Workbike

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Pushing a loaded workbike in Jakarta, Indonesia
Pushing a loaded workbike in Jakarta, Indonesia
Cyclists in Portland, Oregon, move by bike
Cyclists in Portland, Oregon, move by bike

A workbike is a bicycle built for some purpose other than strictly human transportation.

More on the subject, along with some overlap, can be read in the article "Freight bicycle".

Contents

[edit] History

The evolution of workbikes parallels that of normal bicycles. The bicycle developed in the heart of the industry that made carts for working purposes. The first workbikes were used for delivering mail, bread, milk etc.

With the domination of the combustion engine after World War II, in wealthy countries workbikes were relegated to factory floor duties and public park novelties such as ice cream bikes. In the rest of the world, they continued to be manufactured and heavily used. In the 1980s in Europe, and the 1990s in the US, ecologically-minded designers and small-scale manufacturers initiated a revival of the workbike manufacturing sector.

[edit] Types

The Amsterdam, Netherlands and Copenhagen, Denmark workbikes are extremely popular. In Amsterdam many residents simply fit large front carriers to sturdy city bicycles. There is also a broad variety of specially made workbikes including low-loading two-wheelers with extended wheelbases, bicycles with small front wheels to fit huge front carriers, tadpole-type three wheelers with a box between the two front wheels. Varieties used elsewhere include a platform, basket etc. instead of the box, the loading area between two rear wheels (delta-fashion), small-wheel two wheelers loading both back and front. An occasional four wheeler can also be seen, especially within a plant, warehouse or the like, where demands on stability and loading capacity are higher than on range.

[edit] Uses

The most common use of modern workbikes is child transport, and its estimated that 90% of the workbikes sold in Amsterdam are used primarily to carry children.

Workbikes are also used for many commercial applications: postal delivery, internal transport in factories and oil refineries, street and park cleanup and many others. In Amsterdam it is also common to rent a worktrike to move one's belongings, have a party in a park or promote a new product.

[edit] Prospects

As cities become busier and less accessible to autos, and fuel increases in cost, workbikes will likely continue to become more popular.

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

Heavy-duty city bicycle with frame-mounted front carrier known as a "semi-transportfiets" (Dutch for semi-transport bicycle)

Classic Monark Danish baker's bike, this one with locking aluminium case on the frame-mounted front carrier

Cargo trike specially equipped for street cleaning crews; The side and rear compartments carry pick-up sticks, bag holders and other gear.

Child transport is now the most popular use of workbikes and numerous special models are offered.


This cycling-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.