International Cargo Bike Festival 2018

#ICBF2018
We saw that occasional rough treatment of the bikes already on the
market would often result in damage or breakdown. So one has to
be very careful with them and of course couriers aren’t always able
or willing to do that.
It has been my view for a long time that for cargo transport in the
city it is not necessary to use big and heavy trucks and vans that are
capable of highway speeds. This can be done with more economical,
smaller, less polluting and lighter vehicles that can transport
the same cargo with speeds which are appropriate for urban
environments. There is an existing and growing demand for these
larger cargo bikes, but they need to be strong enough for their task
in reliable every day use.
The Tender still uses our already existing rear frame albeit with the
very powerful Bosch CX, and very strong Rohloff hub. I designed
the front end to withstand the forces and abuse it will encounter in
daily use. To be able to do that, the design is inspired by custom automotive
techniques and solutions.
During the design process, the steering geometry
and front suspension received extra
attention; we wanted to make it very strong
and give it safe handling characteristics. The
result is a robust, stable bike that is up to the
task with an almost maintenance-free front
end.
Now that you have the Tender, what’s
next?
The future is bigger and stronger still. There
is demand for even larger, more powerful
cargo bikes, and that is possible. Weight,
capability and volume will have to double
whilst keeping the overall dimensions of the
vehicle as small as possible. The size will
still be smaller and the energy consumption
much lower than the vehicle it replaces: the
delivery van.
“Our bikes are popular
because they are high
quality and sturdy.”
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