The bikes cargo (cargo bikes) are special bikes where the bike is associated with a trailer.
The designation cargo means that these bikes are intended to transport loads, volumes and/or people. Cargo bikes can have two, three or four wheels.
What type of cargo bike to choose?
Very useful for transporting heavy or bulky loads, the cargo bike is a good alternative to the car.
Greener, less expensive, but also rather fun!
There are three types of cargo bike : two-wheelers, three-wheelers and longtails.
- The biporter is a cargo bike à two wheels, derived from the bicycle, which allows goods or children to be carried in front.
- A scooter is a three-wheeled bicycle, equipped with a body carried by the two front wheels and able to receive goods.
- The longtail, or recumbent bicycle, is a two-wheeled cargo bicycle that is elongated in order to transport goods or children on the back.
It is designed to carry heavy loads.
These three types of cargo bikes each have their advantages and disadvantages. You just need to know what load you want to carry, how you are going to store it and if you are comfortable with their maneuverability and stability.
Cargo bikes also benefit from electric assistance
Cargo bikes are suitable for electric assistance, which is beneficial since they are quite heavy, but above all, because they are intended to transport loads of up to more than 100 kilos.
So-called muscle cargo bikes exist, but are only recommended for short, flat trips without heavy loading.
The cost of a cargo bike
The price of a cargo bike can vary according to several criteria.
First of all, you have to take into account the electric assistance or not, the type of battery, the materials used, if you want an entry-level or a high-end model. Prices can vary from simple to triple according to these criteria.
You should know that the entry level is around 2000 € for a simple biporteur and 9500 € for a top-of-the-range model with electric assistance.
Equipment and accessories such as helmets, lights, padlocks, etc., are also to be counted in the budget since they represent a relatively substantial cost.
Financial aid
Several aids or bonuses can make it easier for you to buy a cargo bike. We start with the ecological bonus. In August 2022, the Government put in place a decree which reinforces the ecological bonus for the purchase of a bicycle to support the purchasing power of the French. This now reaches up to 400 euros for the purchase of a new bike (and up to 2 € in some cases).
Then there are the local aids. From now on, you can benefit from the national subsidy and the subsidy from your city to get an electric bike.
Finally, there is the conversion bonus. This bonus is a system set up by the State to obtain aid for the purchase of a electric bike in exchange for the scrapping of a petrol or diesel vehicle.