XYZ Cargo Trike in Berlin
A friend of mine texted me this pic from Berlin. It’s an XYZ Cargo Trike. XYZ is a company based in Copenhagen that emphasizes local and fair production “in a socially just and environmentally sustainable way”. The design’s seemingly rough execution belies its industrial design sophistication. The structure is bolted together in a space-frame construction from square-section aluminium tubing, requiring neither expensive raw materials nor environmentally messing processing/finishing. The trikes are available with several accessory kit option such as a canopy or cargo bed or electric-assist, and the company encourages DIY projects. You can buy these cargo trikes and also a long john style cargo bike in Copenhagen and Hamburg, but I guess maybe the company’s emphasis on local sourcing/manufacturing probably precludes them from shipping to the states…even though the modular construction should probably make it otherwise very practical….like buying a Ikea shelving system. XYZ also makes one and two-seater recumbents, the designs for which are available open source as a download from their site. The designs for cargo trike and bike designs are not available as a download, though the company has no problem with individuals copying the design for non-commercial uses.
By my eye, the owner of this XYZ Cargo Trike doesn’t have electric-assist but has added an FSA Metropolis 2sp crank to go with the Shimano internally-geared hub. I have to assume that the rear wheel is shod with one of those ridiculously stout Schwalbe Marathon something-something tyres (toooooo many Marathon variations to remember) that can basically roll over landmines without puncturing….because I can see that removing that rear wheel to change a flat would be a total bitch.