Category Archives: Cargo bikes

Ideas for promoting bike logistics

Leave a reply

Bike logistics is increasingly being promoted by advance cities, but there are others which have to change its politics and really promote the use of bicycles in deliveries. Here mayors have some ideas:

  • Allow trailers plus bikes: Surprisingly, trailers are not allowed in some cities and should be legal as they are essential accessories in bike logistics. Some of them can carry 200 kilogram and electric motors make it easy for cyclists.

  • Knowledge: Mayors should know the projects related to bikes already in development in their cities. They should listen to urban bikers since they share a specialized vision regarding sustainable, urban mobility such as tips, difficulties, challenges and needs. This is important to avoid false steps, and waste of money and time.

  • Space: Bike logistics focuses on the last mile. Cities have normally had empty public spaces, even buildings. One way to give life to them is councils yield them to bike logistics. Bike logistics can not develop often due to the fact of the impossibility of renting a 200 squared meters in downtown. This would solve a recurrent problem.

  • Transfer: The more cargobikes are seen in a city, the more cargobikes will be on that city. If councils transfer a cargobike fleet to firms and citizenship, they popularize them. Moreover, as this is not a bike sharing service, such bikers end buying them after testing cargobikes.

  • Economical support: Subsidizing cargobikes in several countries have demonstrated it as a good attempt to increase cargobike use and enhance bike logistics.

How useful are cargo bikes in natural disasters and wars?

Leave a reply

The bicycle characteristics are ideal when natural disasters impact human livings. As I exposed when writing about bicycles after the DANA in Valencia (Spain), in 2024, bikes and above all cargo bikes are narrower than cars and transport first needed food to where is needed.

The concern about climate change, natural disasters and even wars has created initiates to share ideas regarding it. One example is the Kollapscamp in Wittstock (Germany). Contrary to what the name suggest, it is not a pessimistic camp for bikes. This event attracted 900 people to contribute to a platform to learn and share ideas about how bicycles can help overcome natural disasters and social crisis through workshops and talks. It also promoted strong, self sufficient communities without centralized nets, psychology, social organization and logistics.

Previously, as back as 2012, some tests have been done. For instance, the Disaster Relief Trials (DRT) in Portland (USA) consisted in bike cargo tests as a drill for using this type of bicycle to bring food aid to a catastrophic area. They evaluated how good are cargo bikes in transporting water or assisting in paths full of mackerel. They concluded that non-electric bikes are the best as the good management of energy is not needed in such scenarios.

The Tolocar project, promoted by the XYZ Cargo in Hamburg, has suggested to reinforce the supply routes with cargo bikes in Chernígov (Ukraine). XYZ proposes modular systems to adapt cargo bikes in few time.

Can I afford a cargo bike?

Leave a reply

Over the last years, cargo bikes are becoming more popular. They can be used to carry groceries, children or even a piano. A person who has not had a cargo bike previously can think “I want it, but can not have it”. The main problem is where will be saved this bike as they are larger than traditional bicycles. This can constitute a prejudice since a car or a motorbike is also large, but people usually find a place for them. If you have two cars, get rid of one of them and now you have space for the cargo bike. Additionally, cities should modify the urban design to incorporate more spaces for bicycles (including cargo bikes) and people, and take it off to cars. For instance, if living blocks will be obliged to dedicate a space within the buildings for them, bikers will have a specific space for their bikes. Again, councils can build public bike parking that has been demonstrated effectiveness in other cities.

Maddy Novich

Leave a reply

The use of cargo bikes has been increasing over the last years. Even in countries so pro-car as the USA, this kind of bicycles remains a clear alternative to cars. Maddy Novich, Criminal Law teacher at Manhattan University, knows it in deep. This mother of three has five cargo bikes and uses them to carry couches or big wardrobe, and also her three children. The children enjoy the rides while playing, eating, or chatting in the box. Moreover, she is always open to answer questions in relation to bikes and particularly cargo bikes to others moms who want to gain independence and take care of their health and environment. Maddy advises about issues like what cargo bike model to choose or how to drive a cargo bike.

She has also visited several European countries and appreciates specially those who offer good, physically separated bike lines from car lines. Indeed, Maddy started using cargo bikes in Amsterdam back in 2019. Moreover, she highlights the difference mentality of European and American car drivers. She affirms that in general European car drives respect bikers more in the sense that they reduce speed and keep more safety distance when they see a bicycle.

Alternative ways to promote biking

Leave a reply

When you think about how to promote the use of bicycles, you surely come across with ideas such as connected bike lines, use physical separators between bike lines and car lines, or the creation of bike parking. While these points are completely accepted, there are others which are being put into practice in some European countries.

Employees can deduct about €0.30 per kilometer when pedaling to work in their Personal Income Tax. Moreover, bike leasing offers an attractive issue. A long-term bicycle renting, without Personal Income Tax and included maintenance is what some companies are offering. It is the same concept as the company car, but as company bike. Regarding bikes cargo, there is also the leasing option which can include insurance, road assistance and repairs. Indeed, if you want to buy it after three years, you can do it by the remainder of the payment, or change for a new bike cargo with the same fee.

Alternatively, governments can give money to citizens who practice sustainable mobility (including biking). Forcing companies to pay at least 50% of the public transport cost for their employees is other realistic idea.

Now, imagine a large facility firm location. Would not it be marvelous if government paid for bicycles for employees? This is something that is being made in some European countries as well as offering important tax deductions to bike messenger service companies when buying bicycles.

Finally, the reduction of bicycle VAT constitutes another economic action to promote the use of bikes.

Cargo bikes history

Leave a reply

Cargo bikes are a type of bicycles with special frame, larger than a normal bike, to carry persons, pets and objects. We see them more this year than the previous one. They are folk from year to year. What is its history?

They appeared before the actual bicycles in England back in 1877. It was when James Stanley conceived a tricycle with a platform in order to transport people and goods. The very one of the cargo bike was a machine less attractive with an iron frame, without gears and a small surface to carry loads. However, the improvement in wheels, the larger platform and improvement techniques and even technologies have made them to be more suitable to farmers, craftspeople, postpeople, and riders among others. Improvement continued and cargo bikes were looked from mundane machines to the present beautiful, good-looking ones.