Cargo bikes aren’t common where I live. In fact they are so rare here that I’ve only seen one at a local bike shop and the only person I know of that actually owns one lives in Montana. However the more I see them, the more I want one. They just seem to be way more practical for errands than panniers on a commuter bike which is what I currently use (they don’t hold much), or a trailer which isn’t always practical when looking for places to park the bike in a town that isn’t very cycle friendly.

Then today while surfing the net I came across this video:

Copenhagen Cargo Bikes from Streetfilms on Vimeo.

I’m sold!

I know we have a long way to go before we have a cycling community that even compares to Denmark, especially when only 40% of the population of Copenhagen owns a car, but then I read this article in Momentum Magazine on cargo biking. It wasn’t so much the article that I enjoyed, but the links on the second page. It was a perfect starting place to price them out and check out the different models of bikes and trikes available in Canada. New bikes start at $1100 on average for a basic model, or if you can convert a bike with Xtracycle’s FreeRadical for as little as $364 US (plus S&H) for the conversion kit and panniers. Either way the bike would pay for itself in gas savings. Live in a town with lots of hills? You can buy an electric motor to help you out. The best part, you can even buy accessories to help you haul bigger items and boxes (the guy I know with a cargo bike in Montana has actually helped someone move by pedal power alone using his Xtracycle). So for 3 seasons of the year, you really have no excuse to not get out there and ride your bike.

I wonder how my old hardtail would do as an Xtracycle? Hmmmmm…