Cargo Bikes
Table of Contents
Introduction
Cargo bikes have long been used by individuals and companies to haul heavy items, take kids to and from school, power small businesses, and much more.
They are eco-friendly and with the invention of battery power, are more accessible than ever before.
Safety First!
Eco-friendly traveling can require us to consider things we might not have worried about before.
General Tips for Stress-Free Travel
Don't feel like you have to change 100% of your habits immediately. If you don't usually walk or cycle, then start with one day a week, or just mornings or just afternoons, then build your muscles. Slowly challenge yourself to do more, or choose transport mode according to where else you will need to go on a given day, or with respect to weather conditions.
Try a test trip to places like school or your doctor's office before your scheduled visit. This will let you know if you need to add more time for to cross at intersections, or if a short cut through a park will let you cut off a few minutes that would have been spent sitting in traffic with your regular drive.
Bring water and a snack for long trips.
Wear appropriate protection. A sun hat or cap, umbrella, rain coat, and appropriate shoes or warm clothes can make the difference between a fun journey and extreme discomfort. Check the weather in case a cold front or storm hit in the afternoon.
Use map or app if you are in a new place.
Take breaks! This is especially important if you have a smaller child, or one of you isn't used to the new mode of travel. Little kids may want to be picked up, or get tired of skates before they get to the end of your street. Starting with short trips, with plenty of breaks will help build their muscles, and keep the learning process fun.
Benefits of Cargo Bikes
Endless Design Opportunities
Bike or Trike Design
Many cargo bikes are build using upcycled bike parts or custom made bike parts, but you can mix and match many designs, depending on the intended use of the cargo bike.
Bakfiets
This is essentially a specially designed cargo bike for transporting small children, but it can also be used for hauling your groceries, pets, or other big loads.
A bicycle or tricycle with a long wheelbase between the front wheel and handlebars holding a large box, originally used solely to transport goods but now also commonly for carrying young children.
10:44 minute video gives a personal account of transporting kids with a car vs a bakfiets, including the benefit of improved stimulation provided by riding in the open, vs being stuck looking at a car's boring head rest.
Electric Assist
Starting, peddling, or breaking can be especially difficult with a heavily-loaded cargo bike. Fortunately modern batteries can help you go uphill, keep up with car traffic, or keep you going even if you have health, energy, or strength limits.
Economic Opportunities
For decades cargo bikes have been used to haul equipment and sell goods including ice-cream and popsicles.
A growing number of businesses are now turning to cargo bikes including major delivery companies for inner-city deliveries, and composting companies looking for emissions-free transportation solutions.
Cold Goods
Refrigerated coolers can carry ice-cream and other cold goods. -
Composting Services
Click the Composting Services button to find bike-powered composting services near you.
Mobile Library Bikes
These can be a good way to expand existing libraries to members of the public, or as small mobile libraries for small and isolated communities.
Road Safety Tips
How to Get Your Child to Wear a Bike Helmet "Riding a bicycle is an excellent way for kids to spend time outdoors getting exercise. It's also an Earth friendly way to get around. Falls from bicycles cause serious head and facial injuries, though, so make sure your child wears a helmet for every ride.
Here are tips on how to help your child get into the habit."
Resources
Community Activism
NACTO: Urban Stree Design Guide "A blueprint for designing 21st century streets, the Guide unveils the toolbox and the tactics cities use to make streets safer, more livable, and more economically vibrant. The Guide outlines both a clear vision for complete streets and a basic road map for how to bring them to fruition."
School Zones
Safe Kids: Take Action Toolkit: How to Fix Unsafe School an Zone in Your Community "Find strategies, advocacy tips, model documents, and resources provided by our Public Policy team to help you work in your communityto make safety changes to your school zone. Changes covered in ouraction plans can improve safety for pedestrians, bike riders and all of us near schools.You can learn more about child safety risks in our report, "Alarming Dangers in School Zones," which led to the development of our Take Action Toolkit."
Resources
DIY Trailer Instructions
We have not tried to build all of these trailers ourselves, so use common sense and do adequate research before trying a project yourself. Always use protective gear and try to work with a knowledgeable person if you haven't done this type of work before yourself.
Bamboo Trailer (PDF)
Organizations
For bike-specific organizations, click the Bike Advocacy Groups button to learn which organizations are working in your area, or explore the International section for resource on how to start your own group.
International
Safe Kids Worldwide® "is a nonprofit organization working to help families and communities keep kids safe from injuries. Most people are surprised to learn preventable injuries are the #1 killer of kids in the United States. Throughout the world, almost one million children die of an injury each year, and almost every one of these tragedies is preventable.
