Momentum PakYak E+ review

Momentum is Giant’s electric urban bikes brand, with a range of options from simple lightweight town bikes to this oversized, well-equipped load-carrier.

The PakYak E+ mixes cargo bike design with a bit of a nod to the great outdoors. You get chunky tyres from Maxxis, along with a dropper seatpost and an off-road influenced ride position – plus a couple of intelligent spec choices.

The Yamaha mid-mount motor packs a punch, with a 500Wh battery and a storage container built into the frame, which can also carry a second add-on battery, doubling the capacity and range.

But it’s the level of equipment that comes as standard, as well as the available accessories, that helps the PakYak E+, priced at £4,149, stand out.

Momentum PakYak E+ frame details

The Momentum PakYak E+ is based around an oversized aluminium frame, rolling on 24-inch wheels.

The frame itself has an internal 500Wh (watt-hour) battery, housed within its substantial down tube.

Up-front, the broad fork has fittings for fork mounts (with four bosses per side) and the head tube houses the mounting points for the included front rack.

The rear of the frame is long, housing a large lockable storage box between the seat tube and rear wheel.

The box can be used for storage, or you can add to the range by replacing it with the auxiliary battery holder (£139.99) and a 500Wh auxiliary battery (£550), leading to a maximum capacity of 1,000Wh.

The direct-mounting rear rack is designed to take twin child seats. For larger children, you can add a rear padded passenger seat (£59.99), protective passenger bar (£149.99), foot boards (£99.99) and wheel guards (£49.99).

Or, like me, you can add a 400x600mm rear basket (£149.99).

The frame is finished very tidily, with smart touches such as the minimal integrated chain guard and chain guide, which are designed to save your trousers from oily marks and tangling.

The shape of the bike is well thought-out with an upright riding position, tall bar height and masses of seat-height adjustment.

The one-size-fits-all approach is claimed to work for riders ranging from 160-190cm in height.

The 1,284mm wheelbase helps make the PakYak feel like a standard non-assisted bike to ride, but it has more than enough length with the added racks to spread out its maximum capacity of 200kg.

Momentum PakYak E+ build

The PakYak has an impressive level of equipment supplied as standard.

The quality alloy mudguards are broad, rigid, rattle-free and offer great protection.

The sturdy wheels are wrapped with Maxxis Hookworm and Rekon tyres (front-rear). The front has a patterned slick tread for light steering, while offering enough volume to take the sting out of rougher surfaces.

The rear has an off-road capable tread for traction, opening the PakYak up to all-road adventuring beyond urban utility use.

Given the fork mounts can accept bikepacking bags or traditional pannier racks and there are twin bottle cages (included) mounted to the front rack, I envision the PakYak as a suitable companion for weekend camping trips.

The weight-carrying capacity is loaded more towards the rear of the bike, but the PakYak has a Cane Creek ViscoSet headset to help combat resulting lightness in the steering.

The ViscoSet headset is equipped with friction plates, which, along with special grease, slow the steering down and eliminate any shaking through the bar.

The PakYak comes set up with only a third of the plates in action, but by using all of them (effectively putting the bike in its full-friction setting), the steering was transformed to the point where woodland singletrack trails stiff with roots and rocks posed few issues.

If you intend to use the PakYak to carry heavier loads at the rear (for instance, a couple of child seats and kids), you should ask your local bike shop to set the ViscoSet up accordingly if you’re not confident doing so.

I found the large, plush saddle comfortable – albeit saddle comfort is subjective – and it comes with an integrated handle to help you move the bike around more easily (handy, given it weighs 35.8kg).

The saddle sits on top of a dropper post, which is operated remotely from the bar. The post also features 20mm of suspension to improve ride comfort.

The drivetrain is a Shimano nine-speed Alivio/Acera setup with a flat-bar trigger shifter, while the brakes are supplied by Tektro.

These have four-piston calipers with huge 230mm-diameter rotors, which are ideal for stopping a weighty bike.

The integrated lights are mounted on the front and rear mudguards. I particularly like that the front is mounted onto the mudguard, meaning the light steers with the bike.

Finishing off the wide range of included equipment is a twin-legged kickstand – the only thing the PakYak is missing is an integrated lock, like that found on the Cannondale Cargowagen I've also tested.

The motor system is a Yamaha SyncDrive Pro model, which can put out a high 80Nm of torque.

The motor is controlled by six sensors designed to keep the motor’s power delivery smooth, avoiding sudden jerks or jumps.

On the handlebar, you get the RideControl dash screen – a minimal but easy-to-read colour display that shows battery levels, along with which mode you're running in.

There’s also a 10W USB-C out port for charging a device from the bike’s battery.

The 500Wh battery can be charged on or off the bike, and the EnergyPak 6a smart charger will replenish 60 per cent of the battery in one hour, 30 minutes. A full recharge takes just under three hours.

Momentum PakYak E+ ride impressions

The PakYak’s ride quality is arguably its best feature; the 24-inch wheels offer a great middle-ground between the larger and smaller wheels you can find on some electric cargo bikes.

It’s worth mentioning that, generally speaking, smaller wheels offer high stability, but larger wheels bring faster handling.

However, I could ride the PakYak spiritedly, leaning into corners without fear of catching either the stand or luggage I was carrying.

The PakYak feels stable when heavily laden and being able to safely drop the saddle out of the way means standing flat-footed on the ground when you come to a stop is easy.

I've used the Momentum for a wide variety of tasks, including weekly shopping trips, garden centre excursions, and even as a mobile photo studio on diverse terrain.

The nine-speed drivetrain, combined with the motor, offers an ample spread of gears for pretty much any terrain. The gearing has proven accurate and stayed that way over months of use.

The five modes on the motor (Eco, Tour, Active, Sport and Power) can all be adjusted slightly via the Giant smartphone app, but this offers only the smallest amount of tuning.

For general riding, I found the Active mode provided a happy sweet spot that was perfect for general riding. I left the Sport and Power modes for those moments when I needed a boost at the base of a climb or for setting off from a standing start with a heavy load.

The Tour mode is good for flat roads, providing you're willing to put the effort in and get a bit of a workout at the same time, and I reserved the Eco mode for rolling down hills or gentle slopes.

I’ve seen a spread of ranges, averaging between 62km (38.5mi) with 443m / 1,453.4ft of elevation and 64.5km (40.07mi), covering 437.5m / 1,436ft.

The Momentum is a great package – in fact, my only real criticism is with the stand; the open design at its base can fill with crud and dirt, which makes it more difficult to open.

The stand's footprint is also on the small side, which means it can be a little unsteady when not on flat ground.

A broader stand, like that found on the even larger-wheeled Cube Longtail Sport Hybrid, would be an improvement.

Momentum PakYak E+ bottom line

With the PakYak’s smooth handling (providing you get the headset setting right), great ride position and equipment, it's a brilliant option and a serious alternative to using a car for most daily chores.

It’s also well-priced – given the spread of cargo ebike designs, it’s hard to pinpoint a specific rival. However, £4,148.99 seems like a good deal given what you could be spending on a small car – or the Trek Fetch+ 2 (£4,625 / $4,999.99 base price) or Cannondale Cargowagen Neo 1 (£5,000 base price).

The level of standard equipment is class-leading and the available accessories available from Momentum reinforce the PakYak’s exceptional versatility.