10 lessons from 4,000 miles of cargo biking

2026-09-19

A cargo bike carrying two children is parked beside cows grazing below the Flatirons. — Stopping to watch the cows grazing on Davidson Mesa on the way to get groceries.

Over the past two years, I've put more than 4,000 miles on my cargo bike, 1,000 of them in the past three months! It has become my default mode of transportation for daycare, groceries, and other errands. I think it could do the same for many families with access to good cycling infrastructure. Here are some things I've learned along the way:

1) You can run most errands

A cargo bike carrying a child, toilet paper, dog food, and other bulk goods outside Costco. — A full Costco trip, with room to spare.

Between bungee cords, panniers, a large front folding basket with high sides (so it can be folded down when strapping something larger on top of it), and the cheapest bike trailer I could find, I've hauled all sorts of loads. Most spectacularly, I've made full trips to Costco, hauling massive packages of toilet paper, dog food, and seltzer.

A cargo bike and trailer are parked beside a child sitting in a field below the Flatirons. — Stopping for a snack break while pulling the trailer.

2) It can be faster than a car

Between easier parking, less resistance to loading up, and plentiful underpasses in our area, the door-to-door time for many of our common trips is not that different from taking a car. There are six traffic lights between our house and our favorite grocery store, but it's only a 10-minute bike ride.

With even a little traffic, the bike quickly becomes the faster option.

3) Better parking

Bike parking is often more convenient than car parking. No more walking through parking lots with the kids! For example, the bike racks at our farmers market save us a five- to ten-minute walk from where we typically have to park our car. This means we can go without a stroller at the market too.

With the simple addition of a frame lock, we don't even need a rack to lock up! The newer model of our bike has a built-in electronic immobilizer, which some friends use without a physical lock at all.

4) Kids love it

A child sits on a cargo bike watching road construction equipment at work. — What better way to break up the daily routine than with some construction site action?

Our boys aren't huge fans of being in their car seats for very long. We've had almost no complaints about being on the bike. They love how spontaneous we can be when biking. It's a lot easier to pull over on a bike to see an interesting bird or construction site! One afternoon, our toddler looked out our kitchen window and saw a foundation being poured across town. We hopped right on the bike and went to find it!

A child sits on a cargo bike watching a concrete pump pour a foundation. — Watching a concrete pump pour a foundation across town.

5) We have incredible cycling infrastructure

From protected bike lanes to an extensive trail system and even the US 36 bikeway connecting Denver and Boulder, we are privileged to have such great options for cycling in Louisville and throughout Boulder County. There are hundreds of miles of cycling infrastructure, nearly all interconnected.

6) You can ride in most weather

A wet cargo bike fitted with a black rain canopy is parked under shelter. — Riding in a downpour with the Clubhouse Fort.

While our weather is far from mild, I've been able to ride almost every day of the year thanks to having the right equipment. We use a Tern Clubhouse Fort (mounted with 3D-printed parts from Better Abound), bar mitts, and studded tires.

Winter biking is a lot like skiing: low cardio and high speed in cold weather. On chillier days, I proudly put on ski goggles (and ski pants/jacket, when it's well below freezing).

7) Bike maintenance is a great hobby

While e-bikes are more complicated than conventional bikes, they only require a little bit of regular maintenance that I've found very zen. Keeping the tires inflated, checking spoke tension, and lubricating the drivetrain every couple of weeks is a nice way to work with my hands.

A kayak hoist makes it much easier to lift the bike for maintenance. For out and about, you'll need a few more tools to change a flat on a hub-motor wheel than you would for a conventional bike.

8) Cheaper than a car

While you can spend $5,000, $10,000, or even $20,000 on an electric cargo bike, ours was around $1,700 (plus maybe another $750 in accessories), not counting the state and city rebates often available. I spend a few hundred dollars a year on maintenance and maybe $50 a year on electricity.

9) Access to places only reachable by bike

A child stands beneath trees on a quiet dirt bank at a bend in Coal Creek. — A quiet day at our favorite bend in Coal Creek.

There is a limit to how far our young kids can walk. Biking unlocks a whole world of fun places to explore around town that are far from car parking, such as our favorite bend in Coal Creek where we catch tadpoles and crayfish.

10) Good for your mood

A cyclist rides beside Coal Creek under trees with golden fall leaves. — A fall morning along Coal Creek on the way to daycare.

You'll rarely see someone sad to be riding an e-bike. You can't say the same about cars!

I've found our morning 10-mile round trip to daycare to be my favorite part of the day, now that we can ride as a whole family and chat on our Sena headsets along the way.

4,000 miles later, our family's daily life looks a lot different. If you have access to good cycling infrastructure, a cargo bike might change yours too.