Transporting Children on an E-Cargo Bike – How to Ca Go Episode 1

Questions and answers on transporting children

Dropping your daughter off at nursery and then conveniently popping to the drinks shop afterwards – this is easily possible with a Ca Go FS200 Life Family-Plus, unlike with a conventional bicycle. Many riders now find themselves with a whole host of questions: who is actually allowed to ride along in a cargo bike? How must passengers be secured, and what's the permitted weight for passengers? Here, we've put together the most important tips and information on transporting children.

How old must children be to ride along in a cargo bike?

This is a question many parents ask themselves. From the age of 3 months, babies may be carried in a car-seat-style carrier with appropriate securing, or in a shell seat with Isofix mounting. From the age of 9 months, once the child can sit upright unaided, they may also travel in a child seat. In every case, the following must be observed: each child must have their own seat, fitted with a seat surface, a headrest and a safety harness. The harness must be firmly attached to the bike, be at least 25 mm wide, and consist of two shoulder straps and a crotch strap (a so-called Y-harness). The seats must, of course, be suitable for the size of the child. Up to the age of 7, a child must sit in such a child seat. Older children may then also ride along without a seat. However, we advise never transporting children in a cargo bike without a safety harness. In practice, older children are often already able to ride a bike themselves and no longer want to ride along with their parents in the box, even if they would still fit in the child seats.

Upper limits and the age of the rider

Since an amendment to the German Road Traffic Regulations (StVO) in 2020, there is no longer an upper age limit, nor any limit on the number of children who may be carried in a cargo bike, or on how tall a passenger may be to ride along. This is instead governed by the bike's maximum payload, which must take into account the rider's weight, the weight of all children being carried, and any luggage being transported. In this way, the question of how many passengers can ride along tends to answer itself in everyday use. It's still worth keeping an eye on the current legal situation, however, as this area is likely to see further developments in the coming years.

Riders must be at least 16 years old if carrying another person on the cargo bike. No further requirements apply – meaning that for a cargo bike without a motor, or an e-bike with pedal-assist up to a maximum of 25 km/h and a rated continuous output of up to 250 watts, no driving licence or passenger-carrying permit is required, unless it involves commercial passenger transport, such as a rickshaw taxi. Nevertheless, we recommend that all passengers and riders wear a bicycle helmet that meets the relevant standards.

Safety when riding a cargo bike

There are further regulations and aspects relating to safety when transporting children on a cargo bike. Firstly, the cargo bike must, of course, be roadworthy. This includes:

• Brakes
• Bell
• Front lamp and front reflector
• Rear light and rear reflector
• Spoke reflectors or reflective tyre sidewalls
• Pedal reflectors

It must also be ensured that children, or indeed older passengers, cannot get their hands caught in the spokes or the chain, and that clothing cannot become caught there either. On the Ca Go FS Life, this is guaranteed by the EPP box, which has also been crash-tested and has been shown to provide protection in accidents.

And while we're on the subject of protection: cycle helmets for children are not legally required even on cargo bikes, but are strongly recommended. In 2020, Dekra tested bicycle helmets in real-world accident scenarios. The result was clear: helmets reduce the risk of serious head injury in an accident, whether involving another party or in a simple fall. This applies not only to children being carried, but also to the adult riders themselves.

Helmets – safe and important