Cargo bikes: an introduction to and directory of

Pedropete · 5 Apr 2022

An introduction to cargo bikes

Feel free to reply with additions or corrections and I'll edit as needed.

Q. What are cargo bikes?
A. Cargo bikes are designed and built to carry heavier and/or larger loads than might be carried easily or safely on more conventional bikes*.

* While cargo racks, panniers and baskets can be added to most bikes, their performance, handling and even safety can suffer as a result. The design, materials, strength and rigidity of conventional bikes - incl. wheels and other components - simply aren’t designed for the additional loads of purpose-built cargo bikes. Another effective way of turning almost any bike into a cargo bike is to add a cargo trailer**.

** See separate thread on cargo trailers.

TYPES OF CARGO BIKE
Cargo bikes can be broadly grouped into three main categories based on the number of wheels they have, with further sub-categories and electrically-assisted and non-assisted versions within each. While three and even four-wheeled designs are common they are all still commonly referred to as cargo ‘bikes’.

A note about e-cargo bikes (electrically-assisted) vs non-assisted cargo bikes

Many cargo bikes are available as conventional (non-assisted) and electrically-assisted versions (‘e-cargo bikes’) but manufacturers are increasingly removing non-assisted versions from their ranges due to falling demand and the greater margins available on e-cargo bikes. Increased demand is driven by the greatly enhanced utility of e-cargo bikes, ie. it makes them more usable for more people when carrying heavier loads and offers a more compelling alternative to cars or even light commercial vehicles for most users.

Obvious down sides of this trend are the increased cost of purchase & maintenance for e-cargo bikes, and reduced choice for those who would prefer conventional non-assisted options, e.g. those living in mostly flat areas who may not need assistance or those who would prefer to purchase a non-assisted cargo bike and then add their choice of after-market pedal-assist system to it. The latter option offers a significant cost saving - for both initial purchase and out-of-warranty repair costs - and avoids potential technology dead-ends inherent to proprietary drive and battery systems where bikes are designed specifically for those systems and cannot be readily converted to use alternatives.

______________________________________

2-WHEELED

Long-tails, mid-tails and compacts
A mostly conventional bike layout but with a stretched rear-triangle (back end) and added options for carrying loads (people or objects/materials). Generally featuring extended rear cargo-decks, side running-boards and over-sized panniers (bags) or load-slings. Hard-mounting points for optional fixed front racks/baskets are also common and offer increased carrying capacity, particularly when the rear load area is occupied by passengers.

Some designs use a smaller (20") rear wheel in order lower the rear cargo area and improve low-speed stability, while others, such as Tern’s ‘GSD’ and Bicicapace's 'Justlong', use smaller wheels at front and rear to shorten the wheelbase and make bikes easier to manoeuvre and store in modern residential properties. Some bikes feature 24" wheels as a compromise, i.e. to reduce the bike's footprint and improve low-speed stability while maintaining some of the improved rolling resistance of larger wheels.

An alternative form is the ‘low-tail’, with a flat load area or bucket positioned between rider and rear wheel; examples include the Maderna ‘Truck’ and Mike Burrow’s ‘8Freight’.