Oh hey, thanks for clicking on this article and sharing your cargo bike journey with me!
The goal of this article is to kick off your cargo bike journey and answering the question,
What is a Cargo Bike?
Before we jump into answering that question, a quick introduction – I’m Arleigh with Bike Shop Girl, where I’m focused on connecting families and communities by bike to help you leave your car at home. I’m a lifelong cyclist, and after having our first child in 2018 I hated being stuck in my car driving my kids around.
Enter the cargo bike.
This thing literally saved my mom sanity and helps me stay on a bike, while burning less fossil fuels and sharing a healthy habit with my family doing normal daily life mom errands..
Back to our question, what exactly is a cargo bike?
Now, technically any bike can carry cargo, you on your road bike could be considered cargo. You can also add a rear rack or a front basket to most bikes to carry groceries or a child in a seat. It doesn’t mean the bike will handle well, or is designed for that purpose.
A Bike Designed to Carry Cargo – 120 lbs of cargo!
Personally, I think a cargo bike should be able to carry the primary rider and at LEAST 120 additional pounds of cargo. Of course, other people’s opinions may vary.
Typically cargo bikes have dedicated ways to carry children, cargo, and many are more upright for city riding in whatever clothes you are wearing for the day. Oh, and they must have a great stable kickstand to keep the bike upright and steady while you load your kids or cargo.
More Cargo Biking Resources
- Cargo Bike Guide – Cargo bikes come in all sorts of shapes, sizes, and styles. You can learn more about the differences between cargo bikes available in the US
- All my Cargo Biking Articles
- All my Cargo Bike Review Articles
- My opinions on Buying an Electric Bike vs Adding an Electric Bike Kit to Yours
- Coming soon – The next article in my series of Cargo Biking Resources, tips for riding a cargo bike!