International Cargo Bike Festival 2018
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#ICBF<strong>2018</strong><br />
We saw that occasional rough treatment of the bikes already on the<br />
market would often result in damage or breakdown. So one has to<br />
be very careful with them and of course couriers aren’t always able<br />
or willing to do that.<br />
It has been my view for a long time that for cargo transport in the<br />
city it is not necessary to use big and heavy trucks and vans that are<br />
capable of highway speeds. This can be done with more economical,<br />
smaller, less polluting and lighter vehicles that can transport<br />
the same cargo with speeds which are appropriate for urban<br />
environments. There is an existing and growing demand for these<br />
larger cargo bikes, but they need to be strong enough for their task<br />
in reliable every day use.<br />
The Tender still uses our already existing rear frame albeit with the<br />
very powerful Bosch CX, and very strong Rohloff hub. I designed<br />
the front end to withstand the forces and abuse it will encounter in<br />
daily use. To be able to do that, the design is inspired by custom automotive<br />
techniques and solutions.<br />
During the design process, the steering geometry<br />
and front suspension received extra<br />
attention; we wanted to make it very strong<br />
and give it safe handling characteristics. The<br />
result is a robust, stable bike that is up to the<br />
task with an almost maintenance-free front<br />
end.<br />
Now that you have the Tender, what’s<br />
next?<br />
The future is bigger and stronger still. There<br />
is demand for even larger, more powerful<br />
cargo bikes, and that is possible. Weight,<br />
capability and volume will have to double<br />
whilst keeping the overall dimensions of the<br />
vehicle as small as possible. The size will<br />
still be smaller and the energy consumption<br />
much lower than the vehicle it replaces: the<br />
delivery van.<br />
“Our bikes are popular<br />
because they are high<br />
quality and sturdy.”<br />
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