I’m in Vietnam right now, and let me tell you, trades people can definitely carry tools around on a bike. The huge loads they carry here are impressive.
However, the reality is, in say Australia, that tradesperson has about 2.5 tonnes of tools, and no bike anywhere is going to be able to lug that around.
4wd. Long range, and most likely, diesel engines are the best for these people. That’s reality. Anything else is a fantasy.
I’m in Vietnam right now, and let me tell you, trades people can definitely carry tools around on a bike. The huge loads they carry here are impressive.
And how many are doing this in a way that would be acceptable as traffic-safe in a western city? I’ve seen videos of people in SEA transporting goods in all kinds of highly unsafe manners. Full-size fridge on a normal bike? A ton of bricks in a small hand-cart? Haybales, three meters wide and four high, on a scooter? Quite normal down there, but I can’t see anyone doing this in a large western city.
The reality I gave was, in fact, for a trades person in Australia, and it’s the way it works there.
I’m in London, and I frequently see a local painter/decorator with his stuff on a cargo bike - including a stepladdder. Sees entirely practical
For that person sure. My neighbour has 4 different types of nail guns, each for the special task they’re required for. The air compressor to drive them. The high-pressure air hose. About 12 batteries for his various saws, drills, etc. Speaking of saws, he has circular. Drop. Reticulation. And more. Then his hammers, hand saws, nails for said guns. Screws. Ladders. Straight edges. There would be lots of things I’ve missed like saw horses for his drop saw. The actual portable drop saw bench. Then of course the materials. Wood, glues, putty, etc etc etc. There is no way this guy is getting on a bike. My neighbour is your typical tradie in Australia.
Edit. Down voted for the facts. Come on, argue some facts if you disagree.
You’ll always be downvoted for facts they don’t like here, it’s normal with this kind of people.
Yeh, so he uses his van as a portable store for all of hys equipment. ons alternative is taking the tools you need need for that day’s work.
Anyway. The argument isn’t that bikes are suitable for all tradespeople in all circumstances (well that’s not my argument anyway) it’s that they are practical in a significant way.
Nobody expects everybody to transport everything everywhere with a bike.
Germany has a growing number of carpenters, construction workers, etc using cargo bikes when possible, which is quite often. Same in France. Of course they also use a van to transport wood, etc. But many jobs don’t require to bring everything and the kitchen sink. So they have maybe one van and three cargo bikes instead of four vans, or just rent one when needed.
This article merely states that some tradespeople can use bikes instead of cars/vans/trucks, a point which you repeatedly agree with. You then go on to argue that the article is wrong because not everybody can use a bike.
I’m not sure why you’ve decided to pick an argument here.
Stupid argument. Its ok to use cars when necessary, the problem is people using them for everything and anything, also people driving around huge gas guzzling monsters by themselves. Cargo bikes are absolutely not a solution for tradespeople who need to take a lot of tools and materials to various job sites.
Look, I love bikes- I ride them, fix them, dream about them, but honestly, as a former electrician I can also acknowledge that it would be severely limiting to do that job on a bike.
If you’re working on domestic then you need a few ladders, a couple of hundred kilos of tools, at least 3 rolls of different cables, and a small shop of various outlets etc.
not to mention that ducking out to the wholesalers to pick up something to finish a job would take 1hr instead of 10 min.
Industrial electrician would just be funny - imagine cycling across town with a 500kg variable speed drive or switchboard on your pushy…
I couldn’t do the job efficiently with a sedan, let alone something with a fraction of the capacity. Also - where does the apprentice sit?
I think it depends on the work that you are doing. I’m currently working as a journeyman and the most I need to bring is my hand tools. If you need to carry more the company will likely give a vehicle, but the vast majority of people drive their personal vehicles only to transport themselves and their hand tools.
Waiting for the day we start hauling wind turbine blades with cargo bikes!
Also, the apprentice can get a sidecar lol
As much a I hate cars I can guarantee that wouldn’t work in Canada for at least half the year.
I bike commute year round, but yeah, past a certain point, the cold kills the batteries so I have to switch to a traditional bike: That would be damn near impossible with huge amounts of cargo on anything but completely flat land.
Obviously every situation is different.
When I was in electrical we’d take the truck to the site on the first and last day, and park the tool trailer sat in situ. The rest of the days we’d pile in a berliner (sedan), which still gave us wheels if we needed to grab something. I’d bike if the site was close enough.
As the apprentice, I sat in the back of the Berliner, and on a milk crate between the seats in the truck.
berliner (sedan)
People still use that term where you live? 😳 That’s like, old, real old, it used to be a horse carriage and then was used for early cars. Haven’t seen it outside a museum until now.
Québécois term. It specifically refers to a 4 door with a trunk that extends past the passenger area.
I’m pretty sure we use sedan in the rest of Canada.
I learned about cargo bikes a few days ago…and yeah, they look like a real alternative to cars.
Electrified ones especially, but tradespeople in my area often need to drive 100+ miles a day. Carrying ladders, extension cords, cordless tools, and a couple hundred pounds of other parts and supplies.
It’s also our lunch spot (for those that pack our own) and runabout to get a missing part when needed.
In a city, for handyman work, I could probably set something up and be comfortable and happy. Outside that it’s a stretch and would require changing a lot, or simply offsetting the heavy vehicle use to another user.
Offsetting doesn’t work. It’s a myth, you can’t undo your carbon footprint by using a bike later.
That said, I agree that the cargo bike solution wouldn’t work for trades people. There needs to be a middle ground that isn’t an just an EV.
I don’t mean carbon offsetting, I mean that the vehicle use will be shifted to delivery vans if tradespeople can’t bring large parts with them long distances. And Uber might have to fill the gaps for short missing parts trips, which may be less efficient.
