-
Basically the same. In the Uk there is a huge push going on not really behind the scenes by Trek and Spesh to buy up a lot of shops or at least get some contracts laid out.
Cargo bikes are super niche and in the uk at least will remain super niche for near another ten years yet.
Only small and weird bike shops (like us and many others on here) have bothered to push cargo bikes in the Uk at all, small to no margins (except tern and r+m, big fat margins on those boys), difficult to acquire, difficult to warranty now thanks to Brexit import /export issues. Very low numbers sold per shop, this year especially slow. And now the big boys from the US (with similar thick margins), Europe like Cube are starting to really get into this market. Sure they'll sell the demo bike that they are contractually obliged to stock in, and maybe one more, then they won't get another, won't have any mechanics that truly know what they are doing, and your£5-6k trek long tail will be impossible to get a fork or any other accessories for within 5 year guaranteed.
At least with the regular euro brands, R+m, gazelle, ua, bullitt, omnium and all the dozens of Dutch and now French and Italian offering yes it may not be super quick to get a replacement fork for a 2015 premium cargo bike, but it will at least exist and you will eventually get it.
Beware industry has seen this market behavior dozens of times on repeat for decades.
BrickMan-
No luck for me with Douze in Australia. They're not sold here anymore and the shop as well as the brand flat out ignored me when I emailed about the crack in the frame.
Lucky I found a mobile welder guy 😎
-
100% agree. Large brands that are used to cycling through different and incompatible models annually are not going to be good for the cargo bike market in the uk.
For the market to grow, it needs to become more visible and reliable. Save reversing brexit, sticking with European cargo bike companies that are visually recognisable on the street and give customers the right to repair is the best way to do this.
-
Interesting. Makes sense.
-
I think part of the problem is that cargo bikes in general are using unique approaches to the point that they pretty much all have a few completely specific components even with the smaller brands.
pascalo
fly
JVBulman
young_gun
Still undecided about how I feel about Trek breaking into cargo, but at least the brand recognition will draw more attention to cargo in general.