FAQs
1 What is a cargo bike? Cargo bikes are specially designed bikes and trikes for carrying heavy loads and large or bulky items. They come in a variety of sizes and designs depending on the intended use with two to four wheels. They can also have electric assist which really helps with carrying heavy loads, travelling distances and getting up hills.
2 What can cargo bikes be used for? Businesses use cargo bikes for all sorts of things, and they can be a great replacement for cars and vans for your local journeys. Cargo bikes can be used for delivering to customers, carrying bulky items between sites or to jobs and collecting items and equipment. Colchester Council’s Cargo Bike champions include a carpenter, a juicy bar, a café and a baker. Elsewhere in the UK and Europe cargo bikes are commonly used for last mile deliveries, courier services and on-site distribution among other things. For personal use they can carry children, pets, shopping and any other heavy and bulky items you need to carry and move around.
are the advantages of an eCargo 3 What bike over the use of cars and vans? Low-cost: no fuel or tax bill to pay and can travel up to 50 miles (80km) on a full battery. Versatile: use routes that cars and vans cannot, including cycle paths and bus lanes. Convenient: can be parked right on the doorstep for easier loading/ unloading. Green: emission and pollution-free transport. Active: healthy way to travel. No sweat: electric-assist helps with speeds up to 15.5mph (25kph) and faster under your own steam. Fun: They are great fun to ride!
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is the weight capacity of the bikes 4 What and what can they carry? The weight capacity of the bikes varies depending on the size of the ‘box’ at the front. The larger bikes can carry up to 100kg and as much bulk as you can fit in the box so long as your load is secured, or the lid is closed if it has a box. If you add a Carla trailer to your bike you can carry considerably more weight and bulk – up to 200kg in the trailer alone. In Colchester the Carla trailer has been used to carry armchairs, shelving units, fridges and even a cement mixer! Carla trailers are specifically designed to fit Euro Crate boxes for efficient stacking.
5 Who can use them? Anyone who can ride a bike can use a cargo bike. You do not need a driving licence and you can ride them everywhere you can ride a bike including roads, cycle lanes and bus lanes. As the bikes are bulky and heavy, we recommend that you do advanced adult cycle training, so you are assured that you are able to ride to national cycle standards. Colchester Council insist on this training being undertaken before loaning out bikes to businesses and the public. This training is offered for free by Essex County Council.
Register Interest
6 How fast can they go?
eCargo Bikes are pedal assist which means you have to pedal but you can adjust the amount of electrical assistance you need – up to 250 watts. Legally the pedal assist can only assist up to 16 miles per hour however with your own added pedal power higher speeds can be reached.
7 How should I look after my battery? Try not to let your battery get flat – aim to recharge it with between 3060% capacity remaining. You should never let your battery get too hot or too cold – that means 0 to 20 degrees Celsius for charging and storage, and -10 to 60 degrees Celsius for riding. From empty to full generally takes about four hours. Most chargers switch off when the battery is full, but you should unplug it when it’s full to preserve battery health.
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8 How far can I ride on a single charge? This depends on which bike you are using and how you use it, but you can expect a range of 15-90 miles. Making best use of the gears and different assist levels will maximise your range – for example trying to stay in lower assist modes and only using the ‘turbo’ modes for pulling away or hills. The cargo bikes are easy to ride so in most cases you should be able to stay in Eco or Tour mode most of the time therefore maximising the range of the battery. Every bike has a screen showing an estimated range at any given time so as long as you keep an eye on that you won’t be caught short.
in trying a cargo bike 9 Iforammyinterested business travel, is there a way to do this?
Colchester City Council offer a short-term loan scheme for local businesses. If staff come forward wanting to trial an eCargo bike, we will arrange this with the Council. You can see the range of bikes available at Colchester eCargo bike library - Colchester City Council
10 I would like to try one out in my work role. What should I do?
Complete the questionnaire here, which gives you the opportunity to describe how an eCargo bike could help you at work. Alternatively drop in to Provide HQ and try out a bike and talk to one of the Colchester City Council Team (drop in and try outs : 1-4pm on Thursday 20 and 27 April). All suggestions will be considered, and we look forward to people exploring opportunities to include this form of transport into daily activities. You can also contact the Innovation Team at Provide: provide.innovation@nhs.net
Come and
try one out
at Provide HQ Reception, 1-4pm 20 and 27 April!
