The ICBF Magazine - Winter 2022 | 2023

Dear cargo bike friends,

the seventh edition

it you’ll

five continents; from Ukraine to Uganda; from Nigeria to Canada, Israel,

more. And of course,

an edition full of insights and inspiration for anyone interested in cargo bikes.

covering everything from the #CargoBikeEmoji to regulation. We tackle an important subject that’s close to our hearts: diversity in the industry. You’ll also read accounts of how an NGO is making a difference to people’s lives in East Africa and of a long-distance cargo bike ride across the US. All of which is living proof that the #DecadeoftheCargoBike is in full swing.

delighted this year to be teaming up with World of eMobility. The 2022 International Cargo Bike Festival takes place under the same roof, so you can compare cargo bikes from the most prominent brands alongside all sorts of electric mobility solutions. It’s the first ICBF since 2019; so don’t miss out!

are grateful to all of the advertisers from this edition: with a special mention for our cover stars Radkutsche. Without all of you, publishing this would have been impossible. Thank you.

last but by no means least, thank you to you, our readers. We hope you enjoy the magazine. Get in touch to tell us what you think, and be sure to follow @cargobikefest on social media for more inspiration throughout the year.

on rolling!

Jos Sluijsmans – Director ICBF / Fietsdiensten.nl

Parr – Editor of the ICBF Magazine / Co-organiser of the ICBF

CARGO BIKE EMOJI: AN UPDATE

Chances are that, just like 92% of the online population, you’ve sent an emoji such as a or a to a loved one, or perhaps a to a work colleague today. You may have received a from a friend suggesting a bike ride on the weekend? Hopefully it was a in reply. Together, we use around 10 billion emojis daily in text messages, Whatsapps, Tweets, Facebook and other forms of messaging.

Put simply, emojis enhance, simplify and enrich our digital messages, filling the gaps where words don’t hit the mark. They supplement our language in online spaces in which tone of voice is often difficult to get across. There is, however, no cargo bike emoji - and I think that’s a problem.

Cargo bike emoji

In last year’s ICBF Magazine, I outlined some of the social, logistical, environmental, economic and practical reasons why a cargo bike emoji would be a good thing. The short version; it would enable and facilitate online conversations about the cargo bike - conversations I believe would eventually make a real-world difference.

In April 2021, following a lot of detailed research and development, I submitted an official proposal for a cargo bike emoji to the Unicode Consortium (http://bit.ly/CargoBikeEmoji). That’s the organisation that governs which emojis are approved for development by platforms such as Apple, Google, Twitter or Samsung.

I’d love to have been able to tell you that the proposal had been taken forward into the next round of development and consideration. Alas, it was not to be. In October 2021 I heard that it had been rejected. Unicode didn’t provide any direct feedback on the proposal - and with over 140 other proposals to consider, they have not committed to doing so.

Down, but not out…

But that’s not the end of the story. I think there is much work to do in representing adequate and appropriate diversity within the ‘transport-ground’ emoji set. That’s why I - or rather we - are going to try again. Rejected proposals need to wait two years before they can be resubmitted, so in April 2023 we’ll submit version 2.0.

And when I say we - I’m including all of you. But what can you do to assist?

• Ride cargo bikes! At work, for the household, or on your commute. Activity in the real world drives content online. Both raise awareness.

• Generate and consume online content around cargo bikes – this means more search results. News stories, posts, blogs, videos, GIFs, memes, articles, interviews, DIY videos, shopping - it all adds up, and demonstrates that this emoji is needed.

• Use hashtags such as #CargoBike, #CargoBikeEmoji and #DecadeoftheCargoBike on social media.

Hopefully we will see success in the next round; for now, we will have to make do with the combination of and to convey our message. But who knows - perhaps in a couple of years we will be using a cargo bike emoji with our messages.

By David Majarich

THE EXCITING INTERPLAY BETWEEN BIKE MANUFACTURERS

Even though we are just two years into the 2020s, the decade of the cargo bike is in full swing. Cities across the globe are rethinking how climate change and – among others – technological innovations in mobility influence the use of public space. New strategies are emerging to maintain – or make – cities more liveable for people. Businesses are taking an active role in developing products and services that matter, and helping to move cities forward. From our perspective, Europe leads the pack; paving the way for the growth of the cargo bike market. At Urban Arrow, we are excited about these developments and want to make an even bigger impact in Europe and the United States.

Cities shaping the future

With climate change dominating the news lately, city councils and governments worldwide are actively shaping policies to mitigate the effects of climate change. LEVs, cargo bikes and e-bikes are a cornerstone in this emerging new reality. European “usual suspects” cities like Paris, Brussels, London, Amsterdam, Berlin, Copenhagen and Barcelona all have inspiring

visions about climate neutrality and are taking concrete steps in realising them. Examples include setting up Ultra Low – or Zero – Emission Zones, pushing 10-15 minute city plans and setting up cycle logistics hubs. On the heels of these capitals is another group of very active but slightly smaller cities, such as Bremen, Utrecht, Groningen and the Hague.

Progressive businesses

The bicycle is celebrated and increasingly welcomed as the primary urban transport mode for people and business. At Urban Arrow we celebrate businesses and organisations making progressive moves, driving their sustainability agendas and adopting cargo bikes in doing so. We know both innovative SME entrepreneurs and corporate business leaders are choosing to decrease CO2 emissions,

save costs, build an energetic workforce and create fine-mazed delivery networks in urban areas. Headlines such as “Amazon: e-cargo bikes to replace thousands of delivery vans” are rife across international media lately. Renowned media such as The New York Times, Bloomberg, Financial Times and The Guardian are covering the growth and adoption of e-cargo bikes and the positive impacts they have on cities, people and businesses. The interplay between cities and business is exciting and leads to e-cargo bike manufacturers - like Urban Arrow and many othersto develop innovative products that are well designed and can carry serious volumes.

Your next step with e-cargo bikes

At Urban Arrow we are ambitious and looking for partnerships. That’s why we’re open for conversations with progressive cities and innovative businesses that want to move forward. Does your work revolve around city planning and urban traffic? Let’s talk about urban logistics and making cities more liveable! Are you ready to explore how to integrate cycle logistics

into your business operations? Get in touch and we’ll be happy to share best-practices based on our extensive 10+ years’ experience as cargo bike leaders. We will tag along on your next steps in the e-cargo bike market. Pedal with us in creating a new breed of business bikes.

Photo: Jason Rabinowitz

Photo: Twitter user @EmmanuelSPV

Photo: Urban Arrow

“YOU CAN GO A LONG WAY ON JUST ENTHUSIASM AND ENERGY”

By Karin Veenendaal

Falling for each other, falling in love with a country, a way of life and a means of transportation that makes a difference. A lot can come out of love. Speak to Marieke de Wild and Luuk Eickmans of CooP-Africa, and you’ll find that that is actually the core of their story: love. We connected remotely to consider the impact of something as basic as a bicycle.

CooP-Africa stands for Cycling out of Poverty Africa - and you would struggle to find a more fitting name. Because for many, a bicycle is a stepping stone to a better life. Whether you run your own business, are a farmer or provide care.

Fifteen years ago, Dutch couple Marieke (45) and Luuk (43) started this - at that time still relatively small - foundation.

“Alongside my work, I was studying International Development Studies part-time” recollects Marieke.

“For my master thesis, Luuk and I stayed in Uganda for six months where I interviewed a hundred women about the role and meaning of the bicycle in their daily lives. From the first day, the country grabbed me. It isn’t touristy here, there are no temples or other attractions. But the positive vibe and especially the warmheartedness struck me. It was a wonderful time and very interesting in terms of substance too.”

For love only & partnership Luuk, likewise, was captivated by the country, the atmosphere and the people. “Our enthusiasm about the country and the difference a bicycle can make in someone’s life,

began to rub off on others” he explains. “More and more people wanted to donate money or a bicycle. So in the evenings we started Cycling out of Poverty.” When the organisation where Marieke worked ceased to be, they went all-in, taking the foundation to a more professional level. “We started small and grew without losing our closeknit character” explains Marieke. “In the beginning it was a labour of love. Luuk has a background in business, so he mainly focuses on fundraising and acquiring subsidies. I guide and support our partner organisations in implemen ting projects. Our different backgrounds and experiences mean that we complement each other well.”

Effective response & monitoring

“We focus on small entrepreneurs, care providers and schoolchildren.” continues Luuk. “These are the foundations for a better life. That is: if you’re mobile. This is especially a problem in countries where infrastructure is lacking and

“Before we had our children, CooP-Africa was our baby. It still is, in fact.”

poverty is high. A custom-made, solidly built and affordable bike - or cargo bike - is the simple but very effective answer. These are built, assembled and sold in our own social ‘bicycle factory shops’: the Green Hub Shops. Everyone who buys or is sponsored by us also receives bike maintenance training. And we follow up with every buyer and recipient a year later so we can use their feedback for further development.”

Expansions, new focus & children

“There are branches in Kenya and Uganda: similar in structure, but autonomous and with their own team and management” enthuses Luuk. “In the meantime, Belgium has also become part of the partner network, which will hopefully soon include the UK as well.”

To avoid being completely dependent on donations, explains Marieke, they run a second social enterprise: Bikeventures. “The proceeds of bicycle tours, bike trips, bike rentals and even overnight stays go to CooP-Africa projects Bike4Work, Bike4School and Bike4Care: the core of the foundation.”

Marieke and Luuk have achieved an impressive amount in fifteen years, but would not describe themselves as very successful. “We do our best” says Luuk, modestly. “You can go a long way with enthusiasm and energy.” Asked about the future, it quickly becomes apparent that quitting is not on the cards. “A lot is still up in the air, like how can we make our supply chain more sustainable?” states Marieke. “Or how can we ensure that care providers or farmers get steady jobs so that they can pay off their bicycles more quickly? And what about all the other countries that would also like to join the network?”

Luuk adds “The bicycle is available and affordable for a large group and the network is solid and still growing. So now we want to focus mainly on the ecosystem around it. For example, improving safety on the streets and addressing regulation. This is where Marieke’s expertise comes in handy. She has written many cycling plans for various governments in the past.” Marieke concludes with a smile: “Before we had our children, CooP-Africa was our baby. It still is, in fact. Once a parent, always a parent; so for the time being there’s still plenty to be done.”

