Cargo Bike Ben
@cargobikeben.bsky.social
Utility cycling & active travel advocate. Passionate about ending car dependency (not banning cars), reducing urban sprawl + how bikes are the easiest and most cost effective way to achieve that. Former journalist turned software developer. r/fuckcars mod
Reposted by Cargo Bike Ben
you don't know your neighbors because of cars
your city doesn't make enough in taxes because of cars
busses are slow because of cars
they won't build light rail because of cars
your city's air is awful because of cars
one of the leading causes of death and injury from accident: cars
your city doesn't make enough in taxes because of cars
busses are slow because of cars
they won't build light rail because of cars
your city's air is awful because of cars
one of the leading causes of death and injury from accident: cars
February 4, 2026 at 5:17 PM
you don't know your neighbors because of cars
your city doesn't make enough in taxes because of cars
busses are slow because of cars
they won't build light rail because of cars
your city's air is awful because of cars
one of the leading causes of death and injury from accident: cars
your city doesn't make enough in taxes because of cars
busses are slow because of cars
they won't build light rail because of cars
your city's air is awful because of cars
one of the leading causes of death and injury from accident: cars
Reposted by Cargo Bike Ben
@cyclingelectric.bsky.social electric bike test event tickets have just gone live!
London Lee Valley Velopark – April 19th
Leeds, Brownlee Centre - June 7th
Bath, Odd Down showground – June 14th
London, Herne Hill Velodrome – July 5th
Join us?
www.cyclingelectric.com/in-depth/tes...
London Lee Valley Velopark – April 19th
Leeds, Brownlee Centre - June 7th
Bath, Odd Down showground – June 14th
London, Herne Hill Velodrome – July 5th
Join us?
www.cyclingelectric.com/in-depth/tes...
Test ride these electric bikes at the 2026 Cycling Electric Demo Days
Four dates are now locked in for Cycling Electric's 2026 Demo Days series, where you can test ride electric bikes
www.cyclingelectric.com
February 5, 2026 at 1:56 PM
@cyclingelectric.bsky.social electric bike test event tickets have just gone live!
London Lee Valley Velopark – April 19th
Leeds, Brownlee Centre - June 7th
Bath, Odd Down showground – June 14th
London, Herne Hill Velodrome – July 5th
Join us?
www.cyclingelectric.com/in-depth/tes...
London Lee Valley Velopark – April 19th
Leeds, Brownlee Centre - June 7th
Bath, Odd Down showground – June 14th
London, Herne Hill Velodrome – July 5th
Join us?
www.cyclingelectric.com/in-depth/tes...
Reposted by Cargo Bike Ben
That‘s the spirit.
February 5, 2026 at 10:46 AM
That‘s the spirit.
Reposted by Cargo Bike Ben
“It's not my duty as Mayor to make sure you have a parking spot. For me it's the same as if you bought a cow, or a refrigerator, and then asked me where you're going to put them.” — Mayor of Pontevedra, Spain (re-elected 6 times)
February 4, 2026 at 4:47 AM
“It's not my duty as Mayor to make sure you have a parking spot. For me it's the same as if you bought a cow, or a refrigerator, and then asked me where you're going to put them.” — Mayor of Pontevedra, Spain (re-elected 6 times)
Reposted by Cargo Bike Ben
It's so upsetting to see Haringey Council wasting money on schemes like this without making it safer. Check out the new flared junction making it easier for drivers to speed out of the car park onto the street! And they've removed the bollard and cycle racks to boot! @perayahmet.bsky.social
February 5, 2026 at 11:53 AM
It's so upsetting to see Haringey Council wasting money on schemes like this without making it safer. Check out the new flared junction making it easier for drivers to speed out of the car park onto the street! And they've removed the bollard and cycle racks to boot! @perayahmet.bsky.social
Holy shit... what a car crash interview.
A chaotic afternoon with Reform’s newest Wirral recruits
The Hodsons are ‘not political’, support utilities nationalisation and keep a few shotguns. What does their defection signal?
www.livpost.co.uk
February 5, 2026 at 9:42 AM
Holy shit... what a car crash interview.
