We've stepped up to the Trek Fetch+2, a 'long tail' cargo e-bike equipped with a Bosch assist kit and capable of hauling up to 200kg. A small machine, very efficient and with a very striking and attractive appearance. Load and go!

A little over a year ago Trek introduced a new family of bikes to its extensive catalog. And no, it was no longer a collection of fast road machines or daring electric mountain bikes, but something very different and, arguably, exciting: its first range of cargo bikes.

With the name Fetch (which means search or bring in Basque), the Wisconsin brand launched two variants: the Fetch+4, a cargo bike with a front box and the capacity to transport four children, and the Fetch+2, a model that falls into the long-tail category, adults adapted and prepared to transport one or a large load.

Does the Fetch+2 live up to what you'd expect from a brand like Trek? Is it versatile and practical enough to replace a car? And, in the end, is it a good choice with its price, which is what we can recommend with 4,999 euros? We will tell you about everything and much more.

To conquer a rising sector

It's confirmed: cargo bikes are here, and they're definitely here to stay. In France, for example, more than 33,000 were sold in 2022, doubling the numbers of the previous year. In Germany, the market is even bigger: more than 212,000 cargo bikes were sold in 2022, almost 200,000 more than were sold, for example, five years earlier, which confirms that it is one of the fastest growing niches in the history of the narrow bicycle market. But there is more: in the United States, for example, the market for cargo bikes generated about 600 million dollars in 2021, and is expected to exceed 1 billion dollars in the coming years.

Very, very interesting data, and it has undoubtedly led the big manufacturers to force their way into this niche, and may also allow them to reach sectors of the population that have been more reluctant to invest large sums of money in bicycles until now, such as women (Netherlands cargo more than half of bicycle users are women) or, of course, small and medium-sized enterprises that can replace a van.

A brand like Trek couldn't miss the opportunity, and for that, as we say, it released two models last year, one with front loading (called Fetch+4) and this long tail, with the capacity to carry. 200 kilos (including the weight of the bike and the rider) and just over 1.90 meters long, which would be 20 or 25 centimeters longer than a regular bike. Both, of course, with electrical assistance provided by Bosch.

The Trek Fetch+2 is, as we say, a long tail, or in other words, a compact city bike with small wheels but an elongated frame at the back that allows it to accommodate a good cargo area. The given unit is red, and one falls in love at first sight: very cheerful and, of course, eye-catching. What attracts a lot of attention, of course, are the four drawers for transporting things, and which many people have turned around in surprise.

Those optional drawers aside, we think the Fetch+2 bike is very, very beautiful and definitely proves that something practical and functional doesn't have to be ugly or poorly maintained. The borrowed unit comes in a vibrant red, which the brand defines as Lava Red, but is also available in Galactic Gray (rather more discreet) and a striking greenish blue. At least for my taste, red wins in a landslide.

Unbearable design

In terms of design, and starting from the front, the urki gives a lot of strength, and it extends from the wide frame, because, among other things, it takes the battery. The frame has a low bar, which is logical and very convenient for lifting and removing something, and it has a bar that will act as a handle and will be very useful if we need to lift it. However, it is not very recommended for the neck or the back, as the bike is heavy (specifically, and without load, about 31 kilos).

The chain guard, apart from practical reasons and much appreciated, basically to keep the left leg from getting dirty, lightens the design a bit since it is made of black plastic, but the real key to this design is the whole rear half of the bike, where the loading area is. Trek has chosen to assemble everything with an aluminum frame, with four cross bars, to ensure the strength of the whole. The design is reminiscent of the Riese & Müller Multitiker, although it uses two parts, one of which is outside the frame, or the Tern GSD, but Trek's seems cleaner to us.

In short, the lines are very clean, which conveys simplicity and solidity. Paint the finish is excellent, the engine is very integrated in the middle part, and although it is a bike with remarkable practicality, it is very beautiful and striking. Also, and this is important, it is quite compact, at least in length, almost as maneuverable as a normal bicycle.