KWIKFIT SETS ITS SIGHTS ON E-MOBILITY AND STARTS SERVICING (CARGO) E-BIKES

KwikFit is a European company offering quick and affordable car repair services. By origin KwikFit is Scottish. The first overseas centre opened in 1993 in the Netherlands. Nowadays KwikFit has more than 750 centres across mainland Europe. KwikFit Nederland is now shifting its focus towards e-mobility and recently opened its first full-service e-store and several e-bike service points. Pieter Bikker, Director of E-mobility at KwikFit Nederland proudly explains why.

By opening and starting an e-bike service, the company supports the transition to electric driving and helps make electric transport accessible to everyone. Many e-bike sales take place online. KwikFit provides a local service point, independent of the seller or the brand, and with the quick service that the company has become known for: make an online appointment and get a service within an hour.

The introduction of e-service is a milestone in the company’s history. With this, we are taking a big step towards e-mobility and the garage of the future. We see more and more different types of electric vehicles entering the market, from e-bikes to e-microcars. How Dutch people move from A to B will change drastically in the coming years and we see ourselves playing a major role in this. That is why we are going to broaden our scope from garage business for cars to e-mobility service for electric vehicles.

Besides regular e-bikes, the new e-service flag stores are perfectly equipped to service cargo e-bikes. There is space available for the larger bikes, specialised tow-equipment and lifts make it easy to work on the cargo bikes, and all technicians have been trained in the technology of the bikes. Several vendors have even delivered demo bikes for the technical staff to get acquainted with. The KwikFit experience of working large fleets of vehicles will come in handy while opening up to cargo bikes.

KwikFit has also entered into partnerships with various providers of cargo bike subscription services. The garages then function as a practical, centrally located point for collecting and returning e-bikes. The shops are mainly located centrally in the city; where in many cases a zero-emission zone is activated and therefore a lot of bikes are present.

Customers can come to these garages of the future for maintenance on both their electric car and their e-bike. In addition, the garage functions as a test lab for e-mobility where various new electric vehicles can be serviced. These include new e-cargo bikes in all shapes and sizes, e-microcars and LEVs (Light Electric Vehicles). This knowledge and experience will be the basis for further development of the e-service concept that will eventually be rolled out at all KwikFit garages.

Thanks to the e-service concept, people who drive electric vehicles can still come to us for maintenance. In this way, we will ensure that we can continue to provide the same quality and service even in an emission-free world. We see the e-service concept as the KwikFit of the future.

“We are taking a big step towards e-mobility and the garage of the future”

WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT DIVERSITY IN THE CARGO CYCLE INDUSTRY

By Tom Parr, in collaboration with MJ Somerville

The humble bicycle, with its enormous capacity for positive change, played a pivotal role in the suffrage and civil rights movements as a vehicle for emancipation and social justice. And just like the bicycle, the cargo cycle is a machine that can act as a social leveller.

Both can trace their beginnings to a similar period, and both subsequently fell out of favour, pushed aside in favour of mass car ownership and left forgotten; marginalised.

Recently, the advent of e-bike technology has led to a renaissance, with the cargo cycle moving from the sidelines into the spotlight. The cargo cycle industry is undergoing an unprecedented period of growth, with potential so enormous we’re not even close to realising all of it. It wasn’t for nothing that Jos Sluijsmans and I dubbed the 2020s the #DecadeoftheCargoBike.

Industry Potential

I’ve worked in the cycling industry for over a decade now, and since I moved to the Netherlands six years ago, have focused on cargo bikes. It’s a fantastic industry that puts me in contact with remarkable, enthusiastic people who care about what they do and who make real-world, positive impacts every day.

But for a while now something has been bothering me about the industry. It is not diverse. And once you notice it you can’t unsee it.

None of which are inherently bad things – as long as we see them for what they are. A set of privileges which – put together – have played a significant role in helping us thrive in this industry. People who look like me are dominant in the cargo cycle industry. It’s visible at events – online and in-person. It is visible on social media; 84,5% of @cargobikefest Instagram followers are male. Authors of industry online articles are generally male and white. I could go on.

I didn’t always think this way. For a long time, I didn’t notice it at all; because I didn’t need to. Almost everyone I worked with was like me; white, straight, cis-gendered men, most of whom were born in rich western countries, were able-bodied, slim in build and educated.

“Something has been bothering me about the industry. It is not diverse”

MJ Somerville and Tom Parr in Edinburgh.

Photo: Amarins Romkema

Time for dialogue

Early in 2022, I reached out to utility cycling expert MJ Somerville. MJ is queer, trans, identifies as non-binary, and uses they/them pronouns. We had met at ICBF 2019 in Groningen, and I asked them to participate in this article as part of the LGBTQIA+ community, to relate their experiences in the industry. Throughout 2022 MJ and I held a series of remote conversations.

MJ is an accomplished bike builder, project manager, and mechanic. They grew up in Canada, beginning their career in theatre. Moving to the UK in 2007, MJ’s focus switched to bikes, working at organisations including Bike Station (Edinburgh) BikeWorks (London) and Sustrans (Birmingham and Edinburgh). Since January 2022, MJ has been based at the Edinburgh Open Workshop where they are the authorised UK producer of XYZ CARGO cycles.

It was during their time at Sustrans that MJ led the establishment of the NGO’s Cargo Bike Library. One of the first of its kind, the scheme loans cargo cycles out to small businesses

and organisations, allowing them to try before they buy, also providing rider training and full fleet maintenance. So successful was the idea that libraries have popped up across the UK and as far afield as Sweden, Canada and Australia.

Intersectionality

MJ first describes an important concept to me which relates back to my social standing near the top of the ladder. “Intersectionality is all the layers that make people” they explain. “For example, the intersectionality of a person’s experience can affect how much money they make, what education they can have and what opportunities are available to them; a working-class person: a person with mental health issues; a person who is vulnerably housed; a person of colour; a trans person; a woman; a fat person. All of these things bring in to a person’s story. In other words, intersectionality describes the combination of factors that affect people’s life-chances in a system of power where “normal” is cis-gendered, male, white, rich, slim, neurotypical, heterosexual etc.”

“In the cycling industry specifically; hetero-normative cis white men are rungs above everyone else on the ladder of privilege. So much so that they sometimes can’t see anyone else. As you mentioned, trade magazines are a perfect example. The titles to job announcements might as well be “white man gets job, yay white man”. We also see this in the cycles that are produced and who they are marketed to.”

MJ’s experience

“My queerness has nothing to do with my technical skills. My trans-ness has nothing to do with my project manage ment skills. My body size has nothing to do with my technical knowledge – at all. But it has everything to do with my ability to thrive and to develop those skills. Gawed, it has everything to do with finding a cargo cycle that fits! Cargo cycles are built by tall people, for tall people. I have had to start my own business and build customisable cycles because I’m not tall enough to ride any other on the market. I know women running cargo projects that have to ride their entire fleet standing on their tip-toes.”

“My queerness has nothing to do with my technical skills. My trans-ness has nothing to do with my project management skills”

Photo:

And I tell them: ‘Me. I run the project’. They’ve replied: ‘No, no, I mean the man. Who’s the man that runs the project?’. I’m like: ‘That’s ME. I run the project!’, and it goes back and forth until I am yelling ‘there IS no man!’.”

“I want to thrive, not survive. But I’m not like them; I’m not part of the ‘tribe’ that built the bike industry. And although it seems to be slowly changing – I would say only in the last five years – as a gender non-conforming person I am considered as ‘other’.”

“Why don’t we talk more about the actual elephant in the room; an industry that is almost entirely run by white men and what that means for people who are not part of that group. How do we thrive?”

“To be clear” continues MJ, “I do not speak for all people’s experiences of oppression. I can only speak of mine; and I still walk through this world with a fair amount of power. I am white, come from middle class, educated and I am an English speaker.”

“Yet, I know the hurt of being dismissed, not believed or outright ignored or sneered at. I do not want that for others. I try my best, I am accountable for my mistakes and I can do better. I can always do better for the rest of my life.”

Being taken seriously

One of the most frustrating things MJ runs up against is the struggle to simply be taken at face value. “There’s this concept that to fix a bike or understand technical information, you need to be male. To understand any aspect of the bike industry, you have to be a man.”

“I’ve had instances where a man walks in to my workshop and asks me: ‘Where’s the man that runs the project?’.

“What is frustrating is that attitude generally has more to do with their feelings of ‘not enough’ and the belief that power is finite than it does with me specifically. These actions send the message that I am not allowed to thrive because ‘you’ need to work on your emotional intelligence.”

So how does MJ deal with that? “I’ve learned to be bold and look for loop holes. I am smart and efficient. Still, I need to be 110% versus 60%. I try to forge my own path without needing them. It does affect me though and tend to sound defensive or over explain myself in situations I feel uncomfortable in.”

An eventful question

Next, MJ turns the tables and poses a question: a thought-experiment. “OK, you’re invited to speak at a cargo cycle event. What are your fears?” I give a fairly standard answer about how anxious I become when speaking in public: that I’d forget something, not be articulate, or make a fool of myself – that sort of thing.

“I’ve got all of the same fears as you,” MJ states “then I’ve got a few things on top of that.” The first again relates to being dismissed before opening their mouth: “I really, really know what I’m talking about, technically. But I also have the fear that I will be refuted because I’m not in a body that looks like yours.”

“I have been to many conferences where the assumption is if there is a person with non-dominant intersectionalities then they are there to talk about a marginalised group or gender versus engineering, mechanics and technology.”

“You’ll also never really see me staying too late at drinks networking. I prefer to leave early if I don’t know the people or the city. I have to take extra measures like staying close to the venue for my personal safety - just to be sure. I fear being gay-bashed on the way home.”

“Just from speaking at a conference at which I know what I’m talking about, those are all the extra fears I have to deal with. Do you also fear those things?” I admit that I do not. It’s sobering.

“I want to thrive, not survive”

Photo: Rosie Baily Edinburgh Open Workshop

MJ’s experiences should make us reflect. But what they tell us doesn’t only apply to trans people or even those under the wider LGBTQIA+ umbrella. Those struggling to thrive in our industry, in 2022, include women, people of colour, people with disabilities and older people. The list is far from comprehensive.

Decision-making. Hiring. Design. Marketing.

