cargo bike
- City school-run trips of 2-5 km on flat Dutch roads
- Families with 1-3 young kids (toddler to primary school)
- Buyers who deliberately want a mechanical bike with no battery upkeep
What to watch out for
- Ask about the 2024 NVWA recall and frame updates before buying
- Without a motor it is tough in wind, on hills or under full load
- No ART-rated lock included as standard — budget for one separately
Specifications
Cargo Box & Capacity
| Type | 2-wieler |
| Box dimensions | 90 × 60 × 45 cm |
| Max box load | 80 kg |
| Seats | 2-4 kinderen (2 bankjes) |
| Rain cover | Optioneel |
Motor & Drivetrain
| Motor | Geen / None |
| Torque | n.v.t. / n/a |
| Gearing | Shimano Nexus 7 |
| Drive | Ketting / Chain |
Frame & Safety
| Frame material | Staal |
| Brakes | V-brake voor, rollerbrake achter |
| Lock | Ringslot (geen ART) |
| Lighting | Naafdynamo LED |
| Parking stand | Tweepootstandaard |
Dimensions
| Length | 245 cm |
| Weight | 48 kg |
| Total max load | 180 kg |
What does the ART certification mean and which level do you need for your bike or e-bike? Compare ART-1 through ART-5 and the requirements of Univé, ENRA, Centraal Beheer and Unigarant.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Sharply priced — one of the cheapest ways to start cargo-bike life
- Two-wheeler handles and steers more naturally than three-wheelers, especially in corners
- Wooden box with two benches fits 2-4 kids plus groceries
- Low step-through and simple mechanical maintenance
Cons
- Without a motor it is tough to pedal fully loaded into a headwind or up a ramp
- The Babboe brand name was damaged by the 2024 NVWA recall
- Finish is functional but not at the level of an Urban Arrow or Gazelle
Use case fit
How well does this product fit different bike types?
| School run | 85 |
| Groceries | 82 |
| Kids | 80 |
| City use | 78 |
| Long distance | 42 |