Winners announced in TfL’s Best Cargo Bike competition

Transport for London (TfL) has announced the winners of its inaugural competition to find the best cargo bikes for sustainable business deliveries and family trips.

The competition aims to raise the profile of cargo bikes, highlighting their benefits as a sustainable option for deliveries and an alternative to car journeys for families with young children.

TfL worked in partnership with manufacturers, distributors and stockists to host the competition, with awards handed out in two categories. 16 cargo bikes were put forward for judging by ten manufacturers.

Eight judges, including London’s walking and cycling commissioner Will Norman and representatives from Mothercare, Sustrans, community cycling groups and family cycling bloggers, assessed each bike. Affordability, comfort, security, style, capacity and manoeuvrability were among the areas considered. Parents and children also assessed the bikes on a course at London’s Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.

Douze’s G4e bike won the Best Cargo Bike – Business category. Judges said they were impressed with the model’s ‘manoeuvrability and comfort’ and the bike also scored highly across the other judging criteria. Bicicapace Pelican and Harry Vs Larry Bullitt were also highly regarded in this category.

The Bakfiets Long won the Best Cargo Bike – Families category, which assessed bikes which are suitable for carrying children. The bike scored highly for its affordability and judges were also impressed by the bike’s ease of use. Bicicapace Justlong and Bakfiets Short were also highly regarded in this category.

The two winners will receive an official endorsement from TfL for their marketing purposes for 12 months.

Norman said: “I’m delighted that this competition has helped showcase how cargo bikes are a greener, cleaner and often faster alternative to polluting cars and vans. We were really impressed with the standard of all the entries, and hope families and businesses will be encouraged to make the switch and help clean up London’s toxic air.”

Christina Calderato, TfL’s head of transport strategy and planning, said: “Switching trips from motorised vehicles to cargo bikes on London’s roads is essential if we are to tackle some of the biggest challenges facing the capital. Anyone choosing to ride a cargo bike rather than going by car or van is directly contributing to cleaning up the air we breathe. There is also a huge range of other associated health, practical and economic benefits around choosing to travel in this way.

“The interest in this competition demonstrates just how much choice there is for businesses and families, who are thinking of making the switch to this greener and healthier way of moving goods and travelling around the capital.”

Hugh Salt, Bakfiets’ UK importer and distributor, said: “I am thrilled at this award has been given to the Bakfiets Long cargo bike and it’s great that TfL is doing more to raise awareness of the benefits of these types of bikes through this project. Bakfiets, based in the Netherlands, has been making of bikes dedicated to carrying children for over 20 years.

“I’m really pleased to see London and Londoners catching on to how healthy, practical and fun cargo bikes can be for the whole family.”