Manufacturing. Events. All are spaces MJ and I discussed in which we – as an industry – should be considering systemic change. It is up to those who are dominant in the cargo cycle industry to adapt their behaviour. And if that makes you feel defensive – I get it. It’s uncomfortable. In her book White Fragility, Robin DiAngelo addresses how to deal with this defensive impulse: “Breathe. Listen. Reflect.” In other words, take a moment and understand that this really is not about demonising you personally or any group in general.

It begins with empathy and accountability. Those who are dominant in society constantly ask marginalised groups to fight for themselves. Right now they are doing all of that work – emotional work – that still does not allow them to thrive.

It is our work, not theirs.

It’s not a case of ‘having to watch our words these days’, but simply having concern for the effect our words and actions have. Yes, for the benefit of those struggling to thrive in the cargo cycle industry, but also for the good of us all. In short; we are not fulfilling our potential if people – whether colleagues or customers – are excluded – this is something we should want.

In their book The Transgender Issue, Shon Faye’s opening line goes: “The liberation of trans people would improve the lives of everyone in our society”. And the last phrase? “Our existence enriches this world.” For me, these two statements embody the essence of the truly inclusive, vibrant, dynamic and outward-looking cargo bike industry I want to be part of.

My own role – and the role of the ICBF – in making it happen is to do better at listening to, and then amplifying, marginalised voices. To support and encourage without gatekeeping. Sometimes to simply get out of the way. But also to unify. And to keep doing it forever. This is just the start of what I hope will be an industry-wide process. What’s your role? What’s your organisation’s role?

We are all familiar with the many ways in which the cargo cycle is better than cars and delivery vans. Change is possible; the cargo cycle itself was once marginalised and is now booming. Let’s take inspiration from it and be better ourselves. We can. We must. And we will. Because as we all know, when the cargo cycle industry flourishes, the world becomes a better place.

MJ Somerville is the authorised UK Producer of XYZ CARGO, a collabora tion originating in Denmark between N55 and Till Wolfer. XYZ CARGO cycles use a completely new way of building modular, functional cycles with a

focus on local production in a socially just and environmentally sustainable way. Either order as normal or build it yourself at one of their workshops in Edinburgh, Hamburg, or of course Copenhagen.

Further reading

The Transgender Issue: Shon Faye White Fragility: Robin DiAngelo

Contacts

“It is our work, not theirs”

Photo: Rosie Baily Edinburgh Open Workshop

Growing up as children of a cocoa farmer in Edo State, Nigeria, my brothers and I watched as the harvest of cocoa pods was transported in baskets on people’s heads, who would walk to processing centres. This practice of carrying harvested farm produce like this is called ‘headloading’ and is mostly carried out by women who are unable to afford other means of transportation.

Headloading is low-cost, but only limited weight can be moved – around 30kg – and the practice often leads to neck and spinal injuries. And because only a limited amount of pods can be carried and transport on foot takes more time, there is always the risk that the pods arrive too ripe; spoilage which means lost income.

TFS is born

Back in 2017 my brothers Otasowie, Osagioduwa and I set out to produce affordable, human-powered cargo tricycles. Our goal? To tackle the challenges faced by African farmers in transporting their farm produce to markets and storage/processing centres. In doing so, we would also contribute to several of the Sustainable Development Goals.

Armed with degrees in Business Administration, Mechanical Engineering and Public Health, and with an accumulated professional experience of over 20 years, we founded The Farmer’s Sons Cycles: TFS Cycles for short. We built several prototypes using old bicycle frames and parts with the aim of producing a low-cost cargo

LIGHTENING THE LOAD

From slow and strenuous ‘headloading’ to nimble, efficient cargo tricycles

by Osamede Obayuwana, Chief Design Engineer and Co-founder, TFS Cycles

tricycle which can be used to carry goods of up to 150kg using pedal power only. And of course we encountered several challenges along the way…

The first model

With a grant from Cyclists for Cultural Exchange (CCE) in 2018 and support from Craig Calfee of Calfee Design, we were able to produce a working model using locally available materials and parts, which was tested on several terrains common to sub-Saharan Africa. The IMUS model was born: a low-cost, human-powered steel framed cargo tricycle with a front carrier platform which can be configured to suit different customers’ needs.

Satisfied with our final model and having trained our first mechanics in welding and basic metalwork skills, we began production in early 2019 using locally sourced steel and bicycle parts. Initially designed with small-scale farmers in mind, our customer base has evolved to include street food sellers, ice cream vendors,

waste collectors and last mile delivery services. To ensure accessibility, we work with microfinance banks and also offer a limited Rent-A-Day service at $1 per day - for those who cannot afford to buy.

African potential

We are open to partnerships with other cargo bike companies because the market is huge and the social impact could be great. The use of cargo bikes promotes decent work, increases food production, decreases food spoilage and encourages productivity, which in turn increases household incomes, thereby helping to reduce poverty and hunger over the long term. We also believe that, as populations move towards fossil-fuel-free forms of transport, cargo bikes (human powered and electric assist) will in the near future be one of the most used methods of transporting goods and services in Africa.

Illustration Karin Veenendaal

Photo: TFS Cycles

FIVE QUESTIONS FOR… RICK VAN RIJTHOVEN

We sat down with founder of World of eMobility Rick van Rijthoven to find out what makes him tick.

Who is Rick van Rijthoven?

I am a creative entrepreneur who never gives up. For every problem there’s a solution. The more complex the challenge, the more fun! I was born in 1967 and have 30 years of experience in various industries. I’ve started several companies and initiatives along the way: a clothing brand (DNA, 1996), an IT company (MOVE, 2012), an online platform for e-driving (e-Drivers.com, 2018), events (Modefabriek, 1996 and World of eMobility, 2021) and festivals (Bastiaans Bazaar, 2008 and Sublime, 2011). To be the host of the ‘party’ is what I like the most; bringing people together in an inspiring environment where they can do business. Thanks to my experience, knowledge and network, I can swiftly reach out and connect the right people. It’s not about who you are, but who you know.

What is World of eMobility and why do we need to know?

World of eMobility (WOE) is the new B2B & B2C event for the entire eMobility industry. Its core values are innovation, design and sustainability. Just 7 minutes away from Schiphol Airport we’re creating an inspiring meeting place with a mixture of lectures, seminars and infotainment in combination with the best innovative e-brands and products. We’re bringing together start-ups, scale-ups, commercial brands and companies from different industries. They can network with each other, forming new relationships with fellow entrepreneurs, investors, business or private customers and press. That’s WOE: the start of a new beginning and much more than just another trade show.

Why is WOE collaborating with the ICBF?

We strongly believe that co-creation, knowledge sharing and joining forces will lead to an accelerated sustainable e-climate. That’s why we’re working with the ICBF. Our organisations have the same DNA and mission. Together we can elevate eMobility to the next level and build the ultimate stage for all players in the international cargo bike industry.

Which other parties or organisations is WOE collaborating with?

We work with several national and international organisations such as The Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Water management, the Dutch Organisation of Electric Transport (DOET), Frost & Sullivan, Argentum and The Climate Group. We also support good causes, such as V.IS.FOR.BIRD and Operation Smile which helps to give children from developing nations across the world back their smile.

What are WOE’s ambitions and expectations for the short and long term?

Our time is up; we really need to change the way we move and how we build. So short term, I hope we can encourage lots of progressive eBrands and visitors to accelerate to an e-Climate. Over the long term I hope that WOE will become the most important annual international platform in eMobility. A stage where influential decision makers and manufacturers from progressive brands will join us in our endeavour towards a better world. But becoming the biggest event in the world is not our main goal: we want to become the most special and impactful event there is.

“Our time is up; we really need to change the way we move”

FLOWING LINES, ICONIC DESIGN AND HIGH QUALITY BUILD

Optima Cycles, the founders of Lovens started with one question. ‘How can explorers travel safe and in style?’ They found the answer when they introduced their first electric cargo bike model: The Lovens Explorer. A product with innovative technology and the best features for protection. With an engine programmed to make you feel like a hero. Powerful and in control. Created with a premium look. Lovens is designed for everyday use and carefree fun.

The purpose was not only to reduce emissions, but to do it with great design. With responsive steering, optional stepless shifting and feather soft suspension. The box has a well-protected seat for all little kings and queens. With a protection tube with a so-called cage construction. That technology allows their owners to travel safe and in style.

Eye-catching LED LED daytime running lights around the box are one of Lovens iconic features. This LED option is unique in the cargo bike market. The accessory turns the Lovens into a very recognizable and eye-catching vehicle. All set to stand out from the crowd, on the streets of its owners.

About the founders

Optima Cycles develops premium e-bikes (Dutch ID) and e-cargo bikes (Lovens). They are experts in design, manufacturing, and distribution. With over 26 years’ experience, owning factories based in The Netherlands and Taiwan. They manage the entire chain: from design to production and assembly. Allowing them to limit the carbon footprint.

Ready to go and explore? Visit lovensbikes.com

OUR CITIES IN 2040

THE STREET ONCE AGAIN A MEETING PLACE FOR ALL CITIZENS

by Jos Sluijsmans

I have a dream… A dream about the year 2040. A year in which our cities are designed to the Triple A principle: Accessibility for all Ages and all Abilities. So not only the fast and furious but especially children, the elderly, people with disabilities are able to live and move around independently and safely. And by safe I mean socially safe and road safe.

In 2040 there will be no more space in the city for personal and individual transport in fossil fuel-powered vehicles weighing 1500 or 2000 kilos. Urban mobility is pre-eminently active mobility: walking and cycling, with or without electrical assistance. The vehicles can accommodate one or two people and generally weigh no more than 200 or 300 kilograms.

Accidents hardly ever happen because the maximum speed is 30 kilometres per hour. And when collisions do occur, they are never fatal and cause relatively few injuries. In areas where there are many pedestrians the speed limit is 15 kilometres per hour. Motorised vehicles are equipped with ISA, Intelligent Speed Assistance. The system pinpoints exactly what speed limit applies in a given area and prevents the vehicles from driving faster than they are allowed to. Easy does it!

For people who, for whatever reason, cannot or do not want to travel independently, there are various sustainable

transport services such as tandem taxis, bicycle taxis, side-by-side tandems and other multi-person cycles available, operated by people provided with a basic income. Several dozen solar trains also run various shuttle services in the city. The supply of shops and catering is provided by innovative cargo bikes and other light electric freight vehicles.

