What 3 months, 500km, and 30+ school runs taught me about ditching the car for a cargo bike

I am sometimes very fortunate to work in the bicycle industry. My son started school back in September, and with that looming, my other half also secured herself a new job. All good things! However, this would leave us carless for several weeks, potentially even months. After a few emails, the very kind people at Ison Distribution here in the UK offered me an extended loan on a Benno electric cargo bike.

I am acutely aware of my privilege; most families don't have £5000 worth of a bike fall in their lap. Without it, I would have certainly been stuck and would have had to use multiple forms of transport or buy a second-hand car with some financial help, as I didn't have that amount of cash.

Before we start in earnest, I just want to say this isn’t a ‘reasons to buy’ list; it is just my experience of life out on the road with a cargo bike. You will find both the highs and lows, pitfalls and pleasures of cargo bike ownership in this article. I really hope it inspires others to do their own testing and research.

The cost of a cargo bike crisis

Let's address the most significant hurdle straight out of the starting gate: Cargo bikes are spendy. During my time with the Benno, I realised there is no shortage of options when it comes to kid-carrying, compact cargo bikes. However, it begs the question, why are Cargo bikes being sold effectively naked? Why are the essentials like racks, bags, and seats being sold as optional extras?

As I mentioned in my review of the RemiDemi XL, at £4099/$4600, the Benno is already priced like a second-hand car. Yet, to make it usable for my family, I'd need to spend an additional £1000/$1350. Now this is precisely how car companies get us, right? Your choice of paint, floor mats, sat navs, and seat warmers are all extras, but these are all luxuries; this is like Ford saying “the all-new F150 is only $40,000,” then in the small print, “truck bed and seats sold separately”.

It's fantastic that cargo bikes are so customisable and can be tailored to your family's needs, however, be warned, it's likely you will need to spend considerably more than the RRP to meet your daily needs.

CARGO BIKES ARE AWESOME! (and stress-reducing)

That’s the hardest pill to swallow out of the way; money is always a difficult topic. But once the "spreadsheet stress" of the price tag fades, the reality of life on two wheels takes over. Overwhelmingly, our experience was a positive one—even on the cold, wet, and windy days we get here on the coast. I attribute this entirely to the fact that a cargo bike is a low-stress machine, especially for the school run.

They are also an absolute hoot. One night, my son and I raced my wife home from town. Between the traffic and the lights, we beat her by a solid couple of minutes, even during a quiet hour. The whole street could hear us whooping and hollering when her car finally turned the corner.

In all seriousness, everyone warned me about the "school run madness," and now that I’m back in the car, I’m hoping we can afford a cargo bike sooner rather than later. The difference in our evening routine is stark. We’ve all heard how time outside helps reduce stress, and just 20-30 minutes of riding helps both my son and me decompress. I can skip the traffic, take the scenic routes, and roll right into the playground. It is almost always faster than driving.

They bring happiness to everyone's day!

My son and I have been riding together since he was old enough to hold the bars on a Kids Ride Shotgun seat, and people love it. If you want to put a smile on a stranger's face, ride with your child. The cargo bike takes this to a new level; for the first month of school, we were the talk of the playground. But the best part? Watching a driver’s face shift from 'cyclist-induced anger' to pure joy when they see my nearly five-year-old waving manically and shouting "GOOD AFTERNOON!" at the top of his voice. That is priceless.

Choose wisely and really consider what the bike needs to do!

I thought I knew what I wanted from a cargo bike long ago. I work in the bicycle industry, and I am paid to be a bike nerd. That was thrown out the window once we had the Benno and were hitting the daily school runs.

I am not just talking about the cargo capacity here. Actually, I don’t think I need as much as I thought I did. The bike made me more conservative at the supermarket. I shopped smarter, buying only what I needed, not what I wanted. My son certainly didn't need a dual-seat to himself. By choosing a bike for a "worst-case scenario", like the monthly shop, I ended up with more weight and bulk than I required for the vast majority of my journeys.

My research continues, but I know now I need to head into a shop, take my panniers with my son, and just see how each one handles the basics.

Cycling Infrastructure isn’t ready - at least in the UK

My experiences here on the South Coast of England likely mirror much of the UK. It boils down to roads just being too narrow and not being able to handle the ‘footprint’ of a cargo bike. We could say this about any form of cycling in the UK. With a cargo bike, it becomes abundantly clear that cyclists need more space to operate safely. On the few bike paths we have here in Sussex, it's a dream, and really, your only obstacle becomes the turnstiles or motorcycle gates. However, they are so few and far between that you are largely out on the road.

The issue lies in a combination of the additional length, the added width from footrests, and protection/handrails for kids, all while moving at the 15mph electric bike speed limit. It is one thing to slide a slim road bike down between the curb and cars, but you are immediately aware of that extra width with a cargo bike. A prime example: I mentioned bashing the kickstand on the curb in my Benno review, once nearly sending us towards a stationary car at some traffic lights. Filtering like a motorbike just isn’t an option with a child on board.

While I never felt my safety was at any greater risk than usual, other road users certainly were more ‘confused’. I noticed considerably more hesitation from people overtaking or underestimating our length and speed, and needing to cut back in or slow to slot back in behind.

Fear not the cost of maintenance, just make sure it's done frequently

Given my background in bike mechanics, I paid close attention to wear and tear, largely so I didn’t send the bike back needing a lot of work. A 30kg bike plus a growing passenger and a mid-drive motor is a recipe for high service costs, especially in the British winter.

My takeaway? The costs aren’t actually high, but the frequency of maintenance is the key to keeping them that way.

• Braking: Stopping over 100kg of total weight eats through pads. After just 500km, the Benno was already due for a fresh set. Expect to pay around £15/$20 per end, potentially more frequently in the winter months.
• The Drivetrain: Because of the bike's length, you often need two chains to make one span. Between the motor's torque and the heavy loads, I measured the chain at half-worn already. That suggests a lifespan of roughly 1,000km per chain.

Based on a 4,000km yearly average, I’d budget for 4–6 chains and 1–2 cassettes per year. In parts alone, that’s roughly £150/$200. If you aren't handy with a wrench, factor in about an hour of labour (£30/$40) at your local shop for a refresh.

It sounds like a lot for a bicycle, but remember: you aren’t paying for car insurance, VED (Road Tax), or fuel. In that context, the saving is substantial, assuming this is your only mode of transport or it is replacing a car.

For me, it doesn’t completely replace the car, yet!

The headline of this section says it all, really. Cargo bikes aren’t ready to replace cars full-time, and as you can read in this article, it has very little to do with the actual bikes themselves.

Many of the issues are from external factors, such as the cost of bikes, driven by tariffs and global shipping costs. The infrastructure, at least here in the UK, barely supports bicycles, let alone cargo bikes. It wouldn’t be British of me not to mention the weather. It's certainly possible if you're determined, but it does wear on you, especially with kids.

Just like electric cars, for me, there is still the issue of longer journeys. Maybe if I had space for a bigger car, like a pickup or van, the cargo bike could come along for the ride more regularly and be used to get around once we arrive. For most, a longer-distance might be to the next town over, a 50km/30-mile round trip. I am 99% sure this remains a car trip, largely due to the overall travel time difference. These journeys could be combined with trains or buses, but in reality, getting a 30kg bike on a British train presents its own whole set of new issues.

Despite the narrow roads, the high price, and the rain, my stance remains unchanged: I’m still saving up for one.

If you are now intrigued by cargo bikes and would like to take a look at some of the highly rated bikes we have reviewed here at Cycling Weekly, check all the best deals available right now below. Including the Benno RemiDemi XL I tested: