Vancouver's first cargo bike championship (PHOTOS, VIDEO)

Last month, we wrote about how cargo bikes are the newest thing in Vancouver’s growing bicycle culture. Their fun and functional nature means we’re spotting more and more on the city’s bikeways, as our streets become friendlier for two- (and three) wheeled travel. However, they remain difficult to track down in Metro Vancouver bike shops, meaning that taking one for a test drive becomes a difficult venture. Many local cargo bike owners are forced to take a “leap of faith” and import them from a significant distance (the United States or Europe).

On May 29, we at Modacity addressed that problem head-on and offered Vancouverites a rare opportunity to see a variety of cargo bikes up close and personal. Collaborating with our friends at Urban Systems and HUB, we organized Vancouver’s very first Cargo Bike Championship during the Bike to Work Week Wrap-Up Barbecue at Creekside Park.

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Based on the Svajerløb that originated in Copenhagen in 1942, we had 37 participants on longjohns and longtails of all shapes, sizes and budgets, competing for prizes and demonstrating the endless possibilities of a cargo bike. They were hauling kids, pets, soccer balls, skiis, beer kegs, hockey gear and even a Christmas tree, all using pedal power!

Congratulations to the prize winners:

“Best Dressed”: Anne Steinø
“Best Custom Build”: Phillip Marciniak
“Fastest Time (Non E-Assist)”: Donald Rempel
“Fastest Time (E-Assist)”: Fabrizio Cross
“Most Heart (Slowest)”: Aida Mas
“Most Creative Decor”: Neil Salmond

Many thanks to Two Wheel Gear, Grin Technologies, Postmark Brewing, Urban Systems, Bomber Brewing and Cycle City Tours for their generous prize donations!

Image: David Phu

Short video shot and edited by Iaco Rocher and Julia Rios. All photographs by David Phu. Check out the full event gallery on our Facebook page. See you in 2016 for the rematch!