CARRYING CARGO
Most of the solutions to carrying children and dogs can of course be used to carry Cargo. The easiest way to distinguish what is right for you would be to differentiate it by weight. How much stuff do you want to carry?
BASKETS
– if all you want to carry is under 7KG your easiest and simplest bet is a decent quality front basket. Nothing is more convenient for the odd bottle of wine, pint of milk and loaf of bread. The beauty of most easily detached baskets is they can come into the shop with you and then just clipped onto your bike.
As the weight in your front basket increases it can make the bike a little more unstable so less is more when it comes to loading up the basket.
PANNIERS AND RACKS
– If you want to get a reasonable amount of heavier stuff when out for a shop your best bet is a rear pannier rack with a good set of panniers. You are limited on the majority of rear racks to a weight limit of 20kg but there are heavy duty racks that are able to carry up to 35KG, these racks typically have 3 supports per side as opposed to 2 for conventional racks. Pannier rack will fit to the majority of bikes and once fitted you have a wide choice of pannier sizes and quality you can buy. A decent quality set is always worth the investment with well-made fastenings and waterproof fabrics.
Getting groceries is totally possible on a bike. Not only that, it gives you loads of freedom – you don’t have to fight for parking, you’ll only buy what you really need, and you’ll really be earning whatever delicious meal you’re getting ready to cook up.
How to pack your baskets and bags –
Put heavier items and items that can’t get squashed at the bottom – things like tinned goods and boxes
- Place more delicate groceries like eggs, veg and bread at the top
- Make sure to load both panniers evenly so one side isn’t heavier than the other, which can make your bike feel lopsided while you’re riding
Of course, once you have the panniers for the shopping and errands then the world of bike touring and holiday expeditions are available to you. The world on a bike is your oyster.
TRAILERS
– For the weekly shop or trips up to the allotment then a trailer is the answer or for the ultimate load carrying capacity the cargo bike.
Trailers come in a wide range of shapes and sizes making them a popular choice for transporting lots of goods for utility, leisure, and touring.
Their weight limits vary by model, but you can expect upper limits to be between 20kg and 50kg.
Most models will hook on and off bikes with relative ease, making it easy to restore your bike to its original state within a few clicks.
Cycling with any trailer can take a while to adjust to, you’ll need to be aware of your increased overall length, width, drag, turning circle and weight. They come in a wide range of prices and spec , so you have to consider the following .
- Sun, wind and rain protection
- Durable or light weight frame (For example, aluminum will be lighter to tow, but steel is stronger and better suits heavier loads).
CARGO BIKES
If you’re going large, then a cargo bike is the ultimate in carrying capacity. With a load capacity of 100kg the cargo bike is the way to green up a business or family.
The vast majority of cargo bikes are electrically assisted as carrying heavier loads makes it a necessity. This is the most expensive option but cheaper than a car!
There are two main designs of cargo bike, both have the capacity to carry all you need.
Longtail bikes: These let you carry cargo on an extended rear cargo rack that sits over the back wheel. Bags and boxes can be attached to the rear rack.
Front-loading cargo bikes (sometimes called bakfiets, Dutch for “box bike”) let you haul stuff (and even the family dog) in a box or other container that sits on the front cargo rack located between the handlebars and the front wheel.