The cargo bike is the ultimate utilitarian urban bike, found only in cities! It can take different forms — two-wheeled cargo bike with front box, three-wheeled cargo bike, longtail — but always has the same mission: to offer a very high load capacity to meet the needs of the most demanding urban cyclists. Transporting several children, heavy loads, making deliveries by bike… The cargo bike can be useful in many situations.
WHAT IS A CARGO BIKE FOR?
The cargo bike, like the two- or three-wheeled cargo bike, can be useful on a daily basis for professionals, tradespeople, delivery riders and others who operate in the city. The cargo bike allows them to travel more quickly than by car over reasonable distances, and to transport their work equipment or parcels without difficulty.
Beyond that, the cargo bike can also be used by everyone — a parent to transport their children, or anyone to do the shopping or carry a bulky parcel…
While standard cargo bikes can do the job for fairly short journeys, it is worth knowing that there are electric-assist cargo bikes that can replace a car in many situations!
THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF CARGO BIKES
The term cargo bike refers to three main types of bicycle: two-wheeled cargo bikes with front box, three-wheeled cargo bikes, and longtails.
Cargo bikes with front box
Two-wheeled cargo bikes with front box are cargo bikes on two wheels that integrate a loading box between the handlebars and the front wheel, allowing several children to be transported safely, or a large grocery haul.
It is worth bearing in mind that this type of bike weighs around thirty kilograms, which makes manoeuvring it when stationary more difficult than a traditional bike. As wide as a traditional bike, it is less bulky than a three-wheeled cargo bike. With its comfortable riding position and low centre of gravity, it offers a pleasant ride and remains very stable in use when loaded, even if the turning radius may be larger than on a traditional bike.
Three-wheeled cargo bikes
Three-wheeled cargo bikes are cargo bikes on three wheels that integrate a loading box between the two front wheels. They offer an even greater load capacity than two-wheeled cargo bikes, and can accommodate up to four children!
There is a variant of the classic three-wheeled cargo bike: pendulum models, whose front wheels tilt on corners.
A three-wheeled cargo bike weighs around forty kilograms; it is wider than a two-wheeled cargo bike, therefore bulkier and less easy to store. Offering a comfortable riding position, it has a lowered centre of gravity that allows it to maintain excellent stability in use. Since the handling remains particular with the two front wheels, corners must be taken at a moderate speed.
Longtails
Longtails are the closest to traditional bicycles: their front triangle is identical, but their rear structure integrates a long rack, which allows a large amount of shopping to be transported (with high-volume panniers) or two children (with suitable seats or grab bars). The riding position is comfortable, but the real strength of longtails is the handling, comparable to that of traditional bikes.
WHAT ARE THE SELECTION CRITERIA?
Load capacity
Load capacity is an essential criterion for choosing the right cargo bike! Depending on your needs, you may opt for a tricargo to benefit from maximum storage volume: thanks to its large box, it can accommodate up to 4 children, several children with some shopping, a large grocery haul, or large parcels. The two-wheeled cargo bike offers the same load possibilities to a lesser degree, with 2 or 3 children, some shopping, and parcels. While it does not offer the same possibilities, the longtail can still carry two children at the rear.
On a two-wheeled or three-wheeled cargo bike, the parent has the advantage of always being able to keep an eye on their children, who they may feel are safer in their box at the front than seated at the rear on a longtail. The boxes of two- or three-wheeled cargo bikes can also be fitted with accessories to enhance the comfort of young passengers, including comfortable benches, secure seats, and rain covers…
Similarly, longtails are designed to accommodate accessories that ensure the comfort of children seated at the rear: seats for younger children and, for older ones, padded cushions, grab bars, and footrests…
Storage options
Bulk and manoeuvrability when stationary are important criteria when choosing between a two-wheeled cargo bike, a three-wheeled cargo bike, or a longtail.
Equipped with two front wheels and a large box, the three-wheeled cargo bike is the heaviest and widest of the three, which limits storage options, particularly indoors. The two-wheeled cargo bike is an intermediate solution, which still requires an easily accessible garage for storage. The longtail has roughly the same dimensions as a traditional bike, with a slightly longer wheelbase, which makes it easier to store and manoeuvre when stationary.
Manoeuvrability
Less nimble for weaving through city traffic than other cargo bikes, the tricargo is also the one that requires the most caution when riding, particularly on corners. It is very well suited for use on dedicated cycle paths.
On a two-wheeled cargo bike, you will find a riding experience fairly comparable to that of a traditional bike, although a short period of adaptation is required. As wide as a traditional bike, it can navigate city streets more easily than a tricargo.
The longtail remains the most manoeuvrable of the three, and its handling is no different from that of a traditional bike.
