International Cargo Bike Festival 2019

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Of course it’s not just Groningen where these things happen. What’s your opinion on developments in sustainable transport and city logistics elsewhere? There are several developments in the Netherlands, and internationally too, that will support the increase of the use of cargo bikes in our cities. Recently the authorities in Amsterdam launched a plan to forbid fossil fuel vehicles within “the Ring” (the highway A10, which encircles the city centre) from 2030. That could have a great effect on the rise and development of all kinds of small electric vehicles, including e-cargo bikes. And cities all over Europe are working on that, such as Paris, London, Oslo, Edinburgh and Madrid. This generates a very positive vibe. You know, five years ago I saw a cargo bike in the streets of Nijmegen, where I live, just every now and then. The other day I counted ten cargo bikes during a twenty minute bike ride to the train station. Surely that’s a good sign! And another thing: even Mark Rutte, the fairly right-wing Dutch prime minister, has said he considers cargo bikes the perfect replacements for small vans, with zero nuisance and zero emission. Not everybody is happy to exchange their car for a bicycle, though. Maybe not. Or not yet. (laughs) But do not underestimate the amount of people who want their cities to be safer, cleaner and healthier places to live in. There are a lot of people who long for cities that are not built around cars, but are designed for humans, on a human scale. That makes low or zero emission inner cities politically much more viable. And I don’t think we really have a choice. Cities are overcrowded with cars. ‘It’s just common sense. Cargo bikes are a lot quicker than cars’ Fossil fuels will not be around forever. Besides, it’s just common sense. Cargo bikes are a lot quicker than cars these days. Cargo bikes delivering goods is an everyday occurrence already – not only for companies such as DHL, PostNL and Coolblue, but also, in the very near future, for the likes of Bol.com and Amazon. Apart from that we can expect a serious amount of growth in the use of cargo bikes and light electric freight vehicles in the field of service logistics. The tide for cargo bikes is definitely turning, do you think? Yes, definitely. Countries all over the world are interested in developing cycling policies. And that creates a much bigger international market for developing, building and selling cargo bikes. The potential is huge. (smiles) Even car manufacturers such as Volkswagen are now producing cargo bikes – low quality bikes for now, but the fact that they’re interested shows that cargo bikes are seen as a serious business opportunity. And another example: Gazelle, owned by PON Group, started a new cargo bike line and PON Group also took 20% shares in the Accell group of Babboe and Centaur Cargo. Cargo bikes are becoming big business. 6
3, 2, 1 Cargo! Racing with Cargo bikes #ICBF2019 Simon Chrobak, cargobikerace.com Cargo bikes are handy and can be seen more often in everyday life. Whether for shopping, messenger rides or child transport: they offer a variety of possibilities for sustainable mobility. But cargo biking as a sport? This is the story of the young, up-and-coming sport: cargo bike racing! The route is marked out, the load is ready, the competitors are lined up at the start. Then someone shouts: “3, 2, 1 ...Cargo!” And off they go! The course is usually between 200 - 500m long, and a race consists of several laps. This makes it attractive for audiences, who can be close to the action. After a few turns and chicanes, riders enter the loading zone. The load, usually consisting of crates, car tyres, canisters or weights, has to be stowed completely, safely and as quickly as possible onto the bike. The next part is the crux of the race: The riders have to transport the load - often including heavy, bulky and fragile items - for another lap. After unloading the final lap follows. The mother of all contests is certainly the famous Svajerløb in Copenhagen, Denmark. People have been racing cargo bikes there for the past 100 years. These days there is a growing scene, especially in Germany, with races in Berlin, Münster, Dortmund and Augsburg. There are also growing scenes elsewhere, such as in France and the UK; and of course this year in the Netherlands at the ICBF! Anybody can ride fast, but in cargo bike racing is also about your load-securing skills. The load has to be transported around sharp turns and over bumps without loss or breakage. No mean feat. That’s why it’s not only about muscle power, but also about skilful loading and cargo bike handling - both with and without a load. Do I take a large box or do I secure the load with lashing straps? Cargo bike races offer the audience fast racing action that is close enough to touch and much more entertaining than other bike races. The cargo bike racing at ICBF2019 takes place on the Sunday afternoon, and is being organised by Cycloon Post & Fietskoeriers and CargoBikeRace.com 7
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International Cargo Bike Festival 2019

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