Downtown car parking no longer exists in 2040. Bicycles, tricycles, cargo bikes, side-by-side tandems fill up the freed up space. There are benches and other seating areas every where. Just like in the 1950s, 60s and 70s, children play in the street. The street is once again a healthy meeting place. Private cars, insofar as people still have them, are parked at assembly points on the edge of the city.

In 2040, following the example of the Colombian capital Bogotá, all cities will have a so-called Ciclovía: a ‘cycling road’ for relaxation. Every Sunday morning from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m all traffic is forbidden so people can talk, walk, skate, cycle, dance or do whatever they want. Necessary motorised traffic can make use of detour roads.

In 2040 our cities are not about cars but about people!

What do you say? Sweet dreams Jos, or will you join me to make this dream happen…?!

Illustration Karin Veenendaal

EUROPE NO LONGER HAS ANY EXCUSE FOR IGNORING LIGHT ELECTRIC VEHICLES IN THE FIGHT AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE

Annick Roetynck is Manager of LEVA-EU, the European trade association for Light Electric Vehicle (LEV) businesses.

The EU has set off on an ambitious but necessary programme to lead the world in the fight against climate change. Today, transport produces around a quarter of European Green House Gas (GHG) emissions. President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen’s Green Deal aims to reduce these emissions by 90% within the bloc by 2050. To achieve that, under the Green Deal, the Commission has developed four proposals which target greater efficiency and more sustainable travel. When it comes to climate change and the future of mobility however, there is a gaping hole in the Green Deal toolbox to save energy and the planet.

In none of these plans is any attention given to the potential of the growing army of light electric vehicles (LEVs). Encompassing anything from micro e-cars to e-bicycles, e-cargo bikes and mopeds, from the ingenious to the hi-tech, they must play a fundamental role in helping to achieve a major reduction in GHG emissions by replacing everyday car journeys, now taken in much heavier, larger vehicles. In fact, none of the EU policy frameworks properly acknowledge LEVs, whilst a number of outdated EU-laws, such as Regulation 168/2013 and the Machinery Directive, are stifling growth in this sector by imposing huge legal bottlenecks to the large-scale adoption of these vehicles.

vehicles in L5, L6 and L7. LEVs also include all vehicles excluded from Regulation 168/2013, such as electric cycles with pedal assistance up to 25 km/h and 250W, e-scooters, self-balancing vehicles, etc. Given the attention electric cars receive, it’s astonishing how little it seems to be appreciated that in 2021, when EU battery electric vehicle (BEV) sales grew to just under 880,000, more than 16.5 million LEVs were sold – more than eighteen times as many as BEVs.

The spectacular growth of the European LEV-market is largely thanks to an ever-growing peloton of cities taking action to push out large, motorised vehicles; whether with traditional internal combustion engines or electric. Such measures inevitably result in a surge in LEV use. And yet, the EU systematically overlooks LEVs in policies and consistently ignores the legal impediments that prevent these vehicles from achieving their full potential. Two examples illustrate these bottlenecks.

Technically, LEVs include all electric vehicles in the scope of Regulations 168/2013, which sets out approval rules for light 2-, 3- and 4-wheeled vehicles. This includes e-bikes in L1e-A, speed pedelecs and electric mopeds in L1e-B and L2, electric motorcycles in L3 and L4 and light 3- and 4-wheeled

Electric cargo bikes are limited to 250W maximum conti nuous rated power in order to be excluded from Regulation 168/2013 and benefit from the same status as conventional bicycles in all member states. Recently, the Swiss government concluded that power limits make no sense, since the vehicles are limited to low speed anyway, and removed them. In the EU, cycle logistics are booming in cities that no longer allow trucks and vans. However, e-cargo bikes have to deliver increasingly heavy loads for which 250W is clearly inadequate. Today, increasing that power would put these vehicles in the L1e-A-category as so-called “powered cycles”. Type-approval for the L1e-A category is so complex and difficult that there are hardly any models on European roads today. Another example concerns “speed pedelecs”, electric bicycles with pedal assistance up to 45 km/h, which are subject to moped type-approval. As a result, these zero-emission vehicles are subject to the World-Harmonized Motorcycle Test Cycle (WMTC); paradoxically, a test for emissions.

“Transport produces around a quarter of European Green House Gas (GHG) emissions”

Since its establishment in 2017, LEVA-EU has been working tirelessly for better, more fitting LEV-legislation and more attention to the potential of LEVs to achieve sustainable transport. Because of the lack of hard facts to support the association’s advocacy, LEVA-EU commissioned the first piece of emissions research in this sector from DLR, the German Aerospace Centre. Its results show just how big a mistake the EU is making by ignoring LEVs.

The DLR-study models a scenario in 2030 in which a major modal shift, away from full-sized cars to LEVs, has taken place. For the model, DLR used 9 different LEV-types: e-scooter, e-bike, e-bike+ (allowing for cargo), speed pedelec, moped, motorcycle, microcars 45, 90 and 125 km/h. To underline how realistic this transition is, the analysis used only current technology: vehicles already on the market, announced for sale in 2022 or tested in pilot projects. For each substitutable car trip, DLR chose the LEV with the

lowest life cycle emissions per km that could replace the car, considering a variety of factors such as luggage, passengers, trip length etc. Of all car trips in the survey, 98% were less than 100 km, with 80% under 20 km. The researchers then calculated the maximum potential CO2eq emission saving for one year for Germany.

With this model, DLR found that more than three quarters (76%) of all car trips could have been replaced by LEV-trips, covering 50% of all car kilometres, and with each substituted trip avoiding on average 88% of GHG emissions.

The study clearly shows that substituting cars with LEVs for shorter everyday journeys would result in a reduction of 57 million tonnes of CO2eq per year. In absolute terms, the substitution would save 44% of GHG emissions produced by car trips in Germany, down from 130 to 73 million tonnes. Above and beyond reduced emissions, policymakers should also consider the multiple wider advantages of LEVs, such as improving overall quality of life and the health benefits from active mobility and cleaner air.

In conclusion, the DLR-report shows that worldwide increased uptake and use of LEVs to replace the use of needlessly large, heavy vehicles can very significantly reduce GHG emissions and so help tackle climate change. But to bring this about, the European Commission first needs to establish a separate vehicle category for LEVs, with rules tailored specifically to them. With that, all legal bottlenecks hampering technological and market development of LEVs should be removed without any further delay. Since the DLR-report, Europe no longer has any excuse for ignoring Light Electric Vehicles.

“In the EU, cycle logistics are booming in cities that no longer allow trucks and vans”

Photo: Fulpra

Photo: Fulpra

A personal story by Keith Reed on loss, endurance and new friends A DIFFERENT KIND OF HEAVY LOAD

In 2015 I was completing a European bike tour in Nijmegen when my friend Susanne said, “You’re so crazy about bikes, I know someone you should meet”. After an eye-opening tour of the city with Jos Sluijsmans, a new cargo bike lover was born. My cargo bike, the #JosExpress, is a custom build named in appreciation for the work he does to make the world a better place. Earlier this year, I called on my much-loved JosExpress for its greatest cargo-hauling challenge yet; to deliver me to a new life in a new place.

In January 2021, I lost my wife Teri to traffic violence. She was killed attempting to walk across the street as she was leaving her job as a nurse in Stillwater, Oklahoma USA. We were married for 40 years so as you might imagine, this unthinkable event turned my world upside down. I’ll spare you the details of the events that followed, but the bottom line is that this led to my relocation to a new place (Denver, Colorado), just over 1100 kilometers away from everything I had known as home.

Most of you reading this will know Denver but few will have any idea about Oklahoma. It is located on the other side of the “Great Plains”, a vast grassland that dominates the middle of the USA. This dry, almost treeless plain is most well known as the former home to the bison of Wild West lore and as the center of one of our country’s greatest humanitarian/ environmental crises, the Great Dust Bowl. I’ve had the privilege of riding my bike in some fantastic places. The Great Plains fails to check any box for ‘reasons to bike tour here’.

I’ve not been sure of much since Teri’s death, but one thing I was immediately certain of when my decision to move was made; I would relocate by cargo bike. It just felt right and put my spirit more at ease than it had been in a long time. I hoped to use the hours spent pedaling to begin to let go of some of the sadness and anger and turn my focus to something positive.

So, this last March, a challenging season for bike travel here, I packed all my belongings into a freight box and loaded my bike with all the gear I thought I would need for the journey. With temperatures expected to range from -6C to 32, this included quite a bit more gear than I would normally carry for a bike tour, but the cargo bike was

“I hoped to turn my focus to something positive”

Artwork: Michelle Himes McCrory

certainly up to the task! Ready to ride, the loaded bike weighed within a kilogram of my own weight.

Not surprisingly, the weather theme of the trip was WIND! Wind speed and direction dominated my planning each day. Not only how far I might reasona bly expect to travel, if at all, but what kind of accommodations I might need to seek at the end of the day.

The trip was 19 days long. Of that, I lost four to merciless winds and one to cold rain. This left 14 days of actual riding for the trip. My shortest day was about 50km and my longest was a tailwind-aided 145km. For nightly accommodations, I tent camped 50 percent of the time, and stayed in budget hotels for much of the remainder. I was fortunate that some of the worst weather came when I was scheduled to overnight with Teri’s mother, who lives along my route. I spent three days with her, which was more time at once than in the previous 42 years I have known her. I’ll always be grateful for that time we were able to spend together as it helped both of us heal.

In the end, the trip exceeded my expectations for what I was hoping to accomplish. Several of the days were hard, and a few were very hard. On those hard days, I noticed my anger and sadness beginning to slip away. Or at least it was temporarily replaced with the tasks at hand: searching for a place to camp for the evening in a land of fenced private property and no trespassing signs, keeping a 65kg

loaded cargo bike upright in a 3050kph crosswinds, staying diligent on a shoulderless highway for the next upcoming cattle truck, windmill hauler, or the biggest concern; a freaking oversized american truck or SUV with an inattentive driver.

A big change. I’m incredibly grateful for the new bike friends I’ve made to help me with this transition.

I was able to let some things go. Things that I certainly had no con trol over. If this last year and a half has taught me anything, it’s that we have little to no control over anything anyway, but at least we can strive to manage our response to these things in a way that might allow us to keep on going.

