Interest in cargo bikes on the rise
There is a growing trend in London, Ont. of commuting by bicycle - and it is not just to get from point A to B.
A growing number of people are using their bikes as a means of transport for both passengers and belongings.
For Londoner Yolanda Hedberg, two wheels is tops for taking a tour on the Thames Valley Parkway.
“I have two kids, one is eleven years, one is seven years, and bringing them everywhere,” says Hedberg.
The car-free family was taking part in the annual Summer Cargo Bike Picnic at Ivey Park in London on Sunday, which was hosted by the London Bicycle Cafe.
With her bicycle equipped with plenty of cargo space, passenger space and an electric motor, Hedberg says it’s the perfect family vehicle. However, she cautioned, it does take some planning.
“There is the TVP. You have to make the map in your head. Always go with the TVP and go from there. That’s how you do it. And you have to really check the map very carefully. Always check the crossings. You have to cross all these barriers, which are usually the big roads,” she says.
“It’s a kind of practical, tactical, any time you need a bicycle to move either people or things,” says Bicycle Cafe general manager Andrew Hunniford.
He says cargo bikes are becoming more common as drivers opt to leave their cars parked.
“So they’re either choosing to not replace a vehicle that’s on its way out, they’re going bicycle instead, or as their family’s grown, instead of doing the typical experience for a Londoner and purchasing a second car, they’re acquiring a cargo bike,” he explains.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
LIVE B.C. seeks ban on using drugs in 'all public spaces,' shifting approach to decriminalization
The B.C. government is moving to have drug use banned in 'all public spaces,' marking a major shift in the province's approach to decriminalization.
Orca calf that was trapped in B.C. lagoon for weeks swims free
An orca whale calf that has been stranded in a B.C. lagoon for weeks after her pregnant mother died swam out on her own early Friday morning.
Trump's lawyers try to discredit testimony of prosecution's first witness in hush money trial
Donald Trump's defence team attacked the credibility Friday of the prosecution's first witness in his hush money case, seeking to discredit testimony detailing a scheme between Trump and a tabloid to bury negative stories to protect the Republican's 2016 presidential campaign.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Air traveller complaints to Canadian Transportation Agency hit new high
The Canadian Transportation Agency has hit a record high of more than 71,000 complaints in a backlog. The quasi-judicial regulator and tribunal tasked with settling disputes between customers and the airlines says the backlog is growing because the number of incoming complaints keeps increasing.
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
U.S. flight attendant indicted in attempt to record teen girl in airplane bathroom
An American Airlines flight attendant was indicted Thursday after authorities said he tried to secretly record video of a 14-year-old girl using an airplane bathroom last September.
Powerful tornado tears across Nebraska, weather service warns of 'catastrophic' damage
Devastating tornadoes tore across parts of eastern Nebraska and northeast Texas Friday as a multi-day severe thunderstorm event ramped up in the central United States.
76ers All-Star centre Joel Embiid says he has Bell's palsy
Philadelphia 76ers All-Star centre Joel Embiid has been diagnosed with Bell’s palsy, a form of facial paralysis he says has affected him since before the play-in tournament.