The decision to standardize on the Bullit-X bike.
A Harry vs Larry: Bullit X e-cargo bike
We made a big decision before the company was even formed: to pick the Harry vs Larry Bullit X e-bike as our core bike for all deliveries. This was the result of careful research, interviews and practical design thinking to give this company the best chance of success.
Why the eBullit X?
For Tandem's urban-only needs, the eBullit X stood out for is eye-catching design, high quality and reliable build, and motor/battery specs. Additionally, its 200kg payload capacity would be ideal for a busy operation like we intend to be - suitable for everything from small parcels and documents to much larger items like kegs of beer (we promise to ensure none go “missing”). A top assist speed of 25 km/h unlocks bike lanes, which allow us to weave through traffic and be more efficient than vans in urban environments. Its low centre of gravity ensures agile handling in traffic and lends to safety for cargo, rider and public.
Insights from Industry Leaders
We discussed with other established companies, and we were glad that they had arrived at the same conclusion: standardise around the most reliable, safe and best designed bike for the job. Both PedalMe in London, and Cargonauts in Paris mentioned urban performance, zero emissions, bike design, motor/battery reliability as factors that influenced their decisions which all validated our choice.
Buying the bike from Penny Farthing
We sourced the bike from Penny Farthing in Dublin, working with Graham Hall. Our preferred colour was unavailable and had a lead time of 6 weeks (devastated…), so we selected the forest green "Race" finish (as listed on Larry vs Harry). The colour was less important than the actual bike itself, and it is a nice green colour which has an “eco” connotation anyway!
Delivery, Assembly, and Gear
The bike was delivered to Waterford in mid-February 2026, where we handled assembly. Jordan - our first hire - handled receiving the bike, assembly and taking pictures for social media. He also selected an equipment list from Altitude in Ballybricken (things like clothing, locks, helmets, lights, panniers etc). We were delighted that supporting local was in budget and we are delighted with the quality of all items purchased.
Cargo bay
We opted against Larry vs Harry's premium cargo box for the Bullit X due to its high cost and limited handling ability. Instead, we're standardising on 600x400mm Euro crates post-assembly. They are removable, modular, stackable, securable and weather resisant. Hopefully, these will be able to handle 90% of our needs efficiently and scalably.
Operational Impact
The deicision on which bike model to go with - and the decision to standardize around that bike model for repair and operating efficiencies - will surely have lasting consequences for the business. Budget constraints, discussion with established courier companies, and sustainable design thinking resulted in the decision. All the information available at the time was used to land on the Harry vs Larry e-Bullit X. Hopefully it is the right decision. Pilot data from launch will be interesting to see how we need to tweak our operations, fleet and strategy.