The cargo bike also gave me another gift on this journey. I live blogged, tweeted and instagrammed the journey and some of the Denver bike community picked up on it and gave my story a bit of publicity. Living in a large city for the first time in my life and knowing virtually no one has been another big change for me.

My life has been made immeasurable richer because of what I know as #bikemagic. It sucks that my story now involves such a senseless tragedy as I’d much rather tell you about some of the fun bike adventures I’ve had and the people I’ve met along the way. But as we all know, life isn’t always fun. Indeed these days, for too many people it seems it rarely is. I’m so grateful to my cargo bike for continuing to make sure that life is indeed worth living.

For more details on how Keith planned his trip, visit his blog here:

“I’m incredibly grateful for the new bike friends I’ve made to help me with this transition”

COOPERATION: ON THE BIKE AND FOR THE BIKE

Leo Steijn is the founder of and driving force behind www.fietsreparatie.nu. The website that allows you to quickly and easily find a neighbourhood bicycle mechanic in the Netherlands. Handy, because where do you go when the bike you bought online breaks down? In this personal column, Leo advocates cooperation not only on the bike, but also for the bike.

Sunday, August 7th: Michiel, Sander and I are ready for a tour around the Markermeer, a large lake to the north east of Amsterdam, on our racing bikes. With 1,000km and some spinning lessons in my legs, we set off. What I feel is also visible on the screen of my bike computer: the gas tap, as we say, is pretty much open. Tempo torturer Michiel quickly accelerates to 34/35 km/hr. And despite my intention to enjoy the scenery, I mostly see his rear wheel…

Frank, our fourth man, joins us and now we have to start working together. Thanks to Frank I can now catch my breath and focus on my breathing technique. Sander, our other tempo torturer, forfeits too much of his energy. Due to a combination of lesser experience and a brutal headwind, he nearly empties his tank.

But Sander isn’t the only one in trouble: I am too. I can’t keep up with this murderous tempo; well, perhaps for five minutes max. However, by working together we reach a nice average of 33 km/hr and every body stays on board. I really enjoyed this ride and it made me realise something: not only do I enjoy cooperating on the bike, but in my daily work life I also cooperate for the bike.

In the past, bicycle maintenance was often a neglected chore; seen as a drain on resources by many in the cycling industry. But a well-equipped workshop shows customers what you’re capable of. And the importance of quick, professional repairs is increasing now in a bike industry mostly focussed on sales. More and more bicycle brands are delivering directly to their customers and closing down their service units.

But if we professional bike mechanics collaborate, we can take over this service and serve customers even better. Just as we did on our racing bikes alongside the Markermeer. The possibilities are endless. As a bike mechanic I gladly share my knowledge. That’s why I have developed several online tutorials for (beginner) colleagues. You’ll find them on www.fietsreparatie.nu and by the way, they are not only for specialists. As a cyclist, you too can find useful repair tips here. And if you are in the Netherlands, you can also quickly find your ideal bicycle mechanic here.

Visiting World of eMobility? You’ll find Leo in the Repair Corner!

“As a bike mechanic I gladly share my knowledge”

Illustration Karin Veenendaal

by Tom Parr

– A HOLISTIC APPROACH TO CARGO BIKE MANUFACTURING

Award-winning German manufacturer Radkutsche are known for their robust, high-quality cargo bikes and trikes. Less known is their vision, which defines the company’s relationship with their supply chain, customers, employees and the environment. We caught up with Founder and Managing Director Stefan Rickmeyer, and Technical Director Rafael Liebsch to find out more.

Tell us about the philosophy of Radkutsche. How does this translate into how you actually operate?

“Radkutsche stands for the funda mentals of reachability, responsibility and local production to make mobility more sustainable and climate-friendly” says Stefan Rickmeyer. “We keep in close contact with our customers, acting on their feedback.”

“That ties-in to our approach to growth,” adds Rafael Liebsch, “In a growth indus try like this, there’s always the danger you try to grow too fast. We’re growing at a sustainable, healthy rate so we can focus on quality and personal contact with customers and suppliers.”

Radkutsche’s employees are also treated well – almost like family in fact – which helped the company through the pandemic. “At Radkutsche there’s a strong feeling of ‘we’: solidarity and respect” states Rickmeyer. “We spend our work- and off-work-times together. Not just once a year, but continuously. These strong bonds make us resilient.”

How important is your supply chain in achieving these goals? “It’s essential” states Rickmeyer,

“our supply chain strategy works in a couple of areas. Firstly, we try to work as locally as possible. For example, we have two frame-builders; one is just 5km away from our factory; the other is in Czechia. Short communication lines make it easy to keep in contact and also monitor their working conditions.”

our help over the phone. This prevents bikes being returned for repairs, saving time and resources.”

What are the next steps for the cargo bike industry as a whole?

“Secondly,” adds Liebsch “we’ve reduced the number of components, limited the complexity and increased in-house manufacturing, resulting in less space for errors and being less affected by global supply problems.”

What else are you doing to reduce Radkutsche’s environmental impact?

“Our building is completely powered by on-site renewables” reveals Rickmeyer. “Plus, repairability is built-in to our bikes,” states Liebsch. “It’s a similar idea to the Fairphone: we design so that customers can make repairs themselves using instructions and our online spare parts catalogue, or with

“There are standards in development; they’re vital” states Liebsch, “The automotive industry is really good at this; customers can rely on a safe, tested product. We must bring the bicycle industry to even higher levels of quality and reliability. Only in this way can the car be replaced and the bicycle also become a trustworthy companion in everyday life: a real alternative.”

“Another really important development is cargo bike-specific components” adds Rickmeyer. “Most normal bike components simply aren’t suitable for cargo bikes anymore. Cargo bikes must withstand great loads; not only in theory, but also on our streets.”

“And people buying cargo bikes are very aware of sustainability” concludes Rickmeyer. “That’s powerful. It gives us both an opportunity and a duty to provide them with alternatives. That’s what motivates us.”

”People buying cargo bikes are very aware of sustainability. That’s powerful.”

Stefan Rickmeyer and Rafael Liebsch

EYAL SANTO

His work focuses on tactical urbanism and cycle logistics; but what motivates Independent Israel-based consultant Eyal Santo?

Who is Eyal Santo?

I am a 59-years-young avid cyclist. Married to Lihi, proud father of Lior (25) and Danielle (23). I moved into the world of bicycles in cities in 2008, after 20+ years in hi-tech industries. Between 2014-2020 I worked at Tel Aviv DOT, helping to devise Tel Aviv’s strategic bicycle and micromobility plan and leading pilot projects. Since January 2021 I’ve worked as an independent consultant.

What is your connection with cargo bikes and cycle logistics?

As CEO of Kalkhoff Univega Israel, I’ve visited EuroBike Friedrichshafen every year since 2009, first seeing an e-cargo bike in 2012. That was a flashback for me - in my childhood in the 60s and 70s Tel Aviv was full of musclepowered cargo trikes. While with the Tel Aviv DOT, I planned the Tel Aviv cycle logistics pilot, along the lines of KoMoDo Berlin, only with three micro-hubs. Today I’m commercially involved in the market as an entrepreneur, having established with my partner the first one-stop solution for e-cargo bikes in Israel.

With what other parties or organisations do you collaborate?

I’ve been getting a lot of help and learning a lot from ICBF and Jos Sluijsmans. I’ve also received great aid from Kevin Mayne of Cycling Industries Europe and Richard Armitage of the ECLF, as well as from Arne Behrensen of Cargobike. Jetzt. A few European carrier cycle manufacturers, as well as delivery companies such as Zedify, PedalMe and many city officials. And last but not least: Susanne Wrighton and Karl Reiter at CCCB, Jaron Borensztajn of Cargoroo and the amazing people of Commons Cargo Bikes.

Any expectations for ICBF2022 and for developments in the short and the long term?

What is your relation or connection with the International Cargo Bike Festival?

I think I learned of the ICBF around 2012 – when it was in Nijmegen. I have followed it since, and finally in 2019 I made it to Groningen! The event was pivotal for me. Meeting all the people, seeing all the cargo bike brands, riding on almost every model. Talking to manufacturers, to players, learning about containerisation and physical Internet, getting to know the European Cycle Logistics Federation (ECLF), City Changer Cargo Bike (CCCB) and many more. I learned so much and gathered so many experiences.

I hope to recreate the experience of 2019 in Groningen, meeting different added value players such as service providers, applications, add-ons, cities and use-cases. Three to four years ago the goal was to provide two million cycles in 2030. But in 2022 alone some 500,000 cycles will join the market. So two million will be long before 2030!

Although I want to become the number one player in my home market of Israel, I’m not solely in it for the money. We all want to make a profit of course – but I believe that for most of us it’s not a first priority. I believe saving our planet and leaving behind a healthy world for our children and grandchildren is what binds us.

THE NEXT GENERATION OF BIKE SHARING – ESSENTIAL FOR LIVEABLE CITIES

The German AuRa (‘Autonomes Rad’) is a research project investigating the feasibility of autonomous cargo bikes. The interdisciplinary research team is made up of experts from mobile systems, logistics and psychology. And as Dr.-Ing. Tom Assmann of the Otto-von-Guericke Universität Magdeburg explains, the project also entails developing and testing a complete system for three-wheeled cargo bikes that are provided autonomously.

The next generation of bike sharing is not just the farfetched concept of a research project that is doing some fancy stuff with cargo bikes; it is a concept that is well worth developing so that it can hit the streets. Bike sharing with autonomous (cargo) bikes offers a way to improve urban traffic and help make cities more liveable and sustainable. It is a concept that needs more resources so that it can be developed to the level where it will be able to compete with car manufacturers.

Autonomous bike sharing not only saves operators money in rebalancing, it also provides a more convenient service to customers. It can and should be a means for creating liveable cities by enabling multifunctional streets and preventing them from being overrun by masses of autonomous cars. But first, let us take a closer look at these autonomous cars.

Increasing traffic

Recent research on the effects of shared autonomous car fleets has demonstrated that they decrease demand for cars and parking spaces; a plus. However, the number of kilometres travelled by each vehicle does increase, leading to an overall increase in car traffic. This process is fuelled by factors such as more users (e.g., teenagers, people with special needs), empty cars searching for cheap parking spots outside dense city areas and cars circulating to wait for new passengers. If more car traffic is created in cities, there will be an increase in congestion and more emissions and current efforts will essentially be nullified.

