Rise of the two-wheeled cargo and people mover
Cargo bike sales are on the upswing, as an increasing number of Kiwi families trade in four wheels for two.
Bicycle Junction owner Dan Mikkelsen says sales are ‘‘pretty much doubling each year’’.
‘‘Cargo bikes are probably the fastest growing segment of the cycling market.’’
Mikkelsen saw an uptick in cargo bike sales before this year’s jump in petrol prices, but says fuel inflation has ‘‘really given people the reason they need to consider it more seriously’’.
The argument that bikes ‘‘can’t replace cars’’ is a fallacy, Mikkelsen argues. ‘‘They simply do. For some families they replace a primary car, for most families they replace a secondary car.’’
Bicycle Junction sells bicycles in its Wellington shop, online, and also via a dealer network with stores in Auckland, Wellington, Nelson, Christchurch and Dunedin.
Long tail cargo bikes are familiar sights in many towns and cities around the country, but in the past three years there’s been an increase in the uptake in front loader cargo bikes as well.
‘‘The benefit of those is that the kids sit inside the box and you can just throw everything else in, so there’s no need to have to sort of strap things on,’’ he says.
‘‘They probably replace even more car trips than the long tails.’’
Young families with kids under five are the main demographic buying these bikes, but they’re also popular with dog owners and cyclists who want to carry gear and shopping, or an adult passenger on their way to an outing.
Electric motors have been game changers for the transport cycling world.
‘‘Prior to the motors, you had to be a pretty keen cyclist,’’ Mikkelsen said.
‘‘You had to feel like going for a bike ride and even cyclists don’t always feel like going for a bike ride.’’
One of the things he frequently hears from customers is that while they initially intend to use their bikes for solely for sunny days and commuting, they end up pedalling far more than
they ever thought. ‘‘They actually stand there at home and it’s pouring with rain and they go, ‘am I going to drive? Or am I going to bike? Well, if I drive, I’m going to get stuck in traffic, I’m going to have to find a park, I’m probably going to get wet walking from the car park, I’ll just ride my bike because it’s still easier, and I still enjoy it more’.’’
Converts notice how a stint on the bike every day brightens their mood, he said.
‘‘I think people don’t realise how much joy it gives until they’ve done it. I mean, one of the big things we hear from people is, ‘why didn’t I do this sooner?’.’’
But while sales are booming and there are many more cargo bikes on the streets, there are plenty of others who lack the confidence to take to two wheels because of New Zealand’s notorious lack of cycling infrastructure. Mikkelsen describes current cargo bike users as the ‘‘committed few’’ but says it’s disheartening that projects such as Wellington’s 160km of cycle paths are being held up in the courts.
While he acknowledged that the bikes are costly compared to the price of a non motorised bicycle, he says those looking to save money should buy a pre-used model with a Bosch or a Shimano motor that would be serviceable for a long time into the future.
This would facilitate the emergence of a second-hand market, he said.
Mikkelsen would like to see electric bicycles subsidised by the Government, with the stipulation that they are able to carry cargo of a minimum of 60kg — so that sales would ‘‘be limited to those bikes that solve a transport problem’’.