First, I am very pleased with the bike. I now have > 1000 miles on it in 4 1/2 months.Hard to beat the quality, features, and Indiegogo price combo!
As an engineer, I am a perfectionist and detail oriented, so here are all the details, good and bad.
The Indiegogo and Blix shipping info was very transparent. Everything went according to schedule. However, I was sent the wrong color (blue vs white).
Carson Benjamin was very helpful in getting it turned around. Overall delay was about three weeks.
The white Packa when delivered had suffered some brake rotor damage. I sourced the identical Tectro rotor at my local bike shop. The changeout was easy.
The rest of the assembly went very well. Overall, documentation and online instructions were good. There was only one error in the assembly documentation. The headlight wire polarities were wrong. Easily fixed with a voltmeter.
Operationally, I have a short list of things which could be better. I don't know if they are inherent in the design, or due to something else (like me!).
1. The electric motor makes a clickety-clack noise internally quite independent of the freewheel mechanism. It repeats once per wheel revolution.It gets quieter under cool, humid conditions, and louder under hot and dry conditions. Noise is the same whether coasting, or under load.
2. The headlight tends to change position, and needs to be adjusted frequently. That might be my fault, and I will try to tighten it up.
3. When you let go of the handlebars between 12 and 20 mph, the front wheel/ handlebars will oscillate, becoming stable when gripped again. I don't know if that is inherent in a cargo bike with extreme rear weight bias. I did not see any difference in the issue when the bike was loaded with 120 lb of cargo, or unloaded (150 lb rider in both cases).
4. In the rain, moisture creeps around the glass front of the display panel, causing it to blur. It clears up rapidly as the bike dries out.
On the excellent side, the headlight and taillight are bright and totally adequate for night usage. I thought I would have to buy aftermarket units, but these are very good.The brakes and derailleur adjustment are straightforward. The rear brake caliper does have to be demounted for some adjustments, but the outcome is never in doubt.
The bike is very stable, and corners well and predictably at high speeds.The largest cargo to date is 4 solar panels with a weight of about 160 lbs, resting on the running boards, 2 per side, dimensions 56" X 34" X 2". Handling was good at that weight in calm conditions, but it is clear caution is needed for such a cargo in the wind!!
The optimum combinations of gears, pedal assist and hand throttle are easily arrived at.,and the controls are nicely placed from an ergonomic standpoint..
It looks like the published energy efficiency numbers are about right. I ride 10 miles per day on average, and typically use 0.15 Kilowatt-hours in the process, which works out to 1.05 Kw-h for a 70 mile range. I use pedal assist level 3 all the time, and my commute is mostly flat with one long shallow hill, and I do pedal vigorously.
I submit this hoping it will help on improving an already excellent bike!