New to cargo bikes?
This page was written by people who ride cargo bikes every day in Copenhagen. We're not neutral. We think you should get one.
WHAT PEOPLE ACTUALLY USE THEM FOR
Everything you can do with a cargo bike
Family
School runs, day trips, two kids and a week of groceries. Door to door in 8 minutes.
Dogs
Park, vet, beach. Ears out, tongue out. Best day of their life. Every day.
Cargo
Groceries, flat-packs, moving boxes. Everything a car does under 5 km, without the parking.
Commuting
Daily ride, rain or shine. 25 km/h, no traffic, no delays, no app required.
Business
Deliveries, tools, services. Zero fuel, zero parking. Your van that fits in a bike lane.
THE BASICS
What type of cargo bike?
Front-loader
Box bike / Long John
Your cargo is in front of you. Big capacity, iconic look. The classic.
Trike
Three-wheeler
Three wheels, maximum stability. Easy to load, easy to park. No balancing needed.
Longtail
Extended rear
Looks like a normal bike with an extended rear. Kids ride behind you. Fits in tighter spaces.
HOW BIG IS IT, REALLY?
See the sizes side-by-side
A length in millimetres tells you nothing until you see it next to a person. Our embedded comparator overlays bikes at true scale so the difference actually lands — before one is parked in your hallway.
Compare cargo bike sizes →OUR PICKS — TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT
Bikes we love
These are independent brands with real communities behind them. We ride them, we know them, and we built this site around them. That's our bias and we're not hiding it.
Bullitt
by Larry vs HarryDanish-designed, steel-framed, built to last decades. The largest aftermarket of any cargo bike — and the reason we started OpenCargo. Independent, opinionated, iconic.
203 aftermarket products →Omnium
by Omnium CargoDanish-designed. Lightweight aluminium, minimalist, strong community. The Cargo and Mini-Max are two of the best-riding frames on the market.
38 aftermarket products →Muli
by Muli CyclesCologne-made, compact, clever. Folds for storage, fits in a train. A growing community and an increasingly solid aftermarket.
20 aftermarket products →BEFORE YOU BUY
Stuff most people wish they'd known earlier
How to protect your cargo bike
An overview of locks, GPS trackers, insurance, and common-sense habits.
Read guide →Locks and theft protection
Which locks work, where to lock, and what the pros use.
Read guide →GPS trackers for cargo bikes
AirTags, Invoxia, Tracmo — what actually works when your bike disappears.
Read guide →Insurance (UK)
Laka, Bikmo, Yellow Jersey — who covers cargo bikes in the UK.
Read guide →Insurance (Belgium)
Qover, Immovlan, Ethias — Belgian coverage for your cargo bike.
Read guide →Versicherung (Deutschland)
Haftpflicht, Diebstahl, Vollkasko — Lastenrad absichern.
Read guide →Forsikring (Danmark)
Indboforsikring, tillægsdækning, GPS-tracker — hvad dækker hvad.
Read guide →TRY BEFORE YOU BUY
Go see one in person
The best thing you can do before buying is sit on one. Here's where to find dealers for each brand.