Cargo bikes have been around for over 100 years, not long after the traditional bicycle as we know it today, came about. With the introduction of the combustion engine, the use of cargo bikes saw a quick decline until people started becoming more conscious about their impact on the environment. Previously used mainly for commercial purposes, in the last 10 years, there has been a glorious explosion of bikes made strictly for hauling stuff made available to people for everyday use and there are more versions to choose from than ever.
Check out some of the new haulers on the block from Horse Cycles, Yuba Cycles, and Xtracycle and determine if parking one of these bad boys in the garage should be in your near future…
The Sidecar by Horse Cycles is a handmade…. well, sidecar made of chromoly tubing with a platform made from your choice of hardwood oak or reclaimed planks from the Coney Island boardwalk that were collected after hurricane Sandy. You can also opt for a surfboard carrier that holds up to 4 boards. The 3 wheel bicycle comes complete with 35mm tires, Brooks Saddle and Grips and retails for $4,500.
We have been covering Yuba Cycles since 2008 and as history shows, they have been very successful with their Mundo model of cargo bikes which is now on its 5th version, (hence the V5). Yuba took their solid and very likable Mundo and built this version which is a whopping 5 pounds lighter than the standard Mundo due partially to using chromoly tubing.
Yuba kept the sturdy rear stand as well as the LED lights powered by the Mundo’s Shimano Dyanmo hub and updated the front end with a 1.5 in head tube for a stronger more stable ride, added hydraulic disc brakes, and it now has a new handlebar shape for more comfortable ergonomics. The Yuba Mundo V5 retails for $2,099 and can handle just about anything you can attach to it with the over abundance of mounting points the bike comes with.
Xtracycle is no stranger to the game of cargo bikes, and this year they’re taking their popular, though expensive Bosch electric Edgerunner 10E that retails for $5,749 and offering an updated EdgeRunner 24D that retails for $1,999. The Edgerunner uses a 20 inch rear wheel making loading of kids or other cargo easy while keeping a low center of gravity for stable handling and comes in your choice of white, orange, black or light blue.
