The World Of Car Replacement Bikes

While countries such as the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and Denmark have been cycling as a primary form of transportation for decades now, the UK is still catching up in terms of cycling statistics. However, changes to the way we as a country look at urban design is making cycling a much more reliable option on a day-to-day basis; through traffic calming schemes and an ever-increasing number of cycle paths and separated bike lanes weaving throughout cities, it’s getting much easier to ditch your car for a bike in many scenarios.

Demand for car-free urban lifestyles has increased massively in recent years, in part due to the increasing cost of living, spiking fuel costs, and an increase in online dialogue surrounding alternate methods of transport. This rise in demand has sparked bicycle and e-bike manufacturers to rethink the types of bikes they design and sell, which in turn has led to the rise of car-replacement bikes, allowing people to complete all of their daily tasks without having to own a car.

This article will take a ride into the world of car-replacement bikes, providing you with info about the reasons people are cycling more, the best types of car-replacement bikes for various lifestyles, and tips for making sure your new mode of transportation stays locked up out of the grasp of thieves.

Is A Car-Replacement Bike For Me?

Before deciding whether you should take the plunge and buy an expensive cargo bike, you’ll need to find out if it’s the right decision for you. If your everyday driving experience includes short journeys, lots of traffic, transporting a few bags of shopping at a time, and struggling to find parking, investing a car-replacement bike could be a great option to make your day-to-day life more convenient and save you money. Driving will always be an option for longer journeys and in rural areas, however, replacing those shorter car journeys with cycling has a range of benefits, including:

• Cost – The cost of owning a bike is significantly lower than the cost of car ownership

• Negate Traffic – Tired of sitting in traffic? Cruise past the row of cars you’re usually stuck in!

• Exercise – Cycling even a short distance every day is great for getting in that daily exercise, helping to keep you fit and healthy

• Mental health – Cycling has been shown to reduce stress and anxiety, among multiple other mental health benefits

• Fresh air – We spend so much of our lives indoors, getting out in the open air can be an incredibly calming and freeing experience

How Can I Fulfil Daily Tasks With A Bike?

It’s understandable that not everyone is in a position to fully ditch their car for a fancy e-bike, however some of the perceived walls stopping people from cycling more on a day-to-day basis are easier to climb than you might think. According to the National Travel Survey in 2020, 25% of trips were under 1 mile, and 71% under 5 miles. Trips at these distances can be done just as fast or quicker on a bike than in a car, especially within most UK cities, where average car speeds tend to be around 5-15mph. 

The key to finding out if a car-replacement bike is for you is to break down exactly what you’re using your car for in most cases and ask yourself if and how it can be done with a bike. If you find yourself carrying a van’s worth of luggage over long distances on a regular basis, it’s probably not for you. Chances are however, if you live in a city almost all of your daily tasks such as going to the shops, travelling to and from work, and even taking your kids to school, can be done with a bike.

Think you’ll miss your boot space? There are numerous bike brands available which manufacture car-replacement bikes optimised for storage, comfort, and longevity, giving you all the benefits of a bike, with the storage capacity of a small to medium-sized car. It is more practical now than ever to complete your day-to-day tasks by bicycle.

What About The Situations When I Do Need A Car?

While the bike is an incredibly versatile tool for urban transport, they won’t be suitable in all cases. For example, if you need to visit a family member across the country and getting there by rail is unfeasible, or if you’re travelling into the countryside for a weekend getaway, driving is probably the most convenient solution. Luckily there are ways to have access to a car when you need one, and not have to pay the cost of keeping it around at all times.

Car share schemes are rising in popularity for these reasons. Car ownership comes with cost of upkeep, insurance, and annual MOT checks, but with car share schemes like Zipcar or Co-wheels, you won’t need to worry about any of these costs, just pay for a car when you need it. A huge benefit of using a car share scheme is versatility; if you need a van, have a van! If you need a people carrier, have a people carrier! Not only can it be more affordable to use a car-replacement bike for daily use and hire cars when you need them, you also gain access to different types of cars based on specific needs.

For couples and families with multiple cars, replacing one of your cars with a cargo bike and keeping the other for long journeys and trips into rural areas could be a great option for you. This allows you to halve your vehicle costs, while having access to a car when you need it, and being able to reap the benefits of owning a cargo bike for daily city life.

Which Bike Is Right For Me?

If you’ve decided to drive less and cycle more, great! Choosing the right bike is the first step to enjoying your cycling commutes, and getting where you need to go quickly and practically. While you can certainly just use any old bike to get around, investing in a high-quality car-replacement can be a great way to motivate you to get out and ride more often. Factors you may want to take into consideration include; budget, terrain, required storage capacity, and available space to store your bike at home.

To help you choose which type of bike may be best for you and your lifestyle, here’s a list of some of our top picks for car-replacement bikes, and the benefits and drawbacks to each.

