It is one of the few segments of the bicycle market that remains in the green. In 2023, 35,000 cargo bicycles with electric assistance were sold to individuals, according to figures from the Unión Sport&Cycles (USC), not counting artisans or delivery people who also acquire this type of vehicle for professional use. A stable figure compared to 2022 and which is maintained this year. Hence the appetite of brands for this consumer interest. Here are our tips for choosing the right cargo bike.
• Aimed at specialized brands or a more general audience?
From the two-wheeler or scooter with a front platform to the longtail that accommodates passengers on its rear platform, the cargo bike can serve different purposes. If historical brands such as Douze Cycles in France (which has partnered with Toyota), Yuba in the United States or Tern in Taiwan have been manufacturing cargo bikes for years, international brands such as Canonball or Trek are also getting into this.
The price of this type of bicycle, however, remains at the top of the basket of bicycles with electric assistance (VAE): 3,600 euros on average, or almost double the price of a classic VAE. Some models can reach 6,000 euros in specialized brands, while those from mass-market brands such as Decathlon stay at 3,000 euros. But be careful not to necessarily think only about the purchase price.
“A bicycle that we will use every day and that will travel 40, 50, 60 kilometers per day, it is worth spending 1,000 or 2,000 euros more on a durable bicycle that is not repaired every day, advises Jérôme Sorrel, founding partner of weelz. ouestfrance.fr “We need components designed for the cargo bike.”
Heavier, longer, adapted components are needed to ensure, for example, effective braking. And for a range of about a hundred kilometers on a 40 or 50 kg bicycle, you will need a large and therefore more expensive battery.
• Biporter, longtail, which format to choose?
Beyond the brand, which model to choose? “You have to think carefully about the use,” explains Philippe Gentil, business development director at Douze Cycles x La Mobilité Toyota. “If I want to transport my kids, how do I keep them safe, how do I feel on my bike.”
In fact, there are two main categories of cargo bikes, most often electrically assisted:
- the two-wheeled vehicle with a garbage container in the front (there is also a tricycle version, this time with two wheels in the rear)
- the “longtail”, a bicycle with a rear platform.
The first will be more intended for the transport of goods, but will also be able to accommodate children, in seats with small seat belts. “When they are 3 or 4 years old, we can put them in front, but when they are older we can move to a long-tail model, where we can easily transport two children behind,” explains Gwenola Periot, head of communications within the Trek brand.
Longtails, narrower and also lighter, are currently popular for their maneuverability in large cities like Paris. Especially since they are easier to park than bicycles with a container.
“You also have to be aware of the limitations,” explains Jérôme Sorrel. “All cargo bikes can carry children, but a two-wheeled vehicle can be uncomfortable if you live in the city, even if the children are well protected, and if, as if they were in front, we can communicate with them.”
With accessories, a longtail can also be scalable, to accommodate the transportation of increasingly larger passengers, using a “cage” when passengers are smaller, a luggage rack with side grab bars, a longer luggage rack to accommodate several children . The longtail can also accommodate an adult rear passenger, depending on the weight it can carry.
• And the weight?
Once the use is defined, another question quickly arises: the size of the bicycle. Having a large cargo bike in the city can quickly become cumbersome, like driving a van in the city, especially when maneuvering on foot. From 25 kg for the most compact longtail bikes to 70 kg for a large steel cargo bike, it all depends on the use here.
Beyond the weight of the bicycle (parking it and turning it around is a little help), you have to pay special attention to how much weight it can support. The Toyota Cargo Verso can, for example, transport 100 kg in its front box, the Trek Fetch 4 with two front seats can support almost 175 kg (passengers and luggage included).
Less expensive than the two previous models, for 2,999 euros, the Decathlon R500E can transport two children or one adult in addition to the driver, that is, 170 kg in total.
• What accessories to choose?
“You have to think about the bicycle, but also about all the accessories, it is a real determining factor,” says Jérôme Sorrel, founding partner of the specialized site weelz.ouestfrance.fr. These accessories will allow the bicycle to evolve according to use.
Back toe clips on a long train or front step are very interesting elements. The rear floors can be changed for boarding, the same goes for the rain protection (for example, it costs almost 200 euros to adapt it to Decathlon’s R500E). The same on a two-wheeled vehicle: additional child seats can be added.
And here it is important to know the brand’s strategy so as not to see the bill inflate.
“Some like [la marque française, NDLR] Mustache delivers the bicycle almost ready to use, others deliver a bare bike to which we have to add 100 euros here, 100 euros there, and we quickly increase the bill by 500 euros,” warns Jérôme Sorrell.
Another essential element: the anti-theft device “to fix it to a fixed point” or better yet, secure parking for bicycles in the city for about fifteen euros per month. Please note that bicycles usually have an anti-theft device built into one of the wheels.
• Is specific insurance required?
Officially no additional insurance is mandatory, the cargo bike is covered like any bicycle by civil liability insurance.
The online insurer Leocare recommends taking out special insurance “that covers theft and battery failure, but also expensive accessories such as waterproof tarpaulins, storage systems and child seats.”
This insurance can also cover roadside assistance, which can be interesting especially for professionals, or simply to have assistance that can also come to pick up passengers. For example, Leocare online insurance offers breakage and theft insurance at 14.77 euros per month for a cargo bicycle valued at 3,000 euros.
Toyota, for its part, has developed a broader range of services, because the cargo bike is “considered a classic vehicle.” “Toyota offers its insurance, its financing, with offers dedicated to cargo motorcycles but duplicated from the automotive world,” summarizes Philippe Gentil. The manufacturer also offers a practical session with the bike to learn the basics of this bike, heavier and longer than a classic model, included in the price of the bike.
Source: BFM TV
