Can bicycles really carry groceries, children, and furniture?

If someone told you that a simple bicycle could be used to carry groceries, take children to school, or move large furniture, would you believe it? In Copenhagen, transporting people and their goods via bicycle is a common and necessary reality, as over half the population does not own a personal automobile. Copenhagen cargo bikes were born decades ago in the Freetown of Christiania, a car-free community near the central city. Today, numerous people use Christiania Bikes and other similar brands daily.  Watch the video.



In many other parts of the world, including China and Africa, people also use their bicycles to transport goods. However, in North America, people tend to rely heavily on their automobiles for transportation purposes and goods movement. 40% of trips in the U.S. are 3 kilometers or less, but 90% of those short distances are taken by car. Perhaps this is due to the false perception that a car is necessary when running errands. In order to shift this attitude, the 2 Mile Challenge is striving to replace 100,000 car trips in the U.S. by encouraging people to ride a bicycle instead. Rails to Trails Conservancy estimates that if short car trips are replaced by bicycling or walking, between 2.4 and 5 billion gallons of gasoline could be saved annually, resulting in $8 to $17 billion in fuel savings each year.

With more cities facing traffic congestion, air quality issues, and public health concerns, programs are being developed to encourage people to cycle, but also to transport their goods via bicycle. Cycle Logistics, a European Union funded project, aims to encourage the use of bicycles to transport goods. The program, which will run from May 2011 to 2014 and span across 8-12 countries, will strive to achieve a concrete reduction in energy used for urban freight transport. This will be achieved through intra-urban delivery of goods by bicycle, replacing trips that would have otherwise been made by car. With a goal of saving 1300 tons of fuel and 3500 tons of CO2, the program will add 2000 new cargo bikes in urban areas and shift at least 10,000 automobile freight trips to more sustainable options.

“Currently, half of all trips in the city are related to the transportation of goods with light goods representing over a third of these trips”, explains ECF Project manager Dr. Randy Rzewnicki, noting that “there’s a huge potential for CYCLE logistics to shift these trips away from motorized vehicles and towards cycling-related solutions”.

Carry Your Things by Bicycle

Cargo Bikes: Designed specifically for larger loads, cargo bikes vary in shape, size, and style and are often used to transport passengers, furniture, pets, and more. Numerous cargo bikes sold in Amsterdam and Copenhagen are used by parents to transport their children.

Bicycle Baskets: These baskets can be mounted on the front or rear of a bicycle, and are among the most common in Copenhagen. They are often used to carry groceries, bags, or other small to mid-sized items. 

Messenger Bags / Backpacks: These bags are comfortable, accessible, and are commonly used by bicyclists.  The actual design of a messenger bag largely caters to the transportation of mail or goods by bicycle.

Panniers: Designed for front and rear styles, panniers are hung over bicycle wheels and designed to hold a variety of items, including laptops, folders, clothes, food, and more. In many cases, panniers can be detached and used as shopping bags.

Saddle Bags: Attached under the bicycle seat, saddle bags are small and are typically used to hold a few small items.