How cargo bikes are taking off in London and the UK

London is a city in the middle of a cycling revolution. At the beginning of 2013 the mayor pledged over £900 million to be spent on new infrastructure and campaigns aimed at getting more of the city's residents and visitors on their bikes.

Since then, new Cycle Superhighways, shared bike schemes, and traffic calming measures across the city have led to a massive increase in the number of people making journeys by bike. One effect this has had, is that more people are using cargo bicycles as a way of completing trips when they need to move larger cargo.

London is becoming a cargo cycling city.

Just like many European cities, London is getting switched on to the world of cargo bicycles, and the result is that innovative manufacturers are designing cargo bikes aimed at the UK market specifically.

Enter Bringley, by Porterlight Bicycles. At only 40cm longer than a normal bicycle, Bringley was designed by UK bike builder Lawrence Brand as a way of making cargo bikes accessible for people who live in apartments, or don't have space to store a large traditional cargo bicycle. The compact length means that the bike can fit in a normal domestic lift when on it's back wheel.

Bringley, a cargo bike built in London and designed for the UK market

Each Bringley bike is built by hand in London on a custom order basis. This makes it ideal for parents looking to move children around by bicycle, and especially companies who need a custom branded delivery, or marketing cargo bike. Porterlight offers a complete branding service for their bikes which means customer can receive a cargo bike designed especially for them.

A custom cargo bike in London by Porterlight Bicycles for East London Liquor Company

One such customer is East London Liquor Company who now deliver their premium spirits to customers and bars around their London distillery by cargo bike.

Porterlight Bicycle's custom Bringley cargo bike now works delivering spirits in East London

As well as company bikes, Porterlight also produces family bikes equipped with two ultra-safe BoBike Dutch child seats on the deck. These mean parents can safely and easily cycle around London with their children on the school run, to the local park, or for a countryside outing.

Porterlight Bicycles produces a custom family cargo bike designed for safely and easily carrying children

Recently Porterlight has gained recognition of their design work at an eight month cycling exhibition curated by The Design Museum. The Cycle Revolution exhibition features Porterlight founder Lawrence Brand, and the story of his 5,000km test ride for the prototype cargo bike from Romania to Kazakhstan.

Porterlight Bicycle's prototype cargo bike on display at London's Design Museum for the Cycle Revolution exhibition

As more and more Londoners, and people across the UK, look to cycling as a way of completing more and more journeys, cargo bicycles look set to become a common sight on our streets. From companies doing deliveries, to families on the school run, or people getting the weekly shop home, cargo bikes like Bringley offer a great way to get around London's parks, cycle lanes, and winding streets.