Who needs a car when you can use a really, really big bike instead? Certainly no one who owns the Tern GSD electric bike, a behemoth of a two-wheeled vehicle that will not only transport you, but your family, and your groceries, from Point A to Point B without breaking a sweat. The GSD actually stands for Getting Stuff Done, and as the company notes, “is designed to carry two kids, a week’s worth of groceries, or 180 kg of cargo.” But despite these impressive capabilities, it’s still surprisingly portable — at 180 cm long, it’s about the same size as a standard ebike. And because it folds down to a size small enough to fit into even the coziest of urban apartments (and in just 10 seconds), it just might be the alternative to a car you’ve been looking for.
Capable of adjusting to fit riders ranging in height from under 5 feet to over 6 feet, the GSD is truly meant for family fun. While it looks a bit odd, don’t let the unconventional design fool you. All the various metal grids on the bike certainly don’t lend themselves to a racing bike, but they do allow you to truly make this a multi-purpose method of transportation. You can throw plenty of accessories onto the GSD — whether you want to add child seats to carry your kids, side panniers to carry your groceries, or other foldable bikes to maximize your fun-having capabilities, the GSD can handle it all.
The GSD was also designed to make riding as easy as possible. Even though you’ll likely be pedaling with a heavy load, the idea is to keep things relatively easy for you, the driver. The angle of the seat post has been adjusted to allow you to sit more upright, and the Bosch drivetrain makes riding relatively easy, even at speeds of up to 15 mph in Europe and 20 mph in the U.S. Plus, the GSD is, in fact, an ebike, so if all else fails, you can just turn on the motor.
The bike comes with two battery packs that give it a range of up to 155 miles, even though the whole contraption weighs in at 59 pounds.
Be warned, though — all these bells and whistles don’t come cheap. The GSD starts at $4,000, and is currently being marketed mainly in Europe.
