They’re in it for the long haul.
A Gowanus bicycle shop that specializes in cargo bikes — a Dutch invention that mashes up a two-wheeler with a wheelbarrow — held a “rodeo” on Saturday, where connoisseurs of the contraption and the cargo-curious came together to celebrate and learn more about the load-bearing bikes, organizers say.
“It’s kind of a round-up,” said Aaron Olson, who has worked at 718 Cyclery on Third Avenue for three-and-a-half years. “We like to corral all the cargo-bike users and have them for a hoedown of some sort.”
The event was a huge success, said store-owner Joseph Nocella. Crowds of pedal-pushers descended on to the store to test-drive the bucket-affixed bikes, and some speedsters faced-off in time trials down the street, hitting speeds of up to 30 miles-per-hour, he said.
Cargo bikes have exploded in popularity over the past year, and 718 Cyclery is at the forefront of the revolution, Nocella said. Last summer, he began buying cargo-bike parts from the contraption’s European homeland and spreading the word about the energy-efficient car alternatives, and now he says the store is the city’s go-to garage for the cycles.
“It took less than a year to become a Mecca for this stuff,” he said.
Many cargo bikers use their cycle’s storage space to tote shopping, small animals, or young kids through the city streets, and Nocella says helping customers create a family-friendly ride is a rewarding experience.
“It’s an exciting way to be a part of a family’s life,” he said. “Promoting less cars on the street and a healthier lifestyle is what most bike shops are about.”
Nocella is already planning a second rodeo for next summer — and by that time he hopes to have even more Brooklynites hooked on cargo bikes.
“There’s a pretty large population of people in the community who are interested in cargo bikes, and a growing population of people who have them,” said Olson. “We can make it more accessible to people who have pondered the idea but don’t know how to take action and explore alternatives to traditional methods of transportation.”
