Tern Short Haul D8 2022

The Tern Short Haul D8 rides perfectly well but, more importantly, its total 140kg carrying capacity makes it hugely practical for family or commercial duties. However, that huge practicality is allied to the fact that it is also pretty huge, so it's probably mainly of interest to a fairly niche segment of riders.

> Buy now: Tern Short Haul D8 for £1,100 from Tredz

The Short Haul D8 is a pedal-only version of Tern's often electrically assisted cargo bikes. In terms of ride quality, it's actually not too bad at all. The mass of tubes among its substantial frame does make for a very stiff experience. That's great for spinning a heavy load up to speed, but can create a fairly crashy experience over big bumps. Little road imperfections pass by without any great bother and it's generally perfectly acceptable in comfort terms, although not an armchair ride.

Power delivery is straightforward, which is a relief because even without any extra baggage, the D8 hits the scales at 16kg. That's actually not bad for the amount of bike you get, but this is no flat-bar road bike, and while performance is better than expected, it's not lively.

Understandably – because this is a machine built with criteria in mind that doesn't include razor-sharp handling – handling is a bit wallowy, too. It's not so much the front end, which is as direct as any smaller-wheeled bike, more the fact that the rear wheel is further behind than normal, making you conscious of the fact that it's a slightly unusual machine to wield on the road.

That said, the Short Haul D8 does provide a stable ride, and it feels particularly planted with a bit of weight at both the front and rear. Equally sensible is the rather upright riding position, which is perfectly suited to this kind of bike and means you won't get neck ache looking at the road ahead.

In short, the Short Haul D8 is not a bike that you'd necessarily ride for fun. But if you need to load up with deliveries – or even passengers – it's a surefooted way to take to the road.

Frame

The Short Haul D8's unique reinforced step-through frame, made from 6061 aluminium, is very tidily put together and has been approved to carry a total load of up to 140kg, including the rider.

It can do this in a multitude of ways. Obviously there's the fitted large Atlas Q rear rack, with side bars, 'upper deck', and sections that protect the side and rear of the back wheel.

There's also a mount at the head tube for a front rack, and a 140kg-certified steel fork with low-rider rack mounts. Tern also produces a range of frame bags that can be fitted to maximise carrying potential.

With our test bike, Tern supplied a front Hauler Rack that simply bolts onto the head tube; a funky CarryAll Trunk that slips into the substantial gap between the seatstays and seat tube; and a Shortbed Tray that can be mounted on top of the rear rack (although, on the Short Haul D8 it seems it can only be mounted sideways rather than long-ways as with other Tern cargo bikes). The Tray effectively turns your bike into a flatbed pickup.

Those are but a small selection of available luggage or transportation options. Other Tern accessories including panniers, baskets, dog boxes, children's seats and enclosures, even a Captain's Chair, a general-use rear rack seat pad, and a branding board to go in the gap at the front of the frame should you want your Short Haul D8 to become a marketing tool.

Before you go crazy, one thing to note, though – the rear rack has a maximum load of 50kg, so don't expect to be giving 'backies' to every Tom, Dick and well-fed Harry.

Drivetrain and brakes

Somewhat surprisingly, given the nature of this bike, Tern has fitted the Short Haul D8 with a 1x8-speed Shimano Altus derailleur gearset. As this is a practical bike and far from being a speed machine, I would have thought a geared hub might be a valid option.

The Altus setup works perfectly fine, though, with its trigger shifter doing a reliable job of switching ratios. And the 52-tooth chainring and 11-34 cassette offer enough gears for most jobs, including climbing while heavily laden.

Despite the drivetrain experience being essentially similar to any other Altus-shod machine, the Short Haul D8 does feature a couple of extra elements: the extra-long chain length requires a chainguide two-thirds of the way along, below the chainstay, and there's a lengthy SKS Chainblade guard above it.

I also have to say, because of that chain length and associated paraphernalia, there's a fair bit of clickety-clacketing that goes on with this bike. If you're somebody who enjoys the whispered swoosh of tyre rubber on asphalt, you're going to be out of luck. Regardless, getting moving is fulfilled fairly competently.

The big question, though, is: when a bike has the potential to be this heavy, how does it stop?

Here, Tern has specified Tektro hydraulic discs (not Shimano discs, as listed on the Tern UK webstore). They're one of the most necessary choices on the bike, with decent stopping power, giving you the ability to judge braking quite accurately. That said, I'd always prefer Shimano M200s.

Wheels and components

The Short Haul D8 rolls on 20in wheels – not as dinky as you'll find on some folders, say, but still pretty small. They feel very, very sturdy and, although not exciting, they should do the job for miles to come. My personal opinion is that they also play a part in the ride quality being a bit solid at times, though.

In terms of that ride quality, the Schwalbe Big Apple tyres do their best to level things out, with quite a nice wide profile despite their small stature. They also come with puncture protection and offer good grip in most conditions, up to and including wet roads.

Finishing kit

Elsewhere, despite its slightly bizarre looks, the Short Haul D8 features some fairly standard finishing kit.

The aluminium riser bar contributes to the nice high seated position; the Velo Comfort saddle is just on the cusp of being too padded; the non-slip Urban pedals are actually as surefooted as their description suggests; and Tern even throws in a couple of mudguards as the cherry on top of this ultra-practical cake (if, indeed, a cake can be ultra-practical).

Value and conclusion

There's not a whole lot of specialist cargo bikes on the market, and some of them cost a small fortune. That said, the Cargo Bike company makes some incredible machines to order right here in the UK, and you might be pleasantly surprised at the price: a Tamar Cargo Trike starts at £1,495.

If you want something a bit more like the D8 but with 26in wheels (remember them?), American brand Mongoose has the Envoy, which retails in the US for $1,049.99. Or, also from the US, there is Surly's famous Big Dummy, also on 26in hoops, for $2,249.

Closer to home, there's the highly regarded, Mike Burrows-designed 8Freight available from Leftfield Bikes for £2,274, which actually seems like a bargain price for a little bit of genius.

So in that company, at £1,100, the Short Haul D8 looks like very decent value, and compared with the two American bikes listed above, it has the advantage of actually being available here in Blighty.

Speaking of which, Tern also has the Cargo Node folding bike, which is a fair bit bigger with a slightly higher weight carrying ability and 24in wheels, for £1,900.

> 15 easy ways to carry stuff on your bike

However, we've looked solely at alternative pedal-only cargo bikes here. Cast your net wider to include electric-assist options and there's a whole raft of choices, not least from Tern itself.

That brings us to probably the biggest problem with the Tern Short Haul D8: an electric version would make your life a lot easier, and the e-cargo bike market offers a far wider choice of brands and models. Our sister site, ebiketips, has tested a few.

That said for anybody operating a locally based, eco-virtuous delivery service, who doesn't want the faff of electric power, the Short Haul D8 is a fine option that offers good load-lugging ability while retaining the feel of a normal bike. For people with less specific needs – such as parents looking for a good platform for a childseat – I'd recommend getting a decent hybrid instead.

Verdict

Surprisingly capable cargo bike that offers huge carrying capacity and almost a normal 'bike-like' ride