Do you NEED a Cargobike?

Do you NEED a Cargobike?
​Short answer... yes, of course. They are fun and practical.
Longer answer... maybe not so much. You can carry plenty on a regular bike if you have the will and a rear rack. Oh, and a choice of cordage. With my toolkit I carry two bungies of different lengths, 6ft of Paracord and a giant silicone rubber band that can fit over my wrist. With these I have always been able to get my load home. A roll of masking tape works too. 

An actual Cargobike is of course better. As in it's easier to carry a load and often, but not always, can carry more weight. As a rule of thumb, a steel bicycle can carry x10 it's weight, 25lb frame = 250lb rider and everything. With alloy frames you need to check and be careful. But don't get me wrong, your current bike is fabulous too and can carry lots in panniers and on the rack. Dutch Market Panniers can carry four bags of groceries. 

My current Cargobike (above) I built and has a big box up front so I can just drop stuff in and ride. No messing about. A pizza straps to the top noproblemo. That fork is over engineered and can carry a person, so this makes my life easier and simpler than a regular bike because of the big front box. ​On the back is a saddle bag by Carradice for all my small loose stuff, lunch, and EDC things.

The fork is a Crust Clydesdale Cargo Fork. A genius bit of kit. It converts non-suspension bikes into Cargobikes. Just pull your existing fork, switch over the handlebars, brakes and fit a 20" wheel and you're done. It's the next step up from a small basket on your bars or front rack. It's also an easy way to get a front disc brake if you don't have discs already. 

This was not supposed to be a long piece about Cargobikes, just about carrying on a bike and how doable it really is. But it's a lot more doable on a small Cargobike and IMHO your gateway to becoming a Lifestyle Cyclist.