Gallery: Cargo Bikes Make A Comeback

There’s nothing new about cargo bikes; they were once very common delivery vehicles, and they make a lot of sense for carting heavy loads. As Treehugger’s outdoor correspondent Warren McLaren has noted, “Bicycles are, as we keep telling our readers ad nausem, the most efficient means of transport humankind has ever devised. Mostly people take that to mean in the transportation of people. But what might have gone unnoticed by many was that bikes are not only brilliant for commuting, recreation or racing, they are also excellent at hauling cargo. From surfboards to sunflowers, from wedding cakes to wardrobes. Kids to compost.”

He put together a great four part series:

Bicycle Cargo Chapter 1: Racks And Bags >

Bicycle Cargo Chapter 2: Bike Trailers >

Bicycle Cargo Chapter 3: Extended Frame Bikes >

Bicycle Cargo Chapter 4: Cargo Bike Business (A – L) >

Industrial Bikes that Get the Job Done

Some cargo bikes are huge, like this Australian Trisled. This four-wheeled quadcycle is capable of moving huge loads on its massive two and half-meter long tray-top. The FlatBed Truck freight bike sells for a little over $4,000, so it’s for serious transporters only. Treehugger also showcased five cool cargo bikes and explored the future of cargo on bikes (and the present, too!)

Kid-hauling Cargo Bikes

Another form of cargo: kids. In the Netherlands they have this figured out thanks to Bakfiets, and they have built a kid carrying, cargo hauling, folding trike called the Feetz Tribike. These tried and true designs are being put to work every day, from Boston to Portland.