Reposted by Cargo Bike Ben
“cycling links that would run parallel to, rather than along, the high street itself”
Cycle routes that bypass a shopping street are about as useful as a holed bucket.
I don't use Gosforth High Street often, but it's a horrid traffic sewer. www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-e...
Cycle routes that bypass a shopping street are about as useful as a holed bucket.
I don't use Gosforth High Street often, but it's a horrid traffic sewer. www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-e...
Busy high street's redesign will 'endanger children's lives', cyclists warn
Newcastle City Council's latest plans for Gosforth High Street include the removal of cycle routes and the addition of three new stretches of bus lane
www.chroniclelive.co.uk
February 3, 2026 at 1:44 PM
“cycling links that would run parallel to, rather than along, the high street itself”
Cycle routes that bypass a shopping street are about as useful as a holed bucket.
I don't use Gosforth High Street often, but it's a horrid traffic sewer. www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-e...
Cycle routes that bypass a shopping street are about as useful as a holed bucket.
I don't use Gosforth High Street often, but it's a horrid traffic sewer. www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-e...
This morning, my commute by bike took me 26mins 30secs door to door. Driving to the nearest car park would take 26 mins, plus another 5 mins of walking on top of that.
Riding to work isn't just cheaper and more healthy, it's also quicker. We just need to make it safer and more will choose it.
Riding to work isn't just cheaper and more healthy, it's also quicker. We just need to make it safer and more will choose it.
February 4, 2026 at 10:58 AM
This morning, my commute by bike took me 26mins 30secs door to door. Driving to the nearest car park would take 26 mins, plus another 5 mins of walking on top of that.
Riding to work isn't just cheaper and more healthy, it's also quicker. We just need to make it safer and more will choose it.
Riding to work isn't just cheaper and more healthy, it's also quicker. We just need to make it safer and more will choose it.
Reposted by Cargo Bike Ben
As a roadgeek I loved "old" Paris with the tunnels/flyovers and weird little car shortcuts everywhere. Think of Ronin.
But I cannot say that this is not one of the best success stories going on the planet right now - Paris used to have yellow skies from the smog, I remember those as a kid.
But I cannot say that this is not one of the best success stories going on the planet right now - Paris used to have yellow skies from the smog, I remember those as a kid.
It's incredible how Paris has just absolutely smashed down air pollution (and congestion) in a relatively short time, by taking simple measures like building a truck load of cycle lanes. Lessons to be learnt
February 4, 2026 at 10:25 AM
As a roadgeek I loved "old" Paris with the tunnels/flyovers and weird little car shortcuts everywhere. Think of Ronin.
But I cannot say that this is not one of the best success stories going on the planet right now - Paris used to have yellow skies from the smog, I remember those as a kid.
But I cannot say that this is not one of the best success stories going on the planet right now - Paris used to have yellow skies from the smog, I remember those as a kid.
Reposted by Cargo Bike Ben
This morning outside Seven Sisters tube station in Tottenham. TfL not able to build a proper Cycleway here but is able to maintain and enable driver behaviour like this. It's little wonder nobody uses these cycle racks.
February 4, 2026 at 10:12 AM
This morning outside Seven Sisters tube station in Tottenham. TfL not able to build a proper Cycleway here but is able to maintain and enable driver behaviour like this. It's little wonder nobody uses these cycle racks.
Reposted by Cargo Bike Ben
"We see millions of people who want to ride, but are being pushed away by barriers that should not exist, from the lack of availability and complexity of maintenance to concerns about whether it is safe for children to cycle"
"Wake-up call": New Shimano report claims UK and Ireland have lowest bike ownership rates in Europe | road.cc
New report suggests less than half of the people in the UK and Ireland said they currently own a bicycle, with many “pushed away by barriers” such as maintenance and access
road.cc
February 4, 2026 at 8:54 AM
"We see millions of people who want to ride, but are being pushed away by barriers that should not exist, from the lack of availability and complexity of maintenance to concerns about whether it is safe for children to cycle"
Reposted by Cargo Bike Ben
Prioritising people to drive through to spend money somewhere else. It's a bold approach, I'll grant them that.
February 3, 2026 at 4:20 PM
Prioritising people to drive through to spend money somewhere else. It's a bold approach, I'll grant them that.