Street design

An increase in traffic will, however, not be the biggest issue. Of even more concern is the impact on street design. Autonomous vehicles are basically cars with added autonomous driving functionalities. To paraphrase Jan Gehl, liveable streets are places in which people can engage in many different social and voluntary activities. They are lined with shops and cafes, with places to chat, have slow traffic, and limited road space for cars. Autonomous vehicles will need to negotiate these multi-purpose streets with limited road space, many pedestrians and cyclists riding on the road.

Frozen robots

Autonomous cars have been promoted with the promise to reach vision zero, meaning no fatalities, by behaving passively so that no one gets run over, and to strictly follow the rules. On liveable streets, people have recently observed that autonomous cars always stop to avoid accidents. But because cars are large, it is not easy for them to manoeuvre around a person. Put simply, the car will act like a frozen robot; unable to move at all.

Secondary social street life

One alternative for avoiding this scenario of very slow moving autonomous cars in cities is to go back to the well-established street design from the car-centric age. In this case, roads and the movement of cars will again be the focus of a street’s functionality, fences can be built to support this scenario, and people can simply cross

“Bike sharing with autonomous (cargo) bikes offers a way to improve urban traffic and help make cities more liveable and sustainable”

Woman with parcel riding the prototype ‘Immerwahr’, Photo: Hannah Theile/OVGU

the street at designated crossings. But the social life of our streets would once more be secondary.

The solution!

Luckily, there is another solution for cities, citizens, and technology lovers. It is a bicycle – or better yet, a cargo bike. The idea behind AuRa is to provide door-to-door mobility, just as autonomous cars promise, but way better. The user will be able to ride from one doorstep to another, without worrying about anything else. Public transportation can be used for longer distances (Figure 1).

pedestrian speeds to the customer or at a standard cycling speed on a cycling path.

Such low speeds combined with a significantly lower mass reduce the risk of accidents and fatalities close to zero, simply through pure physics. Therefore, these bikes can be safe even when only small distances are left between the bike and other objects or people so these bikes can manoeuvre through crowded streets and pedestrian-dominated areas.

Integration and traffic reduction

The third benefit is that these bikes can be integrated with public transport, which is perfect for moving many people around a city in a fast, safe, and energy-efficient manner. Autonomous bike sharing will make public transport more attractive by easing the first and last miles and providing an integrated door-to-door option. Thus, AuRa will help to reduce traffic.

Conclusion

So far, the answers the project has generated have been satisfying. Autonomous bikes will solve the issue of how to rebalance bike sharing fleets. Currently, the team is developing prototypes of autonomous three-wheeled cargo bikes; firstly because these bikes cannot fall over, and secondly because they offer sufficient space for the hardware needed for computing and sensors.

Flexibility

The key benefit for liveable and sustainable cities is the size, the speed, and the integration with public transpor tation. A cargo bike is sufficient for bringing children to kindergarten, for running weekly errands, or for riding to work. There is no need for larger vehicles for everyday mo bility needs. This design enables way more flexibility while manoeuvring and helps to prevent the frozen robot problem that plagues cars. Yes, AuRa can easily go around somebody relaxing in the middle of the street, whereas a car cannot.

Low speeds

The autonomous bike can ride at a maximum of 25km/h, and it is no problem to drive slower when necessary. As long as bikes are well-distributed across a city, they can drive at

The story could stop here. Perhaps there will be better bike sharing at a future point in time. But this is a good place to start to discuss the usefulness of autonomous driving and how it can shape the future of transportation in our cities.

This article is based on: Assmann, T., Matthies, E., Gehlmann, F., & Schmidt, S. (2020). Shared autonomous cargo bike fleets – a better solution for future mobility than shared autonomous car fleets? In European Transport Conference 2020. AET.

AuRa is funded by the federal state of Saxony-Anhalt and the European Regional Development Funds (EFRE, 2014-2020), project number 19-15003/004.

“Autonomous bikes will solve the issue of how to rebalance bike sharing fleets”

Woman in front of prototype ‘Eigen’, Photo: Project AuRa

Prototypes ‘Immerwahr’ and ‘Eigen’ with new and custom made cargo boxes in front of the Uni-Porta of the Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, Photo: Hannah Theile/OVGU

AuRa Flowchart, Photo: AuRa Project

YULIYA BELINSKA

Interview by Tom Parr

One of the co-founders of Kyiv-based CargoCult, Yuliya Belinskaya, tells us about how they launched the first cargo bike business in the Ukrainian capital, the effects of the Russian invasion and their hopes for the future.

Who is Yuliya Belinska?

I’m a journalist, entrepreneur, cyclist, volunteer, and one of three co-founders of CargoCult. I’m 36 and am from Gorlivka, a city not far from Donetsk which has been occupied for more than eight years. After graduating as an engineer in 2007 I moved to Kyiv to become a business journalist for Forbes Ukraine. In 2014 I set up a media company covering Ukraine’s retail market and running industry events. When Covid hit and events and advertisers declined, I saw an opportunity for e-cargo bikes in the commercial delivery market during lockdown.

At the same time Oleksii Khvorostenko and Karina Agakhanova, the owners of LifeCycle - a bike shop and cafeassembled their first e-cargo bike. It was a powerful insight for me and I suggested we develop an e-cargo bike service together. That’s how CargoCult was born.

What motivated you to start a cycle logistics company?

It was Oleksii’s vision as a bicycle enthusiast. He wanted to popularise the idea of utility cycling; the bicycle as transport, but there were no cargo bikes in Kyiv. When he saw a local classified advert for a cargo bike frame he bought it, then assembled and electrified it. He also made friends with the frame-builder; Serhii Romanov from Kramatorsk. This was just before the pandemic.

For the e-commerce market, e-cargo bikes solve so many problems: delivery predictability, dependence on fossil fuels, less cars on the street, less emissions. I’ve known Karina and Oleksii for many years and it seemed like an idea worth pursuing so we started CargoCult, short for Cargo Culture.

We began operating as a last mile delivery service in Kyiv; firstly with one, then two bikes. We quickly gained experience with lots of clients, including a berry farmer, microgreens producer, dairy product supplier, spice manufacturer, pharmacy chain, and an online supermarket. CargoCult transported food, medicines, alcoholic cocktails, and construction materials.

In December, we proved the cargo bike’s capabilities by delivering products from a so-called dark store. Working through that “golden month” for retail was challenging, juggling traffic jams, increased demand, ice, blizzards, and temperatures as low as -30°C. This trial was part of our negotiations with the store to integrate cargo bikes as a last mile delivery solution. Our negotiations were interrupted by the war.

How have things changed for CargoCult since the Russian invasion?

After the brutal full-scale war started, everything changed. Firstly, the business suffered. Almost all of our clients ceased to exist. The dark store we were negotiating with went bankrupt. Serhii Romanov - our frame-builder from Kramatorsk - was forced to evacuate. The city was under fire. He couldn’t move all his equipment and now it’s difficult to produce new frames.

But there’s no time to give up. You can’t choose the times you live in. Sometimes life itself forces you to make choices. We decided to act; staying in Kyiv to assist people in need and helping the army defend our country. Many ordinary Ukrainians started supporting one another, evacuating people, providing supplies to the army, and helping refugees, children, pets or eldery people. I, too, joined the local volunteering community, and CargoCult is a non-commercial organisation now.

Yuliya and Karina, Photo: Mykola Kovtun

Photo: Anastasia Rozhynska

build more

We started off delivering food daily from the kitchen to the children’s hospital. We also transport hot meals every day for another charity that feeds the people on the streetanyone who needs it. An appeal for volunteer-riders got a really positive response; everybody just wants to help in some way, even if it’s just riding cargo from A to B.

Volunteers make humanitarian home deliveries by cargo bike to elderly people and those displaced by the war. Since March our bicycles have ridden almost 4000km delivering humanitarian aid. That’s more than 5000kg of payload [as of early Sep 2022 - ed].

Interestingly, the fuel crisis has also provoked interest in alternatives to cars. E-cargo bikes are attracting more attention and starting to be taken more seriously.

How can people help?

We want to build more e-cargo bikes so we can do more humanitarian deliveries. You can help by donating to our PayPal account - you just need our email address:

In May we put out an appeal and we want to thank the ICBF team and their followers who responded by donating. You just can’t imagine how touching it is to feel support from strangers, who tell us we are doing the right thing.

Thanks to the ICBF’s May post we raised 2000 USD. We used it to assemble a third e-cargo bike, which we’ve nicknamed Beetroot because of its colour. It’s really helped us do more; to help more people.

Another amazing story happened with a community of cyclists, businesses and activists from Kiel in Germany. First they saw our appeal, connected with us and donated some bicycle components. But then they transformed it into a real charity campaign, uniting to raise money to send us a Carla Cargo trailer. Incredible!

If you can’t donate, please help us spread the word on social media using the hashtag #cargocult_ua.

What are your hopes for the future?

Hope is the thing which helps me get up and work and to feel alive. Hope that one day the war will be over. And Ukraine will recover. In this future e-cargo bikes will play a huge role; this better future will come true.

We can’t exploit the planet as if her resources were limitless. We believe e-cargo bikes are the right choice for civilization. We have already made a start. When you want to make really big changes, only actions make sense.

A friend of mine has a bar that has transformed into a community warehouse, bomb shelter and kitchen. I manage the warehouse and we use CargoCult’s e-cargo bikes for volunteer deliveries.

CargoCult’s Founders. From left to right: Yuliya Belinska, Karina Agakhanova and Oleksii Khvorostenko. Photo: Mykola

OPERATE CARGO BIKE FLEETS MORE EFFICIENTLY AND SUSTAINABLY WITH BATTERY-AS-A-SERVICE

GreenTech startup Swobbee offers a universal, cross-manufacturer charging and swapping solution for cargo bike fleets.

E-cargo bikes as well as e-powered cargo trailers are a functional, cost-efficient and sustainable alternative to classic delivery trucks, especially in urban areas. The use of modern swappable batteries, that are part of an intelligent, decentralised swapping infrastructure, further increases the cost-effectiveness of the e-cargo bike fleet as well as the efficiency of delivery.

