How to get a cargo bike in Canada

long john cargo bike

Builders Canada | Importers & Retail | Cargo bikes in US | Background

There must be times when you'd like to take a big load of groceries on your bike. Or you've thought of taking your kids around by bike but a trailer doesn't look safe enough. A cargo bike is a versatile tool for this. I've collected information on how to get a cargo bike in Canada. For more info, read the wikipedia article on cargo bikes.

Builders

Canada - Ontario & Quebec

Importers and Retail - Ontario

Importers and Retail - British Columbia

Importers and Retail - Alberta

Contact Herb through IBikeTO.ca with any questions or information. Most of the information is Toronto-centric, but I'd be happy to add information from all parts of Canada.

Builders and Retail - United States

Background to the cargo bike

A cargo bike is a bicycle that has been especially built to carry larger amounts of cargo such as groceries, bricks, even children. The cargo bike that has become the most popular is called a "long john", first appearing in the 1920s in Denmark and The Netherlands. It can carry a lot of weight and can be quite easy to drive once you get used the feel.

There are now a number of different types of cargo bikes including the Yuba Mundo, Xtracycle, Christiania Bikes, Kangaroo and so on.

Read up more on the Dutch CargoBike on this article in Velo Vision Magazine where the author, Jonathan Ward, explains why he chose the CargoBike. Bakfiets and Henry Workcycle are the best known Dutch cargo bike makers.

If anybody comes across an interesting new cargo bike company, let me know. For instance, I'd be interested to find out when the UK company, Cycles Maximus comes to North America in a big way. They've got some interesting, hardcore cargo trikes with electric assist. They sell a Lynch PowerDrive e-assist that supposedly can get 250kg up steep hills. If true, then it may be a winner for heavy loads, though it appears it may only work with trikes.

Look at the Cargo bike gallery for ideas of what's possible.