Reposted by Cargo Bike Ben
🇫🇷🚲📦 🅒🅨🅒🅛🅞🅛🅞🅖🅘🅢🅣🅘🅠🅤🅔
The French term for cycle logistics was just voted word of the year by the Commission for the Enrichment of the French Language! Cargo bikes and cycle logistics are becoming mainstream in France, and this is just another sign of that trend.
👇
The French term for cycle logistics was just voted word of the year by the Commission for the Enrichment of the French Language! Cargo bikes and cycle logistics are becoming mainstream in France, and this is just another sign of that trend.
👇
January 30, 2026 at 9:09 AM
🇫🇷🚲📦 🅒🅨🅒🅛🅞🅛🅞🅖🅘🅢🅣🅘🅠🅤🅔
The French term for cycle logistics was just voted word of the year by the Commission for the Enrichment of the French Language! Cargo bikes and cycle logistics are becoming mainstream in France, and this is just another sign of that trend.
👇
The French term for cycle logistics was just voted word of the year by the Commission for the Enrichment of the French Language! Cargo bikes and cycle logistics are becoming mainstream in France, and this is just another sign of that trend.
👇
Reposted by Cargo Bike Ben
Either you're happy for people to be killed and injured to save you a couple of minutes on your journey, or you're not. The evidence that LTNs and 20mph zones save lives is overwhelming.
January 29, 2026 at 5:21 PM
Either you're happy for people to be killed and injured to save you a couple of minutes on your journey, or you're not. The evidence that LTNs and 20mph zones save lives is overwhelming.
Reposted by Cargo Bike Ben
One key lesson everyone can learn from the Dutch is how to allocate the finite urban space between buildings.
N.A. tends to surrender 95% to cars, but that doesn't build a healthy city. Look closely at the allocations here. This puts people first, cars last.
📸 @modacitylife.com
N.A. tends to surrender 95% to cars, but that doesn't build a healthy city. Look closely at the allocations here. This puts people first, cars last.
📸 @modacitylife.com
February 2, 2026 at 3:37 PM
One key lesson everyone can learn from the Dutch is how to allocate the finite urban space between buildings.
N.A. tends to surrender 95% to cars, but that doesn't build a healthy city. Look closely at the allocations here. This puts people first, cars last.
📸 @modacitylife.com
N.A. tends to surrender 95% to cars, but that doesn't build a healthy city. Look closely at the allocations here. This puts people first, cars last.
📸 @modacitylife.com
Reposted by Cargo Bike Ben
Windshields isolate, while bicycles connect. When you ride, you are a neighbor, not just traffic. It removes the friction that car culture creates.
February 3, 2026 at 12:22 AM
Windshields isolate, while bicycles connect. When you ride, you are a neighbor, not just traffic. It removes the friction that car culture creates.
Reposted by Cargo Bike Ben
“Our zebra crossings are far from machine-readable; they are designed for micro-conversations between drivers and pedestrians.”
And this is just one reason why self driving cars should not be given the time of day.
TfL what’s the plan? If it’s taking out zebra crossings - that’s the wrong answer.
And this is just one reason why self driving cars should not be given the time of day.
TfL what’s the plan? If it’s taking out zebra crossings - that’s the wrong answer.
February 2, 2026 at 3:48 PM
“Our zebra crossings are far from machine-readable; they are designed for micro-conversations between drivers and pedestrians.”
And this is just one reason why self driving cars should not be given the time of day.
TfL what’s the plan? If it’s taking out zebra crossings - that’s the wrong answer.
And this is just one reason why self driving cars should not be given the time of day.
TfL what’s the plan? If it’s taking out zebra crossings - that’s the wrong answer.
Reposted by Cargo Bike Ben
I get the compromise behind a seasonal bike lane. Skeptics might be more open if it’s removed when least used.
The problem: it makes it very difficult to build a culture of winter cycling. You reinforce the seasonal disparity.
No winter lanes → no winter cyclists → no need for lanes in winter
The problem: it makes it very difficult to build a culture of winter cycling. You reinforce the seasonal disparity.
No winter lanes → no winter cyclists → no need for lanes in winter
February 2, 2026 at 8:59 PM
I get the compromise behind a seasonal bike lane. Skeptics might be more open if it’s removed when least used.
