RIPPL #51: Stadswerkplaats – Groningen’s brilliantly unassuming cargo-trike hire service

This is the second in a series of RIPPL articles supported by Gemeente Groningen. In the run up to the International Cargo Bike Festival, which takes place in the city this coming June, we’re taking a deep-dive and focussing on how cycle-logistics works in this city of bikes.

In Groningen there has been an unfussy, straightforward way to get hold of a cargo trike for the day for over 30 years; long before the buzz phrases ‘mobility-as-a-service’ or ‘sharing economy’ were coined. The trikes, instantly recognisable to any Groninger, are available to hire from volunteer-run Stadswerkplaats which, although it is an unassuming organisation, is something of an institution in this city.

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RIPPL #47: The (heavy-duty) Elefant in the room

At the International Cargo Bike Festival in Berlin last month, it was impossible to ignore the Elephant in the room… sorry, aircraft hangar.

German cargo bike manufacturer Radkutsche brought with them a huge, eye-catching pedal-powered trailer they’re calling the Elefant. The trailer has a capacity of up to 500kg and building it has been Radkutsche’s way of exploring the trend towards larger, more heavy-duty designs in cycle logistics.

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RIPPL #44: Construction materials, delivered by e-trike

Utrecht-based housing maintenance company Wits, along with several partners, is experimenting with using cargo bikes to deliver consolidated consignments of building materials to sites across the city. But perhaps the most interesting aspect of the ‘Slim Transport de Stad in’ project (Smart Transport in the City) is the unusually high capacity of the e-trike involved. It can carry up to 300kg, making it a viable method of carrying building materials. Continue reading “RIPPL #44: Construction materials, delivered by e-trike”

RIPPL #40: Our Top-5 Trends and What’s Next

The RIPPL project has been running for a year now; so what better time to look back and reflect upon what we’ve discovered? We’ve picked out our top 5 most interesting trends so far.

Firstly though, our thanks go not only to you, our readers, for reading, but also to the 39 initiatives we’ve featured so far for sharing their valuable ideas and experiences with us. Later in this article we’ll also give you a taste of what is coming up for the RIPPL project. Continue reading “RIPPL #40: Our Top-5 Trends and What’s Next”

RIPPL #6: Outspoken! Delivery – Heavy Duty Components

Established in 2005, Outspoken are a company based in Cambridge which uses cargo bikes and trikes to deliver a number of different services in innovative ways. They are currently the biggest cargo bike courier company in the UK. In 2014, Outspoken couriers rode over 100,000 miles (160,000+ kms), saving 45 tonnes of CO2 emissions. In fact, so innovative and so varied are the methods used by Outspoken that there will be a number of RIPPL posts about the company, of which this is the first.

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