There’s a new bike in town. It’s not designed for speed. It’s not designed to go down hills. It’s not even designed for looking cool, but it will get you more looks than any other bike you’ve owned!
It’s a cargo bike. A proper European-style ‘bakfiets’.*
Crank Cargo has recently opened shop and is importing and selling Danish made ‘Christiania’ cargo trikes. Cargo bikes are all the rage in Europe with a quarter of families with 2 plus-kids owning one in Copenhagen. There are estimated to be around 40,000 of these things in Copenhagen alone!
Copenhagenize compares these to an SUV, and they certainly make an attractive replacement for that second (or even first) car, without all the maintenance and fuel costs.
So what are cargo bikes and why all the fuss?
Well, we all know cycling is quick, easy, fun and parking a bike is way easier than parking a car when going out/shopping/visiting friends etc. There’s a dozen great reasons to ride a bike.
But, there are also a dozen excuses we find every day to not ride one; “it’s raining/windy/cold/uphill, I have to do the shopping, I have to pick up the kids, I’ve got too much stuff to take”.
While there’s not much any of us can do about the weather, there is a solution to your transportation of objects/people problem. Crank cargo bikes can carry up to 100kg in the front box! That could be four small children, or enough shopping to feed an entire rugby team, or a Christmas tree , or even your park bench …
Crank Cargo currently has two styles of cargo trike available (the ‘Quarter Acre’ and the ‘Surf Wagon’) with the option to place custom orders and accessorise your trike. The choices are staggering, with hub gearing, hydraulic brakes, different colour boxes, saddles and seats, hoods and even wheel covers available. The best thing about these bikes, is that Dan from Crank Cargo is working with Daryl from EVLabs to retrofit electric assist – a big plus for those Wellingtonians who need to occasionally negotiate hills and/or windy days!Check out Crank Cargo to see what kind of cargo trike would suit your lifestyle!
Cycle Wellington 