The problem: it makes it very difficult to build a culture of winter cycling. You reinforce the seasonal disparity.
No winter lanes → no winter cyclists → no need for lanes in winter
The problem: it makes it very difficult to build a culture of winter cycling. You reinforce the seasonal disparity.
No winter lanes → no winter cyclists → no need for lanes in winter
Good. It's highly likely it would have become a car-dependent development that would have turned into a commuter estate for nearby Coventry and Leicester. There's no train station there. There's not even a food shop there. We need more homes, but not like this, and not in places like Sharnford.
Developer loses appeal over 134-home plan on edge of Sharnford
A government inspector rules Blaby District Council was right to refuse planning permission.
www.bbc.co.uk
February 2, 2026 at 7:23 PM
Good. It's highly likely it would have become a car-dependent development that would have turned into a commuter estate for nearby Coventry and Leicester. There's no train station there. There's not even a food shop there. We need more homes, but not like this, and not in places like Sharnford.
Reposted by Cargo Bike Ben
That cargo bikes replace cars is a fact that I keep seeing, but I'm also aware that there's denial of it:
As a cargobike owner since 2022 I have to say they are true car replacements, life would be far more complex and costly withour ours.
We would have bought a second car by now!
We would have bought a second car by now!
Parents embrace cargo bikes for school and work commute: ‘It costs nothing to run’
Santry-based Shane Farrell loves the convenience of the cargo bike
www.irishtimes.com
February 2, 2026 at 5:02 PM
That cargo bikes replace cars is a fact that I keep seeing, but I'm also aware that there's denial of it:
"One person told us at the time: “It doesn’t work; emergency vehicles can’t get through, and people are having to park on pavements."
🙄
🙄
'After 301 days, we've only gone and done it, and I'm absolutely buzzing'
The council said it has 'paused plans' and will look to get more feedback from local residents
www.liverpoolecho.co.uk
February 2, 2026 at 9:34 AM
"One person told us at the time: “It doesn’t work; emergency vehicles can’t get through, and people are having to park on pavements."
🙄
🙄
Every morning that I’m in the office, I have the choice of staying on the train to Liverpool Central or getting off at James St & riding the 1.5km through Liverpool city centre to the office.
If it isn’t raining, I’ll always choose to ride through Liverpool city centre. It’s so much more enjoyable.
If it isn’t raining, I’ll always choose to ride through Liverpool city centre. It’s so much more enjoyable.
February 2, 2026 at 8:51 AM
Every morning that I’m in the office, I have the choice of staying on the train to Liverpool Central or getting off at James St & riding the 1.5km through Liverpool city centre to the office.
If it isn’t raining, I’ll always choose to ride through Liverpool city centre. It’s so much more enjoyable.
If it isn’t raining, I’ll always choose to ride through Liverpool city centre. It’s so much more enjoyable.
Pffft. Who needs a warm up? Just try pumping your cargo bike’s tyres from 2psi to full 😂
February 1, 2026 at 7:46 PM
Pffft. Who needs a warm up? Just try pumping your cargo bike’s tyres from 2psi to full 😂
Reposted by Cargo Bike Ben
It’s important not to mix up the free choice to cycle (most places do not ban cycling) with it being a genuine option.
Where safety concerns far outweigh the desire to cycle then that cannot be considered a free choice.
When public transport is slow and infrequent it is not a fair or free choice.
Where safety concerns far outweigh the desire to cycle then that cannot be considered a free choice.
When public transport is slow and infrequent it is not a fair or free choice.
January 31, 2026 at 6:25 PM
It’s important not to mix up the free choice to cycle (most places do not ban cycling) with it being a genuine option.
Where safety concerns far outweigh the desire to cycle then that cannot be considered a free choice.
When public transport is slow and infrequent it is not a fair or free choice.
Where safety concerns far outweigh the desire to cycle then that cannot be considered a free choice.
When public transport is slow and infrequent it is not a fair or free choice.
Post a sign from your country that tells a story about how they treat their roads.
January 31, 2026 at 4:43 PM
Post a sign from your country that tells a story about how they treat their roads.