1. Benno Boost E-Cargo Bike

If you’re looking for an all-rounder, great for carrying anything from shopping, to heavy work equipment, and even two children, while remaining agile while on the road, the Benno Boost could be a solid option for you. Powered by a Bosch mid-drive motor, the Benno Boost makes carrying heavy luggage feel incredibly easy, even over the challenging inclines you might find in cities such as Sheffield or Bradford. 

One of this bike’s biggest strengths is its versatility. The design uses a long rear rack, which is able to accommodate a large basket, some heavy panniers, or even a child seating setup. Up front, there are points to attach a medium-size rack just below the handlebars; this makes for a great place to put smaller bags, your daily shopping, or a box full of work equipment.

The Boost is able to carry almost anything you could fit in a medium-sized car boot, while having the added benefits of zipping through traffic, and rolling right up to your inner-city destination without spending ages looking and paying for parking. Starting at £4,400, the Boost reaches the price of a second-hand car. However, when adding up all of the costs associated with car ownership, you’ll find yourself saving that money back soon enough.

2. Folding Bikes

Folding bikes are great for those who need to transport themselves and a small amount of luggage on a regular basis. This style of bike has come a long way in recent years, with companies such as Brompton leading the way, and pushing the boundaries of how small a bike can be when in storage. 

Tight for space inside your home and no secure storage outside? A compact folding bike might be your best choice. With folding frames and handlebars, these bikes can compact down to the size of a small suitcase, great for taking on public transport, or bringing into your home or place of work when not in use.

If you’re after a bit more speed for those longer or hillier commutes, an electric folding bike can be a great option. The aforementioned Brompton bikes are also available in electric pedal-assisted models if you’re willing to spend the money for the upgrade. However, be aware when leaving one of these out in public, as electric bikes – especially the big brands – are being targeted by bike thieves more than ever.

The downside to a folding bike is the carrying capacity aspect. While many folding bikes have space for panniers and even a small front basket, you will find the storage aspect lacking in comparison to the other bikes on this list. However, if you only need to carry yourself, a backpack and some light shopping, this might be the route to go down to reduce the amount of car journeys you take.

2. Benno RemiDemi

If you feel that your car is too much for your everyday carrying and travel needs, the Benno RemiDemi is a great choice for a car-replacement e-bike. For your morning commute, the RemiDemi’s relaxed seating position and powerful Bosch motor makes it easy to ride to your destination without breaking a sweat, and the step-through frame makes it great for riding in everyday work clothes. This model is shorter and more nimble than the previous Benno on this list, making it ideal for weaving through traffic and city centres, all while carrying a respectable load; the RemiDemi is able to carry one child up to 40kg on the rear rack, making it a great choice for new families.

While the storage aspect of this e-bike is slightly lacking in comparison to some of the other options listed here, for a lot of people, that’s not a bad thing. Ask yourself how often you need to haul something heavier than 40kg, if your answer is not often, the RemiDemi could be a solid, reliable car-replacement e-bike for you.

4. Bucket Cargo Bikes/ Bakfiets

This type of bike has been a popular car-replacement in the Netherlands for years, and has recently seen a spike of use in UK cities. The Dutch word “Bakfiets” literally translates in English to “Cargo Bikes”. These bikes are characterised by their long buckets, placed on the front of the frame rather than at the back, allowing for solid control and ease of use.

This is probably the most rugged style of car-replacement bike available, due to its larger size, and huge storage capacity; upwards of 150 litres depending on the size and model. This allows you to carry your weekly shopping, any bags or heavy equipment, and up to three children seated in the bucket for the school run! If you want to reduce your number of car journeys while retaining the benefits of a big car boot and the ability to carry passengers, this might just be your best option.

If you like the idea of a Bakfiets but want something more practical in hilly areas and over longer distances, electric models combine the all benefits of an electric bicycle, with the storage capacity to rival a car. Brands like Urban Arrow lead the way for this style of bike in the UK, utilising powerful mid-drive motors which allow you to zip around the city while carrying heavy loads and climbing hills with ease. With the ability to carry three kids or upwards of 250kg worth of shopping or work equipment in the front bucket, this style of electric cargo bike is perfect if you’re looking to manage all your daily tasks and more.

Not only are these e-cargo bikes great for personal use, UK businesses have taken to them as a great option for urban transportation. If you’ve been in a big city like London or Manchester recently, you may have seen delivery drivers from a range of companies using these to bypass those long lines of traffic, and get their products delivered quickly and efficiently.

The biggest drawback of e-cargo bikes is the cost. A brand new Urban Arrow bike starts at £4,299 for the short bucket variety, and a larger, fully kitted out model can be upwards of £7,000. Yes, this is a lot of money, but if you’re looking to do all your daily tasks with a bike and fully cut out car journeys from your life, you will save money in the long run, as you won’t need to pay for petrol, car insurance or annual MOT checks.

