Busting myths at the London Cargo Bike Festival

The first ever London Cargo Bike festival took place on April 1^st 2023 at London Guildhall in the heart of the City of London.

Cycle Sprog’s Saskia and Karen were there to find out more about the latest cargo bike offerings that are getting more and more families out of their cars and onto two or three wheels.

The juxtaposition between the historic splendour of the 600 year old buildings with cutting edge solutions for urban mobility couldn’t have been starker.

The day offered a chance for families to test ride a huge selection of different cargo bikes from a wide range of brands.

We’d taken the decision to leave our own Cycle Sprogs at home so we could fully concentrate on test riding the bikes on offer and speaking to the range of experts on hand.

The cargo bikes we rode showed just how far the industry has come in such a short time.

Wide range of family bicycles at the 2023 London Cargo Bike Festival

There were so many cargo bikes to test ride that we didn't quite manage them all (but we had a good attempt!)

What struck us was that whenever the topic of cargo bikes is brought up there’s always someone saying “Ah, but what about….”

It was brilliant to see so many solutions to all these “Ah buts”.

Ah, but you need to be really fit to ride a family cargo bike

Most of the family cargo bikes on display at the cargo bike festival were e-assist.

Gone are the days of cargo biking being only for the super fit.

It’s now possible to get kids and all their stuff up hills and across towns really easily.

For example, the Raleigh Stride 2 is designed to transport kids, shopping or whatever else you need with the help of a Bosch Performance CX Cargo Line motor.

Ah, but family cargo bikes are too expensive!

One of the criticisms of family cargo bikes has always been that they’re far too expensive for “ordinary people”.

Let’s ignore the fact that with a family cargo bike you avoid the costs of a car, trips to the fuel station, MOTs, Vehicle Excise Duty, parking, Clean Air Zone charges - or alternatively of public transport and taxis - and deal purely with the upfront costs of a cargo bike.

There’s now a growing number of cargo bikes that are much more affordable than some of the earlier models.

For example, Amcargobikes Deluxe E-cargo starts at £2199. The bike has a range of 45 miles and has a 150 kg load capacity.

Ah, but I don’t want to be constantly charging up the battery on an electric cargo bike

That’s fine – no one is making you have a battery.

A traditional cargo bike such as the Babboe Curve is going to be cheaper than the e-assist equivalent and might suit you perfectly fine if you’re living in a fairly flat area.

Ah, I don’t want a box bike

For older kids you want to carry on board you’re looking at a longtail cargo bike with two seats behind.

We didn’t get to test the most popular long tail in the UK, the Tern GSD because the queue was too long. It didn’t feel right to take the opportunity away from others, as we’ve both ridden this bike before.

The Tern GSD R14 comes with 2 batteries, the most powerful Bosch mid-motor, suspension and a belt drive. It will set you back £8,600 without any accessories.

So we had to settle for riding the much smaller Tern HSD P9 instead, which is good if you’re riding solo or with “things” to transport (great for those with older kids who ride by themselves).

It also works if you have one child to transport (as it fits one of several rear child seats without the need for an adaptor) or want to pull a trailer.

Ah, but cargo bikes are too slow and boring – I’m a fast and furious cyclist and enjoy riding the rough stuff

The Riese & Müller Multicharger is an e-cargo-longtail-mountain-bike – designed for both urban and rural adventures.

It was so nimble that even on the small test track it was possible to get up to speed and get your knee down on the corners.

The suspension means this is one to consider if you’re wanting to head off-road (or the roads in your area are full of potholes).

Hopefully all this has made you realise times are changing.

Cargo bikes are fast becoming a serious option for getting a family around and about.

Having written all this I’m reminded that the main argument whenever people talk about cycling as a mode of transport is “Ah, but it’s impossible not to drive if you’re a mum with kids”

For example only last week a TV producer tweeted this:

It’s no coincidence that young men are some of the biggest advocates of killing off the car industry. They’re mostly fit and healthy; they can’t envisage otherwise. They can’t imagine being a mum carting around children nor the woman trying to get home without a taxi at night.

— Charlotte Gill (@CharlotteCGill) March 28, 2023

The cargo bike festival well and truly showed that it is possible to “cart your children (and so much more) around” without the use of a car.

What we need now is for the investment in safe routes to school, shops, parks, playgroups, nurseries and housing estates across the country so families everywhere can choose this more sustainable, healthy, cheap and fun mode of transport.

Other articles you might find interesting:

• Top things to look out for when buying an electric cargo bike
• How much does an electric family cargo bike cost?
• Best electric longtail cargo bikes to carry kids
• 2 vs 3 wheeled cargo bikes; which is best for carrying kids? 
• Rad Power bikes stops selling e-bikes in UK