Thanks to their compact batteries, e-cargo bikes are an ideal field of application for modern battery swapping systems. The Berlin-based GreenTech startup Swobbee has developed the world’s first cross-manufacturer charging and swapping station for batteries of small electric vehicles such as e-cargo bikes. At a Swobbee station, a battery can be swapped within seconds. Ideal charging conditions and 24/7 monitoring ensure access to healthy batteries at all times. Thus e-cargo bikes have a virtually unlimited operating time.

Battery-as-a-Service (BaaS): Renting batteries and charging-infrastructure instead of buying Swobbee offers innovative Battery-as-a-Service (BaaS) solutions for the courier and express parcel sector, transport and delivery companies as well as for tradespeople, maintenance technicians and the like. BaaS means that Swobbee operates the battery swapping station and the battery pool. This makes large investments in charging infrastructure unnecessary and means e-cargo bikes can be purchased at a lower price where applicable.

Access to the Swobbee stations or the required battery type in the Swobbee network takes place according to requirements via graduated subscription models.

Currently, eight different battery types are integrated into the Swobbee system, amongst them AES, Akku Vision and Ansmann, the leading European suppliers for e-cargo bike battery-systems. A total of 11 e-cargo bike models as well as two e-powered cargo bike trailers from various manufacturers currently use Swobbee compatible batteries. The use of the Swobbee infrastructure as well as the management of the charging processes is done conveniently via a user-friendly app.

Decentralized BaaS offerings improve the carbon footprint of e-cargo bike fleets, as much of the environmental impact associated with small electric vehicles is caused by laborious charging logistics. Proven cooperative battery sharing usage models, which form the basis of Swobbee’s BaaS services, further reduce resource requirements. With Swobbee, nothing stands in the way of a true energy transition on the Last Mile.

Photo: © Swobbee

More

COOP CARBONE: ACCELERATING

CYCLE LOGISTICS PILOTS AND PROGRAMS ACROSS CANADA

As a consultant working with Vancouver-based climate organisation Coop Carbone, Sam Starr is one of North America’s foremost cycle logistics experts. He also chairs Toronto-based NGO Our Greenway.

There has been a lot of movement in cycle logistics in Canada, and Coop Carbone is playing a larger role in not only advising and running pilot programs, but also operating mini-hubs. Coop Carbone has extensive experience working in sustainable logistics strategy and programs. As a non-profit cooperative, the Coop works as a trusted third party between municipalities, regional governments and the private logistics sector.

We currently lead the Colibri project in Montreal, and recently opened a new cycle logistics hub in the city. Working with Canada’s largest carrier, Purolator, it was proven that one van can be replaced with a single cargo bike, resulting in a 90% decrease in emissions. Cycle logistics is key for us as an organization as it truly is a sustainable mode, and enhances the liveability and quality of life in areas where it is deployed.

The mission of Coop Carbone is to act in the face of the climate emergency by supporting the implementation of collaborative projects. We have unique expertise in the identification, development, financing and deploy ment of such projects to reduce GHG emissions. We are active in three main sectors: the carbon market, renewable agri-energy, and sustainable mobility of people and goods. Sustainable Logistics is a rapidly growing part of our Sustainable Mobility programming and we have expanded our work to British Columbia and Western Canada.

Despite the growth in this sector, we have found that North American governments at all levels currently lack information about the scale and type of these operations, including which operators are present in their market, vehicle routes and distances, number of vehicles, operational hours, and vehicle types. This lack of data - held by the private sector and the multi-jurisdictional nature of goods movement - ultimately limits the ability of municipalities to effectively plan and respond to activities in this sector.

impacts of urban freight will help inform potential interventions to manage these effects in ways that help achieve local and regional objectives.

Through our Accelerator MOBIS and with our experience managing the Colibri cycle logistics hub, we have been sharing our expertise with local cargo cycle suppliers and delivery companies. Our approach addresses not only the proper use of cargo cycles but how to better design and maintain them for the challenging Canadian climate and roads.

There is enormous opportunity to incentivize cycle logistics, low or zero emissions deliveries, plan for curb and road space access, develop infrastructure to support safer and more efficient loading and unloading, incentivize electrification, and recover costs to the municipality. With continued growth of this sector, understanding the

Some of the projects the Coop is currently working on include: a new cycle logistics hub in Montreal, and hopefully soon to be first in Metro Vancouver, British Columbia, and a Sustainable Delivery Label to be used across Canada by those companies who meet the sustainability requirements that focus on social and environmental issues. The Coop has also partnered with Our Greenway to run a webinar this year and full-fledged conference next year highlighting cycle logistics across Canada.

Connect with Coop Carbone:

Sam Starr:

“One van can be replaced with a single cargo bike, resulting in a 90% decrease in emissions”

Sam Starr at ICBF2019 in Groningen.

Photo: Coop Carbone/Colibri

In late August, the carmaker Dodge was highlighted in the news because of its new electric vehicle concept. And if you think that this EV caused a sensation because of its environmental impacts, safety features, or silent driving technology, you are very much in the wrong. It attracted attention because it promised “126 decibels of output” which, according to US public health agency the CDC, is louder than a chainsaw and necessitates ear protection. The interest generated by the EV’s artificially manufactured sound was called ‘brotherhood’ by Dodge CEO Tim Kuniskis.

If you ask me, it is very difficult to form brotherhood or any sense of community if aspiring members are not able to freely converse and hear each other due to the presence of a chainsaw-resembling sound. It is, in fact, the opposite of brotherhood, community, and freedom.

There is much conversation going on regarding the future of urban mobility and although there will likely be many hits and even more misses in that space, the artificially loud EV is not the invention that cities and communities

DODGING THE ISSUE?

THE CARGO BIKE’S REAL IMPACTS

are anxiously waiting to experiment with in their downtowns.

The most livable city squares and neighborhoods in the world are not dominated by loud vehicles but offer ample space for people. They are not noisy and obnoxious either but provide beauty in silence and nature. These cities live in symbiosis with technology and vehicles while protecting and promoting their core values. The traits they all share are rooted in clever use of space, mobility, delivery, and comfort.

Academic research in this area has focused primarily on the potential of the cargo bike in deliveries and distribution, and - no surprise - confirmed that they stand out because of their climate friendliness. Furthermore, their flexibility in use, versatile speed, and compact design that is especially useful in narrow, city-center streets also sets them apart.

Many of those clever communities have allowed cargo bikes to transform how personal mobility and urban delivery are perceived, therefore cargo bikes were able to disrupt the paradigm that says you need a vehicle to transport larger items or an SUV to transport more than one person. They are undeniably cool, practical, and most importantly, supportive of environmental goals.

Due to increasing urbanization, many cities have been trialing cargo bikes in their downtowns, while research demonstrated that both operational and external costs can be minimized through their implementation. There is, however, another side to the story that needs to be told. The anticipated impact of cargo bikes is much greater than the role they play in improving urban delivery. Not only do they challenge the status quo, they also disrupt it.

Research has repeatedly highlighted differences in how various sociodemographic groups cycle. Women cyclists still tend to make more trips for household and family activities. On the other hand, men’s cycling trips are mainly commute oriented. While there are a lot of reasons inhibiting

Following a two-year stint at TU Delft in the Netherlands specialising in transport and sustainability, Dr. Natalia Barbour Ph.D., moves in October 2022 to a new assistant professor post at the University of Central Florida. Here, she reflects on the social and environmental impacts of the cargo bike.

“Not only do cargo bikes challenge the status quo, they also disrupt it”

an individual from cycling, most are rooted in safety; influenced by both physical and social environments.

Research has also uncovered an interesting phenomenon: nearly 70% of respondents in one study reported that after purchasing a cargo bike, it became their primary mode of travel. If supported by the infrastructure and encouraged by cities and communities, such a shift would have an enormous impact on decreasing transport emissions.

men. The fact that having children in a household dictates the mobility of adults has been extensively studied, yet there has been relatively little visible progress on a global scale. Children today are so accustomed to car travel and suburban life that they are unlikely to even question these habits as adults.

The opportunity to transform old ways of thinking, emphasize the need for change and environmental awareness in mobility, and motivate the next generation of leaders to not fall into the same traps has become a necessity.

matter of technology or space but only wise choices of who gets the priority to use that space.

In the end, perhaps it is time to reject all the mobility myths that we were told growing up, the habits that we inherited, and the fake promises that driving a fancy car for short distances provides us freedom and prestige. The real answers are often found in silence.

References for this article are available in the online version:

Nearly 80% of women respondents in the same study used cargo bikes for trips with kids, compared with 56% of

Perhaps the question is not whether bikes, e-bikes, and cargo bikes bridge the gap between urban mobility, delivery services, and personal travel, but why they have not been used to their full potential yet. Improving and disrupting urban mobility is not a

“Perhaps it is time to reject all the mobility myths that we were told growing up”

- A CAUSE FOR ALARM

Struin BSO, an after-school care organisation in Nijmegen, the Netherlands, has been using electric cargo bikes since 2007; collecting over 700 schoolchildren every week taking them into the great outdoors. ‘Struinen’ means to roam or to wander, and while Struin rides about 57,000 kilometres per year on pedal-power, new upcoming regulations threaten their existence.

We are concerned about the consequences of the LEV framework which currently is being drawn up by the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure & Water Management (I&W). It’s the ministry’s intention to introduce regulations regarding light electric vehicles, including e-cargo bikes and group cycles such as our so-called ‘Struinfietsen’. This new framework threatens to jeopardise or make impossible the safe transport of children by electric transport cycle.

Width

The group cycles must be at least 115 cm wide, preferably 120 cm to ensure stability and thus safety. However, the new LEV framework specifies a maximum width of 1 metre due to the width of the current cycle paths. For a variety of reasons, we think that cycle paths will become wider in the future. It is also plausible that in the near future the speed of motorised traffic in cities will be reduced to 30 or 25 km/hr. It would therefore be unwise to limit transport cycles to a width of 1 metre; in the future, this limitation will no longer serve any purpose.

Engine power

Power is another area of concern in the new framework. We believe the nominal motor power of Struin cycles should be allowed to be higher than the current 250 Watts. Not to increase the speed, but simply to allow bikes to use the appropriate pulling power when going uphill, or when driving away from a standstill on a slope.