The only other struggle you may have with a large e-cargo bike is locking it up at home and while out and about, but don’t worry, we’re here to provide you with some great tips for protecting your expensive car-replacement bike from the grasp of bike thieves.

How Can I Protect My Car-Replacement Bike From Theft?

As much as we’d love to park our bikes out of sight and go about our days without having to lock them up, the unfortunate truth is that bike theft is rife in the UK at the minute. Studies have shown that e-bikes are three times more likely to be stolen than pedal bikes, putting your car-replacement bike at risk, more so than other types of bikes.

Losing your main method of urban transport to theft is an awful experience. At Squire we understand this all too well, and that’s why we take bike security so seriously. We offer a 20% discount on Cycleguard bike insurance when using a Squire Sold Secure approved bike lock; if you have a bike worth protecting from theft, it might be worth taking a look at Cycleguard’s insurance plans, saving you from absolute heartbreak if your e-cargo bike is ever stolen. 

On top of insurance, it’s important to use the best methods when locking your bike. Here’s a quick guide to locking up your car-replacement bike, keeping it out of the grasp of thieves.

Where Should I Lock My Bike?

The best places to lock your bike in public are on busy streets, or outside shops with high foot-traffic nearby. Just make sure you use a solid object like a bike rack or metal fence to lock your bike. Most bike thieves want to be in and out as quickly as possible and without being seen, so locking your bike in view of lots of people will make a thief think twice about attempting to pick the lock or cut through a chain or cable.

For general storage, the best place to put a bike is inside your home or garage, secured to a dedicated fixed strong point like a wall or ground anchor using a heavy-duty padlock & chain set or D-lock. For larger bikes such as the Benno Boost or a Bakfiets style e-cargo bike an outdoor garage or shed can do the job just fine, so long as you lock your bike using the best possible methods.

For a more in-depth look into the best methods to lock your car-replacement bike at home and out and about, check out our recent blog on how to lock your bike.

What Kind Of Lock Should I Use?

Perhaps the most important thing to look for when buying a bike lock is its Sold Secure rating. Sold Secure is the premier British testing and certification body for all security products, including bike locks. They take locks from well-known brands and rigorously test their strength, simulating tactics used by thieves in real scenarios. Depending on the level of security, these tests can involve anything from simple tools such as bolt cutters or twist bars, to power tools such as handheld drills, and angle grinders at the highest level of testing. When looking for a new high-security bike lock, make sure it has the Sold Secure logo on the website or packaging.

For protecting expensive e-bikes, we recommend locks rated Sold Secure Powered Cycle Diamond. The more security the better.

D-Locks and Chain locks usually provide the best levels of security for locking expensive bikes in public. We recommend using one of each, or at least two differing types of lock. This will mean a thief has to use two different attack methods to break through your security. If a bike thief has only come prepared to deal with one type of lock, your bike will likely not be targeted, and if they do have the tools to deal with both, having two different types of lock will slow them down as they have to change attack methods part-way through, escalating their risk of being caught.

For a Sold Secure Pedal Cycle Diamond chain lock, we recommend the Chainlok™ 10. Not only does this provide flexibility to lock your bike in a variety of ways, it is also wearable, so you won’t need to use any more of that precious bag or basket space carrying it. For a second lock to ensure your bikes security, we have a range of high quality D-locks, ranging from Pedal Cycle Silver to Pedal Cycle Diamond.

What Is The Best Way To Lock A Car-Replacement Bike?

Now you know more about the level of security you’ll need for your car-replacement bike, you’ll need to know the best methods for using those locks, giving you the highest chance of protecting your ride from theft. For an in-depth guide to locking your e-bike in public, take a look at our blog, “How to prevent your e-bike from being stolen”. Here’s a brief summary of the main steps you can take to protect your e-bike from theft:

Make sure you secure all parts of the bike, including both wheels and any detachable items such as baskets and panniers. Start by taking your toughest lock (we recommend a Sold Secure Gold or Diamond rated D-lock or Chain lock) and attaching it to main frame of your bike, passing through the rear wheel too if possible, and around the dedicated bike rack or street furniture.

Then, you can use another tough lock to secure your front wheel to the bike rack separately. This will ensure all the most valuable parts of the bike are locked up, and the wheels can’t be removed. Lastly, you can use a lightweight lock to secure any panniers, baskets, or buckets, protecting them from the opportunist thief.

To Wrap Things Up…

Hopefully this article has given you some useful knowledge about the world of car-replacement bikes, their uses, how you can adopt them into your lifestyle, and tips for making sure they’re protected from theft. For your security needs, check out our range of Sold Secure approved bike locks.