Sporty Cargo Bikes

Sporty bicycles are often categorised and judged purely on their weight and appearance. When it comes to cargo bikes, being an absolute lightweight would be something of a contradiction in terms. These are everyday bikes, used as cargo carriers and for daily journeys. A large payload and the particular shape of a cargo bike frequently rule out genuinely dynamic handling. A voluminous transport box for children or the dog, a large loading area, and/or an extra-long, sturdy rack all push up the bike's weight and typically lengthen the wheelbase, which in turn affects the possible turning radius when riding and parking. In addition, the centre of gravity shifts, meaning a classic cargo bike generally steers a little more sluggishly and less nimbly. The typical upright seating position on a cargo bike, familiar from everyday street scenes, also means the bike generally can't be ridden as sportily as a fitness bike, a gravel or mountain bike, or indeed a road bike.

So how fast is a cargo bike, really?

Thanks to the mandatory electric drive fitted to cargo bikes, average speeds on relatively straight routes, and even acceleration from a standstill, fall within the range of classic urban pedelecs. Thanks to the motor, the cargo bike's greater mass doesn't actually play as significant a role as the frame geometry and the position of the centre of gravity. Hybrid models or crossovers, such as Ca Go's CS series, are a good example of this. Thanks to a three-way division of the load space, the loading area, or rather the payload, doesn't excessively compromise the handling of these bikes. Although both the base weight and maximum payload are roughly on a par with specialised cargo bikes, the rider's seating position, the weight distribution, and the innovative cable steering combine to produce handling similar to that of a nimble city runabout. Thanks to a gear ratio built into Ca Go's cable steering system, even very tight corners and remarkably quick changes of direction are possible.

• To the Ca Go CS

What makes one cargo bike faster than another?

So if it isn't motor power, or the lowest possible weight, that makes a bike noticeably sportier within its class, all that's left is cornering behaviour. And, depending on the intended everyday use, corners crop up far more often than you might think. A route through a city in particular consists of countless corners, obstacles and turns, and every instance of braking forced upon you by your cargo bike's limitations costs energy and time. Tracking accurately and behaving dynamically through corners not only makes for a faster ride, it also provides a greater sense of security. For many people, this matters even more with a sporty cargo bike, particularly when it comes to transporting children or – increasingly popular – transporting dogs, rather than shaving seconds off the commute to work.

Doubly sporty with a cargo bike

"Sporty" in relation to a bike can quickly mean fast and dynamic in terms of ride characteristics, but it can also mean "suitable for sports use". As far as the respective load space is concerned, the term "suitable" naturally depends heavily on the sport in question. This can include heavy, compact items of equipment such as bowling balls or provisions for the team, but also bulky equipment such as protective padding or a net full of volleyballs. As such needs can also change, a variable loading concept that can accommodate both heavy and bulky items is a real advantage. And because athletes are, after all, athletes, the intended use shouldn't be limited purely to the city and transport. Depending on weight distribution and handling characteristics, cargo bikes even have potential for the occasional stint on gravel or as a touring bike for bikepacking. Here too, the crossover models, which don't belong to the classic long john or longtail categories, stand out. Ca Go's long diamond models handle in such an agile and tracking-stable way that even short off-road excursions are possible, even with a decent load in the lower compartment.

Where do the strengths and weaknesses of the different cargo bike concepts lie?

Conclusion: are there really such things as sporty cargo bikes?

Compared to other pedelecs, cargo bikes will always lag behind pure road machines when it comes to ride dynamics. The extra-sturdy frames, smaller wheels, different geometries and any indirect steering linkages make a real difference here. That said, some cargo bikes come pretty close to the ride feel of a bicycle with no extra load-carrying capacity at all. Staying within the world of cargo bikes, there are even significant differences in sporting qualities. As the table shows, the long john and multi-track bikes are the specialists for any transport task, while the longtail and long diamond lay claim to all-round good handling characteristics. If you were to award some kind of overall balance score, a model like the Ca Go CS90 Allroad would stand a very good chance indeed.