Our vision

Innovative

We understand the necessity for new regulations, but they must not make sustainable and safer innovative products impossible. Figures from the Dutch Institute for Road Safety Research (SWOV) show that for every 100,000 kilometres ridden by bicycle, just 0.7 serious road casualties occur. Struin has not suffered or caused a single serious road accident. The ‘Struinfietsen’, which were specially designed and built by Tolkamp Metaalspecials in close cooperation with Struin, transport groups of 10 to 12 children sustainably, safely and efficiently. A textbook example of citizen participation, entrepreneurial initiative and innovation in sustainable transport.

New regulations must take into account positive developments that are occurring in the mobility industry. And perhaps new regulations should even look at what is desirable in the future, namely sustainable, traffic-safe transport. We strongly appeal to I&W to bring in regulations that anticipate this desirable future instead of reactive and therefore quickly outdated regulations.

Matthijs de Gruijter, Struin BSO

Jos Sluijsmans, advisor Struin BSO

Photo: Struin

ONLY NEW AND REFURBISHED CARGOBIKES

THE BEST

LAVOVÉLO

THE CARGO BIKEMOUNTED BIKE WASH

Cleaning your bike - it’s an often neglected task. It is, however, essential if bikes are to run smoothly across their lifetime. It is a real sustainable approach. But for city-dwellers, it is not so easy. That’s why we at Lavovélo came up with an almost 100% zero-emission solution: a bike-washing machine on a Kleuster Freegônes cargo bike!

Who among us washes their bike regularly? Some meticulous cyclists may like to devote time to it, but for many of us, cleaning one’s own bike remains an afterthought. It is also very difficult for those living downtown in an apartment for instance. And while we may be well aware that bike cleaning is an integral part of bike maintenance, using the shower at home can quickly create issues with co-residents...

“There is no other solution that does so well, in so little time and using so little water”

As a partner of the German company Cycle Wash for the French market, Rémi Hingrai imagined a solution by placing a washing station on a cargo bike: “We worked with Kleuster, a French manufacturer of electric tricycles for professio nals” explains Hingrai, “we installed the machine on the cargo bike so that the operator can easily move between customers’ locations while avoiding traffic jams, by using the cycle paths. Once there, it’s easy to set up on a forecourt, a sidewalk or in front of a bike shop and operate the bike wash without having to unload anything.”

This solution meets both the constraints of entrepreneurs in the city where space is limited and land is expensive, as well as those of regular or occasional cyclists, who can

count on a solution “down the street”. From a business point of view, the operator can buy or rent the machine and get paid for each wash. Lavovélo is equipped with a cashless card payment terminal that allows the operator to bill directly and avoids any handling or transport of money.

In addition to offering a zero-emission service, operators choosing to invest in the Lavovélo X Kleuster solution will be able to highlight the environmentally-friendly credentials of the service. Indeed, Lavovélo filters and recycles the water used for each wash; cleaning a bike requires no more than 1.5 litres. In addition, Lavovélo uses only limited quantities of biodegradable, non-toxic detergents, and any oil is filtered away. That’s why when the waste water is renewed, the dirty water is considered as muddy, not pollutedmeaning it can simply be disposed of into the sewage system. “There is no other solution that does so well, in so little time and using so little water”, concludes Hingrai. Entrepreneurs, take notice!

GETTING TO ZERO: ENABLING CYCLE LOGISTICS IN ‘SMALL TOWN CANADA’

Written by Darnel Harris, Jack Lawson, and Sam Starr

Our Greenway believes that practical understanding comes from ideas in action rather than just theoretical discussion.

Inspired by the International Cargo Bike Festival we established a commercial-grade E-Cargo Cycle Library in 2020 to understand current barriers to the adoption of cargo cycles in North America. Inviting Canadian businesses and residents to experiment with us has sharpened our advocacy, and led to new use cases supporting zeroemissions projects across Canada.

Our latest success story is Zero Logistics - a new sustainable delivery company in Squamish, British Columbia that reached out to us to tap our unique E-Cargo Library. Zero Logistics is led by Luke Friesen, a Vancouverite with background in data management and micro-transit, and David Lee, a Squamish resident, former Strava employee and INSEAD MBA graduate. David was concerned with the expected 42% rise in freight traffic in his hometown, and saw a business opportunity.

The coastal community of Squamish is ideal, with over 25,000 residents, 97-98% of whom live within a five kilometer radius. As most new developments are in a relatively flat three kilometer radius, the area is perfectly suited for cycle logistics operations. Zero Logistics decided to partner strategically with Sea to Sky Courier, an established freight carrier servicing the region. Primarily Business-to-Business, their deliveries include office supplies to wine, car parts, and more.

How could Zero secure an e-cycle that would be up to such a diverse challenge? This is where Our Greenway’s Babboe Pro Trike XL set the wheels in motion.

“It was super helpful for a start-up like us to have the option to lease, because the start-up costs for a business like this could be enormous,” recalled David.

Our Greenway removed the financial pressure of launching their venture. The Babboe’s enclosed case offered rain and theft protection, and the large volume box gave Sea to Sky Courier confidence in the partnership.

“When we were having earlier conversations with Sea to Sky Courier they kind of understood, ‘Oh, you’ll have a bike that can hold a couple of packages.’ They didn’t understand that we can hold 25 packages. It’s a pretty big difference between having a conversation with someone about a cargo cycle then seeing one that is that large” noted Luke.

What’s next for Zero Logistics? Expansion?

Zero wants to drive freight consolidation across the region to further lower costs and emissions. While labour is a challenge, they see their model and use of trikes as a competitive advantage, as drivers won’t need licenses, their employees get to be outside and active, and training is easier on the tadpole-style trikes.

In August 2022, in honor of Sea to Sky Courier’s anniversary, Zero carried ice cream for the first time. “People ask us for ice cream all the time!” said Luke. Delivering ice cream sandwiches along with business cards brought a healthy #cargobikesmile to many faces.

Our Greenway is looking forward to continuing working with Zero Logistics and other businesses seeking to decarbonize goods and people movement - to keep all of us breathing easier.

“People ask us for ice cream all the time!”

Photos: David Lee

COPENHAGEN CARGO BIKE DAY & TOUR A SUCCESS

Thursday 30 June - the day before the start of the Tour de France - the popular square Israels Plads in Copenhagen was packed with manufacturers, private and commercial users of cargo bikes. As organiser Mads Wulff explains, it turned out to be a superb and instructive day that looks to be repeated in 2023.

The aim of the day was to share knowledge about the many ways cargo bikes can contribute to less crowded streets, less pollution, faster last-mile delivery, and last but not least, a reduction in the number of fossil-fueled cars and vans.

Advantages and surprises

It is no coincidence that we chose Copenhagen as the venue for the cargo bike day. For many years, Copenhagen has been the home of manufacturers including Omnium with their distinctive two-wheel cargo bikes, Black Iron Horse and Coh&Co with their Danish design look. It is interesting to see how Omnium bikes have evolved from being the preferred bike among messengers to become a hit among ordinary cyclists. Clearly people are noticing the advantages of cargo bikes; easy to handle for daily commutes and transport of children. To illustrate the capabilities and capacity of cargo bikes, Copenhagen messenger company By-Expressen demonstrated how to load a cargo bike fast and effectively. The spectators expressed surprise at how much a cargo bike can haul with regards to both volume and weight. This is clearly a great way to highlight cargo bikes’ capabilities for those who question their usability in practice.

Impressed and inspired

Visitors had many opportunities to try all the cargo bikes displayed. It was important to us as organisers that there were cargo bikes for everybody. One brand that stood out for

people with special needs was Van Raam, whose functional bikes clearly help those with impaired mobility to get around. Another organisation that really inspired many visitors was Region Hovedstaden. It uses cargo bikes for fast and reliable transport of blood in Copenhagen, which are often seen on bicycle paths in the city. Ten people from the organisation participated on their cargo bikes; a great sight to see.

“Even a giraffe could be spotted in the crowd!”

Fun ride, high spirits

To promote the cargo bike community, we organised a Tour of Copenhagen with live Jazz music, delicious food and beer. It was a fun ride which attracted a lot of attention along the route, not least because most of the participants had decorated their bikes beautifully. Even a giraffe could be spotted in the crowd! Copenhagen Cargobike Day & Tour 2022 was the first of its kind in the city and was quite an experience for us organisers and visitors alike. Spirits were high and everybody pulled together to help when needed. Thank you to all the wonderful people that participated! Hope to see you next year.

Mads Wulff of Copenhagen Bike Community ApS

Spot the giraffe!

Photo: Copenhagen Bike Festival

Mads Wulff

FRONTRUNNERS

THINK IN SOLUTIONS

By Willem Boverhof

I wanted to write a column complaining about how slow the transition to clean city logistics in the Netherlands has been. But that would have been too easy and it contributes nothing. As a participant in this youthful industry I prefer to think in terms of solutions. Here are a few.

P R O F E S S I O N A L S

rovide incentives for the frontrunners and don’t just reward the ‘polluters’.

ide hard, but don’t forget the bigger picture.

rganise. Join forces to get seats at the right tables.

ight for what you are worth. The last mile is potentially profitable. You are the city’s air freshener and a beautiful calling card. That’s worth money!

ntrepreneurs in the UK are offered cargo bikes and LEF Vs to try out. Free of charge.

tandardise bicycle sizes, logistics carriers (boxes) or parcel walls.

hare specific knowledge and challenges with government.

nvestors see opportunities in the last mile. If you want, take that chance.

pen your doors. Listen to those who walk through them. Anyone could have an important part to play in our young industry.

egotiate about who does what. As a city logistics entre preneur, for example, it is best to ask the LEFV-producers about the LEFV framework and what they can expect.

sk difficult questions. Answer them too.

eave your bubble and keep an open mind. tep by step, we’ll change our cities for the better. We’re professionals, after all….

Gives you a head start

Content & campaigns

Design & realization

Positioning & development Strategy & communication

Willem,formerly of Fietskoeriers.nl and DOCKR,started Cargobikes.nl in 2021.The first store (B2B) in the Netherlands that specialises in the sale of new and refurbished cargo bikes and LEVs for the transport of goods.

avnc.nl

Colophon

The ICBF Magazine 2022 is a publication of Fietsdiensten.nl © 2022

Commissioner - Jos Sluijsmans

Coordination - Karin Veenendaal

Editor - Tom Parr

Design - Avancé Communicatie, Zutphen

Print - Zalsman, Zwolle

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