Local eCargo bike user's experience

What bike/s have you used?  

I ride all of the council’s fleet depending on what job I need to do. I mostly use a two wheeler Riese and Muller 60 eCargo bike, as I find it very easy and comfortable to ride, a good size, powerful and very versatile in terms of carrying capacity while still not being too bulky or heavy. I can also attach our trailer to it.

What do you use the eCargo bike for?  

I work in the Transport and Sustainability team and I lead on the council’s eCargo bike projects, along with other sustainable travel initiatives. I use the cargo bikes in many aspects of my role from attending events, transporting goods that we use in the team, giving demonstrations and offering try outs.

Our team regularly attend community events to promote our projects and I carry everything we need including gazebo, tables, displays and equipment using an eCargo bike with Carla trailer attached.

As we all work from home I often have to have things delivered to my house and then transport them by cargo bike to the town hall where we have storage. For efficiency and to save time this sometimes means my 8 year old son gets a lift for the two mile ride to school, rather than going on his own bike. He absolutely loves going by cargo bike and his mates all want a ride too.

This has been particularly useful during the winter months when the weather has been awful to get to school quickly. To really test the bikes capabilities and for marketing purposes before we open our pay as you go hubs, I have also used the R&M60 for food shopping, trips to the recycling centre, DIY supplies and charity shop drops.

What benefits do you get from using the eCargo bike?  

Having cargo bikes has been transformative for how I and the team travel to events. As a team we practice what we preach and rarely use cars but in the past attending events was always tricky due to the amount we needed to carry.

We now do everything using ecargo bikes and the electric trailer. It gives out such a positive message when we arrive at an event by bike, and is especially helpful where vehicle access would be difficult.

I love riding the eCargo bikes. I still regularly ride my pushbike but on the eCargo bikes it doesn’t matter what the distance, how many hills or what the weather is like, it is always effortless and a great joy to ride. I get everywhere quickly (and always know how long it will take), and arrive feeling exhilarated rather than stressed from being stuck in traffic.

Have you got any top tips for others who are interested in trying out an eCargo bike?  

Definitely try out as many different bikes as you can to find the one that suits you and your needs best. The council have a big fleet so I have many to choose from for different tasks but I still have my favourite.

Don’t settle for something you’re not happy or comfortable with – eCargo bikes are there to make our lives easier. A top tip is that hill starts can be tricky, especially when you are loaded up, so make sure you are in a low gear before you stop so you are ready to ramp the electric up to turbo and combined with a low gear able to set off when the lights turn green.

How many miles have you clocked up using the eCargo bike?  

I use a number of different eCargo Bikes, and across the fleet I've clocked up over 3000 miles since 2021.

Contact Details:

Emily Harrup
emily.harrup@colchester.gov.uk

If you are interested in trying out an eCargo bike for your business or organization, Colchester City Council offers short-term loans of the bikes under the eCargo Bike Library, find further information on Colchester eCargo bike library.