I have recently written a post over at Auckland Cycle Chic about joining up a couple of cycling ‘dots’ that I have been thinking about.
The ‘dots’ are comprised of the fact that only bicycle riders are constrained by the compulsory helmet law, the law does not apply to riders of tricycles (or unicycles), and on the popularity of cargo bikes in places with established cycle cultures such as Denmark, Amsterdam and even Portland.
Cargo bikes/tricycles could be an interesting workaround for those wishing to choose when to wear a helmet. It raises the question “what is the legal definition of a tricycle”? Is there one? A tricycle obviously requires three wheels, but how big does the third wheel have to be? Does it even need to touch the ground? I am presuming that it has to be an integral part of the vehicle and not simply a ‘bolt on’.
We have incredible ‘no. 8 wire’ capabilities in this country … can someone invent a minimalist tricycle? What are the key attributes that this cycle should have (apart from a third wheel)? Can we make an ‘NZ made’ cool tricycle for urban living? What should it be called?
To give you the basic idea, here is a great post about the Dutch cargo bike (De Fietsfabriek Bakfiets) by Dottie from Lets go Ride a Bike, and here is some inspiration:
