Freight bicycle

Modern long-wheelbase freight bicycle from Amsterdam
A modern cargo trike in use in London, featuring electric assist
Mother with two children in The Hague (Netherlands)

Freight bicycles, carrier cycles, freight tricycles, cargo bikes, box bikes, or cycletrucks are human powered vehicles designed and constructed specifically for transporting loads. Vehicle designs include a cargo area consisting of an open or enclosed box, a flat platform, or a wire basket, usually mounted over one or both wheels, low behind the front wheel, or between parallel wheels at either the front or rear of the vehicle. The frame and drivetrain must be constructed to handle loads larger than those on an ordinary bicycle.

Development

The first freight bicycles were used by tradesmen to deliver mail, bread and milk amongst other things. Early freight bicycles were heavy-duty standard bicycles, with heavy carriers at front or rear, sometimes with a smaller front wheel to accommodate a large front carrier. During the early part of the 20th century these were commonly used by tradesmen for local deliveries. In the UK this style is still sometimes known as a butcher's bike or delibike, although the Post Office have by far the largest fleet.

With the domination of the internal combustion engine in the industrialized countries after World War II, freight bikes became less popular. In the rest of the world, however, they continued to be manufactured and heavily used. In the 1980s in Europe, and the 1990s in the US, ecologically-minded designers and small-scale manufacturers initiated a revival of the freight bike manufacturing sector.

Common uses

Freight bikes are used in a variety of settings:

Considerations

Freight bicycles have a number of advantages over motorised vehicles:

A limitation of any human-powered vehicle is the relative weakness of human power compared to many motors, leaving a narrow scope for balancing tare weight, payload, geographical and topographical range against each other. These limitations might in some cases dissuade some people from using cargo bikes, whereas others still find them useful, and have been in increasing numbers.[1][2]

Some cargo bike makers and users utilize power assist motors to complement the power of the cyclist.[3] Power assist can increase the payload and range of cargo bikes, but also increases the cost of the bicycle and requires on-board fuel or other energy storage.

Because of the unavoidable physical demands on a driver who also has to propel the vehicle, and the lack of protection against either the elements or other traffic, there is also a potential for working conditions becoming a problem. Technical efforts to improve conditions are hampered by the need for low weight and sturdy simplicity to achieve low costs in small-scale operations.

Types

Cargo bike in Copenhagen

In Amsterdam and Copenhagen, freight bikes are extremely popular. In Amsterdam many residents simply fit large front carriers to sturdy city bicycles. There is also a broad variety of specially made freight bikes including low-loading two-wheelers with extended wheelbases, bicycles with small front wheels to fit huge front carriers, tadpole-type three-wheelers with a box between the two front wheels. Varieties used elsewhere include a platform, basket etc. instead of the box, the loading area between two rear wheels (delta-fashion), small-wheel two-wheelers loading both back and front. An occasional four-wheeler can also be seen, especially within a plant, warehouse or the like, where demands on stability and loading capacity are higher than on range.

Cycle truck

The Cycle truck refers to a type of freight bicycle with a smaller front wheel than rear, typically 26 inches (66 cm) rear and 20 inches (51 cm) front.

Butcher's bike

Typical 1930's Butcher's Bike, in the Forest of Dean

Also referred to as a Baker's bike, however this style of freight bicycle was popular with a wide variety of trades during the first half of the 20th century, particularly in the United Kingdom. Typically, they would have a basket or storage box mounted within a framework which was fixed to the front of the bike. Often, they would also feature a sign advertising the business concerned, which would be attached within the main triangle of the bicycle frame.[4]

Their popularity declined significantly towards the end of the 1950s, with the increase of motorised transport, and their use today is largely limited to postal delivery services.

Boda-boda

Main article: Boda-boda

A boda-boda (or bodaboda) is a two-wheeled bicycle or motorcycle taxi, originally in East Africa. Boda Boda[5] is also the name of Yuba Bicycles compact cargo bike introduced in 2012.

Long John bicycle

Danish Long John freight bicycle

The Long John Bicycle is a freight bicycle with the cargo area in front of the rider and some linkage connecting the steering to the front wheel. Capacity is usually about 220 pounds (100 kg). A traditional Long John will have a smaller front wheel and a 23 or 26 in (58 or 66 cm) rear wheel and a 30–40 in (76–102 cm) long platform or basket located low in front of the handlebars. Vintage Long Johns are becoming collectible. Recently the term "Bakfiets" (which means "box bike" in Dutch) has sometimes been used to describe Long Johns and for cargo bikes in general.[6] Slightly shorter versions of Long Johns are also sometimes referred to as "Cycletrucks". The last known manufacturer to still produce the original Long Johns is Monark. The history of Long John Bicycles is traced to Denmark c. 1923.[7] The Smith & Co. Company (SCO - founded by Ivar Smith and Robert Jacobsen in Odense, Denmark 17 October 1894) was the inventor and the first to build this type of cargo bicycle. The first Long-John was presented to the public at the Wembley World Fair & Exhibition in 1924.

Offroad Long John bicycle

Offroad Long John bicycle, 80x60cm cargoarea, twin motors
Offroad Long John bicycle, 80x60cm cargoarea, twin motors

The range of Long John style cargobikes extends to off-road applications.[8] Such designs can cover difficult terrain such as sand, mud, and snow, by using fatbike tires, electric motors, and suitable ground clearance. This brings cargobikes into farms, national parks, 1st-response situations, and immunization programs.

Longtail bicycle

A Surly Big Dummy with handlebars and foot rests for a second rider

Longtails have a longer than usual frame wheelbase at the rear compared to a standard bicycle.[9][10][11] The extended rear better facilitates use as a freight bicycle or carrying multiple or adult passengers compared with shorter bicycles. They tend to handle more like regular bikes than cargo bikes with linkage steering.

Xtracycle Free Radical as fitted to a Trek 820 MTB donor bike.

Xtracycle developed the first longtail product, their Free Radical,[12] which attaches to an existing 'donor' bicycle to make it a longtail bike in 1998. The growing popularity of Xtracycle inspired the Kona Ute,[13] launched for the 2008 season. Surly were asked by Xtracycle to build a complete Xtracycle-compatible frameset; the result was the 'Big Dummy', first released for the 2008 season. The chromoly frameset is designed for 26" wheels.[14] Buyers have the choice of frameset alone or complete bicycle. In 2008 Xtracycle documented the LongTail as an open-source standard.[15] This has helped individuals to build longtail bikes themselves such as the Xtravois.[16]

Xtracycle now offers a complete bike, the Xtracycle EdgeRunner, which allows for safer loading and unloading of children and is easier to handle and accelerate than other longtails because of its small 20" rear wheel.[17]

Since then LongTails have become a bike of choice to be outfitted with Electric-Power Assist systems.

Yuba Bicycles launched the first complete longtail cargo bike with the Mundo.[18] Other complete longtail cargo bikes include the Surly Big Dummy.

Bike Friday has a unique longtail cargo bike, the Haul-a-Day, with a main frame that adjusts in size for riders from 4'0" to 6'6" tall. It is claimed to be the world's lightest longtail cargo bike.[19]

Wooden freight bicycle

Chukudu transporting bananas to market in the North Kivu province of DR Congo.

The chukudu (or chikudu, cbokoudou) is a two-wheeled vehicle used in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo. It is made of wood, and used for transporting freight.

Porteur bicycle

A modern bicycle styled off the classic French Porteur bicycle.

A Porteur bicycle has the rack on the front, and can carry as much as 50 kilograms (7.9 st) that way.