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would like to buy my own eCargo bike, 11 Ihow much do they cost and is there any help to purchase one?
Cargo bikes like all vehicles vary in price depending on your particular needs – the one thing you can be sure of is a greatly reduced fuel and maintenance bill in comparison to a car or a van (and no tax to pay either!). Generally, the entry level cargo bikes without electric assist cost between £1,200 and £1,900. Additional or bespoke boxes or seats can cost between £500 to £1,000. You can expect to pay an additional £1,500 to £2,000 for an electrically assisted cargo bike depending on power and range.
Entry level
Pedal only cargo bike with open box or seats £1,200 - £1,900
Mid-range
Pedal only cargo bike with kids seats and rain cover £1,400 - £2,300
Top range
Extended range electric assist-extend with secure flight case or family seats £3,900 - £6,000+
Specialist
For highly specialised or very large bike and trikes £10,000+ Provide offer the HMRC cycle to work scheme which allows you to purchase a bike and spread the cost while saving on tax and national insurance. Provide members and staff can find out more at www.vivup.co.uk Retailers also offer rental or finance schemes with monthly payments so that you have more options when it comes to purchasing a cargo bike.
there any options if I can’t afford to 12 Are buy one? Colchester City Council are currently setting up a shared pay as you go eCargo bike scheme in the city centre. A community led scheme is also being set up in New Town. These are pilot projects, and it is hoped that in the future more shared eCargo bike hubs will be set up in different areas of Colchester. Green Shared Travel Hubs - Colchester City Council
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13 Where can I get one? We recommend that you purchase a cargo bike from a retailer as close to Colchester as possible, so that in the event there are any warranty issues, your retailer isn’t too far away to help. The nearest retailers with a range of cargo bikes are in Brentwood, Cambridge and London. However, we do have local retailers in Colchester that can offer some options. ecargobikelibrary@colchester.gov.uk Please contact the council at If you are thinking about buying an eCargo bike and we are happy to make introductions and recommendations to the retailers we already have connections with. Every cargo bike rides differently, we strongly recommend you test ride your preferred cargo bike before you purchase.
14 Why are they more environmentally friendly than cars and vans?
eCargo bikes have zero tail pipe emissions so they do not contribute to air pollution or carbon emissions while they are being used. Although manufacturing and disposing of an ecargo bike creates some carbon emissions, over an eCargo bike’s lifecycle the overall carbon emissions are significantly lower than cars or vans by multiple tonnes. A business can reduce their carbon footprint and contribute to their corporate social responsibility by looking at what car and van journeys are generated by their business and the potential to replace them with cargo bikes either through their use directly or through using an eCargo Bike delivery service. Cargo bikes can deliver up to 60% faster than cars and vans in busy city centres.
Colchester have its own 15 Does cargo bike delivery service? Yes! Colchester has its own home-grown cargo bike delivery service, operating within a five mile radius of the city centre. You can book a collection or delivery online and know that you won’t be contributing to carbon emissions or air pollution. The cargo bike service has a variety of different sized bikes and a Carla trailer as mentioned in question FAQ 4 for carrying furniture and other large and bulky items. eCargo Colchester
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can I park my eCargo Bike and 16 Where how can I keep it secure? We recommend that you always secure your cargo bike when parked to an immovable object. You can use standard cycle parking though be aware as the bike is longer and potentially wider you need a little bit more room. Most cargo bikes come with a built-in frame lock which is great for quick stops, however we also recommend that you lock your cargo bike with two sold secure gold locks when leaving it for more than a few minutes. All of the Council’s bikes come with a D lock, chain lock and frame lock. Remember to follow bicycle locking best practice.
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