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The CargoDrive is a retrofittable front wheel for your bicycle that comes with a cargo-carrying platform--and an electric motor for power assist.
As you can see, the diameter of the front wheel is quite small, at 20"; this is done to lower the cargo platform, allowing you to carry more without sacrificing visibility. An adapter between the fork dropouts and the wheel axle makes up for the height difference.
An integrated kickstand can be deployed to hold the bike steady while loading it. The platform, which weighs 30 pounds itself, can hold a further 66 pounds.
The 250-watt motor will provide a top speed of 20 m.p.h., and has a maximum range of 37 miles.
My main concern would be maneuverability; the few times I've ridden a bicycle with a heavy load over the front wheel, I found it quite tricky, particularly in city traffic. However, I'm an amateur/casual cyclist at best, and the more experienced folks in the video below report that it's not an issue:
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The CargoDrive is up on IndieGogo, with buy-in starting at $1,184. At this point they're well short of their target--at press time, they had $2,758 in funding on a $552,563 goal--but there's still 30 days left to pledge.
I’m a lapsed industrial designer. I was born in NYC and figured I’d die there, but a few years ago I abandoned New York to live on a farm in the countryside with my wife. We have six dogs.
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Webinar
CargoDrive: Replace Your Bike's Front Wheel for E-Bike Cargo Capacity
I just want to say this is one of the best bike related designs/inventions I have seen in a while. I would just point out that the smaller wheel not only allows more room for cargo but equally important, puts the load lower, making riding and standing still way more stable than say a basket or porteur style rack.
Hi John,
Regarding stability, that tends to be a function of the bike geometry, or specifically the “rake” of the front fork. With proper geometry, a front-loaded bike will handle and steer just fine. For example, this page [https://viventebikes.com/considerations/frames-and-forks/] describes the basics of this geometry with an eye towards the needs of touring cyclists. The key bit: