“It’s less anxiety-provoking”: these craftsmen who choose to travel by cargo bike

Calves as fuel for their companies! It is the choice of these entrepreneurs who go to their customers, every day, by cargo bike. An economical and ecological solution at a time when it is not always easy to get around town by car.

For craftsmen, this means of transport meets the majority of the disadvantages of traveling in a van. The plumbing companyze plumber“has opted for this means of transport since 2010. “Following the breakdown of a vehicle, Pierre-Olivier (the co-founder) used a bicycle with his tools to work. Seeing the advantages of this mode of transport, it was at this precise moment that we thought about this new model.“says Sonia Boury, co-founder of the company. “These bikes allow us to more easily access sites that are generally difficult to access for a van. It is less anxiety-provoking for the driver“, she explains. The difficulty of finding a location near the site and the risk of a fine being sources of stress for its teams.

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The cargo bike is a utility version of the bicycle and is distinguished by its transport capacity. Relatively popular with families, it is ideal for urban environments and has an unbeatable carbon footprint compared to other modes of transport. “It is also a question of giving a new vision on the means of professional transport in addition to obtaining time savings and profitability.“, adds the head of the company. The carbon footprint of a cargo bike ride is 90% less impactful and delivers downtown 60% faster than that of a diesel van, according to “The Promise of LowCarbon Freight», a British study carried out in the city of London.

Like Sonia Boury, several hundred entrepreneurs already use this means of transport in their daily professional lives. “We observe a great diversity of trades within our member companies“says Céline Morin, communications manager for the organization bike boxes, an association that aims to promote the development of cycling entrepreneurship in France. “Locksmith, knife grinder, chimney sweep (…) the share of craftsmen in our organization amounts to 24%“, she continues. The choice is widening and attracting a majority of small businesses in all fields, mainly in large cities and secondary metropolises.

A financial advantage

For its part, it is the financial advantage that finally convinced Christophe Dabard to opt for the cargo bike. “There is a real relevance in the use of this means of transport. It performs well in urban areas and it allows me to save money on fuel, vehicle insurance, etc.says the self-employed carpenter in Paris and then in Dinard. I first bought this bike for work and it opened up a lot of possibilities for me both professionally and privately. It’s a real Swiss army knife!“, he rejoices.

This choice of movement, somewhat original, leaves no one unmoved. “Our model, even today, is denigrated and questioned. Some residents and professionals took us for liars or doubted our economic stabilityregrets Sonia Boury. People still have this idea that you can’t work without a permit“, she adds.

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Some passers-by are, on the contrary, curious and welcome the ecological model claimed by these craftsmen. “It does not stop, even if we slip away during work, we chat quickly during a break. They are very curious and ask a lot of questions about us and our way of life!smiles Christophe Dabard. A biker at heart and proud of his two-wheeler, he says he prefers “brave the weather at the risk of getting soaked, rather than spending hours in Parisian traffic jams“. When we know that in 2021, a Ile-de-France motorist spent an average of 140 hours in traffic jams, according to the Inrix institute, we can understand it.