Safe Kids works with an extensive network of more than 400 coalitions in the United States and with partners in more than 30 countries to reduce traffic injuries, drownings, falls, burns, poisonings and more."TUMI "supports transport projects all around the world and enables policy makers to transform urban mobility. TUMI is based on three pilars: innovation, knowledge, investment. We support innovative pilot projects around the whole world. We share knowledge with planners about modern mobility concepts, in workshops and conferences. We invest in construction and modernisation of sustainable urban infrastructure."
North America
National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO) "NACTO’s mission is to build cities as places for people, with safe, sustainable, accessible, and equitable transportation choices that support a strong economy and vibrant quality of life."
Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center (PBIC) is a national clearinghouse for information about health and safety, engineering, advocacy, education, enforcement, access, and mobility for pedestrians (including transit users) and bicyclists. PBIC's mission is to improve the quality of life in communities through the increase of safe walking and bicycling as a viable means of transportation and physical activity. To accomplish that mission, the PBIC manages several websites, produces a variety of reports, guides and case studies, and offers training and technical assistance.
Walk Friendly Communities is a national recognition program developed to encourage towns and cities across the U.S. to establish or recommit to a high priority for supporting safer walking environments. Communities are recognized for working to improve a wide range of conditions related to walking, including safety, mobility, access and comfort.
USA
National Complete Streets Coalition News of complete streets activities from around the country and proposed federal legislation plus resources including fact sheets and a PowerPoint presentation.
New York
Transportation Alternatives "For 50 years, Transportation Alternatives has led the movement for safe, equitable streets in New York City. TA uses a combination of neighborhood-level grassroots organizing and citywide advocacy to push for changes in public policy, street design, enforcement, and resource allocation that transform our city’s streets for the better."
The Transportation Renaissance in NYC is being Led by THIS Group
23:24 minute video "Discover the transformative infrastructure changes that TA has advocated for over the years- like the iconic Prospect Park West protected bike lane, the game-changing Queens Boulevard redesign, and the ever-expanding network of Citi Bike stations."
Companies
International
Icicle Tricycles "The Icicle Tricycle Vending trike is the best trike for your frozen food or beverage-based business! This vehicle is the perfect pedal-powered platform for a wide variety of vending options. Order one for yourself, or a whole fleet for your team.
Whether you’re a solo peddler, a small business looking to expand your footprint, or even a corporate customer in need of full marketing activation, get rolling right away. Wow the crowd with your Icicle Tricycle, the three-wheeled gateway to getting your product to the masses."
"Icicle Tricycles can be found rolling all over the United States, Canada, and the rest of the world. We have built trikes for small summer businesses, Fortune 500 companies, and everything in between. Our famous ice cream trikes are just the beginning. We provide fully customized trikes to deliver your brand, message, and product right to your target customers. Coffee bikes, beer bikes, juice bikes, salad bikes, soup bikes, donut bikes, a bike decorated with your logo to just ride around town–you dream it, we can help you build it."
MAXPRO cargo bikes, pedicabs, and parts store.
Europe
MAXPRO cargo bikes, pedicabs, and parts store.
Poland
MAXPRO cargo bikes, pedicabs, and parts store.
North America
USA
Icicle Tricycles "The Icicle Tricycle Vending trike is the best trike for your frozen food or beverage-based business! This vehicle is the perfect pedal-powered platform for a wide variety of vending options. Order one for yourself, or a whole fleet for your team.
Whether you’re a solo peddler, a small business looking to expand your footprint, or even a corporate customer in need of full marketing activation, get rolling right away. Wow the crowd with your Icicle Tricycle, the three-wheeled gateway to getting your product to the masses."
"Icicle Tricycles can be found rolling all over the United States, Canada, and the rest of the world. We have built trikes for small summer businesses, Fortune 500 companies, and everything in between. Our famous ice cream trikes are just the beginning. We provide fully customized trikes to deliver your brand, message, and product right to your target customers. Coffee bikes, beer bikes, juice bikes, salad bikes, soup bikes, donut bikes, a bike decorated with your logo to just ride around town–you dream it, we can help you build it."
Maps
North America
USA
Walk Friendly Community Map "A Walk Friendly Community is a city or town that has shown a commitment to improving and sustaining walkability and pedestrian safety through comprehensive programs, plans, and policies. Communities apply to the program to receive recognition in the form of a Bronze, Silver, Gold, or Platinum designation. [With this map] you can sort and view profiles for communities that have been designated since the program began in 2011."
Washington
Explore the Walkability of DC Neighborhoods (Interactive) "Select a neighborhood to learn more about who lives in that community"
Further Reading
You may also be interested in the following.