Cargo Vélo: fast as a bullet, loaded as a truck

Ghent is undoubtedly one of the most bike-friendly cities in the world. More and more people are using their bicycle and they have good reasons for that. The bicycle turns you into a privileged road user: you don't loose any time being stuck in traffic jams, you can cross one way streets in all possible directions, you don't have to search nor pay for a parking spot and at least until people will have their own helicopters, in the historical centre it must be the fastest way to go from one point to another. So why not use this magical mean of transport for local logistic services? Flits Fietskoeriers started with bicycle transport in 1999, but since October Ghent and its citizens have another bicycle courier service at their disposal. Meet Sander Vandenberghe who is training his leg muscles for Cargo Vélo.

THE RABBITS: Let's start with the basics: what is Cargo Vélo exactly?

SANDER VANDENBERGHE (Founder Cargo Vélo): Cargo Vélo is a bycicle courier service in Ghent. The idea was to transport larger and heavier goods by bike. Bicycles can carry more than people think!

THE RABBITS: Did you have to buy special bicycles or did you adapt regular bikes?

SANDER VANDENBERGHE: I use existing transport bikes. The one I'm riding today is called the Bullitt and is produced in Denmark. It's designed to both look good and can carry up to 150kg. I have another one called the Truck, an Austrian model designed in Vienna which can carry even heavier and larger objects because the platform is situated in the rear part.

THE RABBITS: When did you know: this is what I want to do ?

SANDER VANDENBERGHE: The idea has gradually grown with my passion for bicycles, biking, cycling holidays and trips, etc. We go on a cycling holiday every year and our destinations became more adventurous every time: Denmark, Croatia, Bosnia, Albania, Central-America. After I finished my studies I became an academic researcher at the university of Ghent and I truly missed the dynamics and "normal" interaction with people. I missed doing concrete things and seeing results immediately and I had been walking around quite some time with the idea of "doing something with bicycles".  At first  a couple of friends and I started the Bike Kitchen (a bicycle repair initative) together but in the end that's nothing more than a hobby. After finishing my doctorate I had to make a choice: would I go for an academic career or would I try to create something out of this bicycle idea?

Anyhow, I had been talking to so many friends about my ideas that I was more or less obliged to take some action.

THE RABBITS: We saw on your website that everything started with a trip from Vienna to Ghent, by bike of course.

SANDER VANDENBERGHE: Yes. More or less five years ago I completed the Erasmus program in Vienna. While doing academic research afterwards I went back to Vienna one week per year. That's where I learned more and more about bicycle initiatives. They had a Bike Kitchen over there, which we now brought to Ghent. And I also learned to know people who offered courier services by bicycle.

THE RABBITS: When did you launch Cargo Vélo in Ghent?

SANDER VANDENBERGHE: Until the end of September I had another full time job so only now I can fully concentrate on Cargo Vélo. Officially it's still a secondary occupation but the goal is to be able to do it full time in the future. I'm also working together with an experienced partner: Flits Fietskoeriers owned by Kristof Kesteloot. I have worked for Kristof as a taxi cyclist during Gentse Feesten and he has a very wide range of transport or cargo bicycles. In October we have done two large projects together: the delivery of a fair trade breakfast to the city services (using seven to eight bikes) and the delivery of sandwiches to the electoral stations. For both Kristof and I this was a new challenge: it took us quite some planning, organizing and preparation.

THE RABBITS: Who can call you and what for?

SANDER VANDENBERGHE: Private individuals, companies, everyone! Currently I'm mostly working together with small companies or other initiatives. Sometimes I work for individuals but rather indirectly, e.g. when delivering paint for Tintelijn (ecological paint distributor) the customers pay Tintelijn for my service.

Anyhow, you can even hire me for moving your furniture: I moved a freezer, a table, chairs and even a banana plant before. I can deliver your Christmas presents at home! Snow is not an obstacle; there are winter tires for bikes as well and it will go a lot smoother than a van that has to cross the city.

THE RABBITS: Do you have to take into account certain "road rules" or weather conditions?

SANDER VANDENBERGHE: I try to avoid cobblestones, as well as tramway tracks and roads in bad condition in general, especially when loaded. Sometimes the bicycle is loaded with hot meals or fragile objects so I need to be careful. But rain, wind or snow aren't stopping me!

THE RABBITS: We suppose you get a lot of positive reactions. Nevertheless that often doesn't mean people are also using the service. Are people willing to pay for it?

SANDER VANDENBERGHE: Well, we still have too many vans crossing the city and people are changing their minds: perhaps we can do this in another way? A van can transport more volume but often needs as much time as a cargo bicycle going back and forth a couple of times. So in the end, the delivery and delivery time will be exactly the same. Anyhow, transport is not an easy sector either: it should be just in time and should cost as little as possible. My prices depend on the distance, not in kilometers but in city zones, as well as on the weight of the goods. And the prices are rather low compared to the rental rates for vans.

THE RABBITS: Which zones are included in your service?

SANDER VANDENBERGHE: It's mainly Ghent and its outskirts: Sint-Amandsberg, Gentbrugge, Ledeberg, Sint-Denijs, etc. And for now that's far enough. A couple of days ago I biked 110km during one single afternoon.

THE RABBITS: What are your plans for the future?

SANDER VANDENBERGHE: I believe in cooperative entrepreneurship, so perhaps there might be a cooperation around cargo bicycles? The current cooperation with Flits Fietskoeriers is  rather informal so we might get it more organized in order to transport even larger and heavier things. Intercity transport is another option. In Switzerland for example a certain bicycle courier brings your goods to the railway station, they are put on the train to another city and once they have arrived another bicycle courier picks them up to deliver them at their destination. Courier service is of course only one of many options: in Brussels for example there is a bicycle service that repairs your bike at home.

We already have a lot of people applying and sending in requests to come and work for Cargo Vélo, but currently it's impossible to employ other people. It's still a challenge for myself to reach a break-even point with Cargo Vélo, but perhaps in the future, who knows?

If Sander convinced you and you really believe in Cargo Vélo, feel free to support his initiative  and make a donation through Ministerie van Ideeën, where Sander is Minister of Transport Bicycles.


www.cargovelo.be

www.facebook.com/cargovelo

www.ministerievanideeen.be

Pictures: Koen Degroote - Lucien Bogaert - Sander Vandenberghe