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Comment by jlelse | Hacker News Reader

It's true, cargo bikes are everywhere here now. But it's only practical if you have a garage or another ground level storing place which many people in cities don't have.

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My city (Karlsruhe) actually gives subsidies to anyone buying a cargo bike. Mostly they are used to transport kids. I, however, have to go up and down a stair to get my bike out (typically Gründerzeit house) . Further than that they are totally impractical if the one bringing your kid to kindergarten isn't the one picking it up. They are also difficult to park anywhere. However, to me this is the green version of the SUV . Makes not much sense but keeps your middle class happy... I guess there are worse trends

Totally agree! I have to get my bike up and down stairs as well. But instead of a cargo bike I use just a normal bike with trailer. A lot more flexible.

I have a custom electric-assist bakfiets and it's got a lock on the back wheel, and a very heavy-duty steel ring for an equally heavy-duty chain. The battery and display are removable. You're subject to vandalism of course, but this is Germany. Vandalism happens, but rarely.

Happily I have a little garden with street access, but I have parked all over Frankfurt and surrounds with no issues. I do a minimum of 32km a day on the school run (8km from home, there and back for delivery and collection), come rain, snow or shine.

Never thought I'd see the day that the BMW gathers dust.

Same here, my car has hardly moved in the last two years. I keep it serviced and of course there is the APK (TUV in Germany). But this is the first time that I'm worried about stabilizing my fuel.

Ground level parking places for bicycles has been mandatory for new construction for a couple of years now. Obviously, that doesn't help the vast majority of people who live in places constructed before such ordinances were made. And while they usually need a place to attach a lock, they're hardly required to be theft-resistant. But it's a step in the right direction.

Why is this more necessary for cargo bikes than for eg scooters which are similarly impractical to carry around?

A kick scooter weighs about 5 pounds and folds up. An electric kick scooter is maybe 30 pounds, and again folds up.

A cargo bike is 60 or 80 pounds, and generally don’t collapse (yes, I know some models do).

So it’s easier to carry a scooter up stairs than it is a cargo bike.

I was thinking of a classic gas powered motor scooter, you frequently see those parked in streets in these cities.

It’s not, at least not everywhere. In my neighborhood everyone locks their cargo bikes on the street and it’s fine. That’s in the center of a bigger German city.

> a carage

Is this a typo or a thing?

Typo, sorry.

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