Tricycles

Cycle rickshaw in Dhaka

Cycle rickshaws are used for the short range transport of both people and goods while tricycles with boxes or platforms are used to transport goods. A cargo tricycle with an open or flat platform might be used for low value goods or for trips where the rider is always with the goods. A fabric cover can be added to provide weather protection. Tricycles can also be fitted with a lockable weatherproof box, usually of aluminium construction, for valuable goods and where the rider has to leave the vehicle.

Cargo tricycles can typically carry 100–300 kilograms (220–660 lb) of cargo and have capacity of 1 cubic metre (35 cu ft) or more, which is about half the capacity of a small panel van. The weight capacity of tricycles is limited by available human power and the permitted power of electric assist by law.

Cargo capability

Bicycle Made in Wheels Platform Lx W in cm max. weight in kg
anywhere.berlin: RSMRY-01 D 120x80 160 cargo only
Maderna MSRC XXL Truck AT 2 80x60 120 cargo only
Riese & Müller Load light D 60x39-45 200 total weight
Larry vs Harry Bullit DK 2 70x46 180 total weight
Cargo Bike: Wagon Bike ? 80x54 100
Douze Cycles: Messenger V2 F 40-80x? 200 total weight
Radkutsche Rapid D 82x50-70 200
Radkutsche Musketier D 3 250
Pedalpower Berlin: Long Harry ? 80x60 200 total weight
Omnium Cargo DK 2 83x50 175 total weight
Urban Arrow XXL NL 2 121x61 ?
8Freight UK and TW 2 ?x60 50-100
Iceni Cycles Chariot UK 3 92x108 180
Boxer Cargo UK 3
Cycles Maximus VanTrike™ UK 3 108x122 250
Evolo Z1 ES 3 270

Designers and manufacturers

Freight tricycle

Traditional Dutch cargo tricycle or "bakfiets"
Further information: Tricycle § Freight_trike

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Promoting Cargo Cycling in the European Union". cargocycling.org. Retrieved 12 April 2013.
  2. ↑ "EU Parliament Listens to Cargo Bike Experts". European Cyclists’ Federation. Retrieved 9 June 2012.
  3. ↑ Dr. Morgan Giddings (10 August 2009). "A Quiet Revolution in Bicycles: Recapturing a Role as Utilitarian People-Movers". Retrieved 12 April 2013.
  4. ↑ http://tradesmansbike.wordpress.com/
  5. ↑ http://yubabikes.com/cargo-bikes/boda-boda/
  6. ↑ Walker, Amy, ed. (2011). On Bicycles: 50 Ways The New Bicycle Culture Can Change Your Life. Novato/California: New World Library. pp. 127, 128. ISBN 9781608680221.
  7. ↑ Dickson, Thomas (2006). Dansk Design. Copenhagen: Gyldendalske Boghandel. p. 392. ISBN 9781741963175.
  8. ↑ "Anywhere Berlin". Retrieved 2016-05-13.
  9. ↑ "Blog Archive » Longtail Vanilla #1". Clever Cycles. 2006-10-04. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
  10. ↑ Dave R. (January 10, 2008). "Kona Ute—Rock solid cargo bike". Bike Hugger. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
  11. ↑ Justin Thomas. "The Best Cargo Carrying Bikes Of 2009: A Review >> MetaEfficient Review". Metaefficient.com. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
  12. ↑ "Xtracycle". Xtracycle. Retrieved 2014-12-30.
  13. ↑ "konaworld". konaworld. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
  14. ↑ "Spew | Removing and applying decals on our frames". Surlybikes.com. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
  15. ↑ "Main Page - Open Source LongTail Technology". Xtracycle.com. 2009-03-13. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
  16. ↑ "xtravois". Clevercycles.com. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
  17. ↑ "We Tried It: Xtracycle EdgeRunner Assisted and Unassisted". Hum of the City. 2014-06-23. Retrieved 2015-01-25.
  18. ↑ http://yubabikes.com/cargo-bikes/mundo/
  19. ↑ https://www.bikefriday.com/folding-bikes/bikes/haul-a-day/
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