Mother and kid enjoying a Bakfiets

Yesterday, NPR ran a story on cargo bikes as a new market in the U.S. They brought up the concept of these bikes a green replacement for the minivan and their practicality among business users looking to reduce fleet fuel costs. The report included interviews with Bakfiets supplier Clever Cycles in Portland as well as one of my favorite custom bike builders, Metrofiets.

The reporter complains about the cost, around $3000, but seriously people, you are looking for a bike to carry you and your children plus groceries and replace your car, the ultimate money pit. Cargo bikes are not toys, they are tools. This is not a place to go cheap!

Meanwhile in a country where cargo bikes are the norm, the discussion is not about just what the heck are these things but whether you love or hate cargo bikes.

Interestingly, the girl that hates them the most still advocates riding a bike everywhere, just not on a large Bakfiets. We have a long way to go.