Mini cargo bike goes from concept into production

Designed by Alex Liauw of Australia, the Cinco bike was inspired by a design challenge started by James Thomas of the Bicycledesign blog.

With 20-inch wheels and an Xtracyle-style integrated rear carrier the Cinco is a compressed version of the Kona Ute or the Surly Big Dummy. The carrier can be equipped with a wooden deck or a wide basket.

"The breakthrough came when I realised the rack didn’t need to be horizontal," Liauw told BikeBiz.com from his commercial partner’s stand at the Taipei Cycle show.

The nine-speed bike – available in one-size-fits-all – is being made by Marushiu for Liauw’s new business, Ortre Ltd. of Australia. Liauw is seeking to hook up with international distributors.

The bike will be available within two months and would retail for about $1200.