This post may contain affiliate links, which help to keep Discerning Cyclist rolling. Learn more.
Cargo bikes are cool—really cool. Longtails, box bikes, or compacts—whatever you’re riding, we’re into it. And with various bike industry bods calling the 2020s the ‘decade of cargo bikes,’ are we on the cusp of seeing more of these bikes on our streets?
There are so many uses for cargo bikes, and we hope that detailing them here will inspire you to own one in the future. And if you already own a cargo bike (you lucky thing!), maybe you’ve never thought of some of the uses we’ve included here.
Yes, yes—don’t let us stop using cargo bikes for everyday use—commuting, nursery drop-offs, weekly shops, and the like—but these uses will make your life easier.
But that’s only the half of it. Riding and using your cargo bike will make your life much more interesting, and for many uses on our list, especially the last one – much more fun, too.
1. Jumping The Queues – Wherever They Are
Let’s face it: driving a car in towns and cities worldwide isn’t fun. It’s slow, boring, and ultimately a waste of your time. That’s where cargo bikes come in. When was the last time you saw a cargo bike traffic jam? In fact, when was the last time you saw a traffic jam of bikes?
Well, there’s the odd time at rush hour on bike lanes up and down the land, but in reality, riding a cargo bike means you can jump the queues. Sail past cars bumper to bumper. Whizz past grumpy drivers stuck at an intersection. Wave past passengers nodding off in their seats.
2. Avoiding Carmageddon at School Drop-off
As we’ve already mentioned, cargo bikes are brilliant at helping you avoid queues, but for the parents amongst us, another use ticks the boxes: the school drop-off.
Picture the scene, the bedlam of the school drop-off. More cars than parking spaces. More angst than calm. More time wasted than saved. That’s where cargo bikes for the school run come in. Pop the kids in, ride to school, and pedal to the front gate. There’s no messing around finding a parking space and no moaning kids complaining about walking to the school gate when it’s cold and raining. Another plus for the cargo bike people!
3. Starting a Business
Becoming self-employed or starting your own business can be expensive. One of the largest expenses can be transport. Getting from A to B, from office to home, or even to your customers is an unavoidable cost, but it can be reduced easily.
Enter the cargo bike—a tool that can make short business travel more efficient and cheaper. Its cargo capability means tools for the job can come along for the ride, too.
So, who could give it a go? Plumbers, carpenters, electricians, and gardeners—the list of roles is endless! And that’s even before you consider how handy cargo bikes are for companies that deliver their goods to people! Flowers, coffee, ice cream, chocolates—beer even—consumable goods sustainably delivered to customers and often quicker, too—what more can you ask for?
4. Taking Bits to The Dump
What is it about the dump? There’s always a queue of cars, no matter what time of day you choose to go. Take stuff there on a cargo bike and don’t queue—simple. That is if the jobsworths at your local dump will allow you to! There’s always someone to ruin your day, right?!
Cargo bikes, with their high-carrying potential, mean that most things that need to go can… well, go. The old fridge that’s finally gone pop, oodles of cardboard that the new one came in, even the prunings from the garden – get these on the cargo bike and down to the dump.
5. Ride Your Kids to Places That Are Fun to Ride
This one is another for all the parents out there. Unfortunately, in today’s world, it’s not as easy as kicking your kids out of the door and telling them to burn off some energy by riding their bikes.
A park, a quiet country lane—any haven to ride a bike is worth getting to let your kids ride their bikes in peace. That’s where cargo bikes will make life easier. They can transport little bikes and little riders to that very place.
Although it’s tricky for box-type cargo bikes, this kind of activity has been dubbed ‘bag and drag.’ Although this is specifically for longtail cargo bikes fitted with panniers, it’s a neat way of taking bikes and little people places. And the great thing? The journey there and back becomes part of the fun!
6. Ride The Dog to The Park
We’ve had something for the parents, and now it’s time for something for the dog parents. You guys know how much Big Monty likes a sniff in a new place, so take him there by cargo bike—he’ll love you for it, promise.
7. Take Your Bike to The Bike Shop
Is this some inception nonsense? No – just a fantastic (car-free) method of taking a stricken, unrideable bike to a bike shop for repair.
Plenty of longtail cargo bike owners even use the ‘bag and drag’ method we discussed above for full-sized adult bikes. If the setup works and it’s secure, then why not?!
8. The Best Way to Take a Christmas Tree Home
And now, it is time for the biggie, the one cargo bike that tops off the owner’s year – bringing your Christmas tree home by bike. Tie it, lash it, bungee it – however you fix it to your cargo bike, nothing will put you in the festive mood more than doing this!
For some, bringing home their Christmas tree on their cargo bike has become as much part of Christmas as presents or turkey. This use has even spawned a small (but growing) hashtag on social media. Search #treebybike to get excited about the possibilities of bringing your festive foliage home by bike.
Share the 🚲 Love
