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
BREAKING Alice Munro, Nobel literature winner revered as short story master, dead at 92
Nobel laureate Alice Munro, the Canadian literary giant who became one of the world's most esteemed contemporary authors and one of history's most honoured short story writers, has died at age 92.
Latest updates on air quality alerts, and when the smoke may reach Ontario and Quebec
Wildfires have led Environment Canada to issue air quality advisories for parts of B.C., Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and the Northwest Territories, as forecasters warn the smoke could drift farther east.
Are these Canada's best restaurants? Annual top 100 list revealed
The annual list of Canada's top restaurants in the country was just released and here are the places that made the 2024 cut.
Attack on prison van in France kills 2 officers, inmate escapes
Armed assailants killed two French prison officers and seriously wounded three others in an attack on a convoy in Normandy on Tuesday and an inmate escaped, officials said.
Maximum payout for LifeLabs class-action drops from $150 estimate to $7.86
Canadian LifeLabs customers who filed an application for a class-action settlement began receiving their payments this week, though at a much lower amount than initially expected.
Steal a car, lose your driver's licence for 10 years under new Ontario proposal
Repeat car thieves may face lengthy licence bans under proposed changes to Ontario’s Highway Traffic Act.
$1.6B parts plant for Honda electric vehicle batteries coming to Niagara Region
A Japanese company has announced it will build an approximately $1.6-billion plant in Ontario's Niagara Region that will make a key electric vehicle battery component as part of Honda's supply chain in the province.
B.C. brings in law on name changes on day that child killer's new identity revealed
The BC NDP have tabled legislation aimed at stopping people who have committed certain heinous acts from changing their names.
Manitoba premier to visit areas impacted by wildfire
Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew will get a close-up look at the devastation from a large wildfire burning in northern Manitoba Tuesday.