Design trends in longtail, cargo and fat bikes

Longtail, cargo and fat bikes are increasing their market share across Europe and this is also reflected in product development. At this year's Eurobike Dutch dicycle designer Peter van der Veer pointed out the latest trends in design and form in these categories.

A tradeshow environment is an opportunity to see how much the bicycle industry is buzzing with innovation. At Eurobike, visitors were inundated with new models, especially in the longtail, cargo and fat bike categories. It is clear that manufacturers do not want to be left behind, but whether there is really enough market for so many variants and models is doubtful.

Fat bikes reflect a relaxed lifestyle

At the moment, the fat bike is perhaps the most eye-catching new trend in bicycle development. Sturdy models especially appeal to the youthful rider. A fat bike does not excel in good cycling characteristics such as optimal ergonomics of the saddle position and design of the seat. The buddy seat is guaranteed to cause irritation on the inside of the upper legs during long journeys. But these bikes are not intended for longer distances. There is also often a 'secret' throttle position, so that you hardly have to pedal at all.

The origin of the iconic fat bike image comes from the classic motorcycle and moped design world. Fat bikes naturally have fat tyres, but the double continuous front fork that is held securely between two plates outside the headset is also a characteristic element. In front of the steering head is a large, round headlight, the saddle is a buddy seat and everything is held together by a cradle frame.

‘Fat bikes are lifestyle products. When you move on a fat bike you identify with a relaxed, tough, contemporary lifestyle. It is therefore important what such a bicycle looks like.’

Fatbikes come in many variants with their own characteristics which the designers have managed to make on this theme. The battery pack is often hidden in the buddy seat, such as with the Gasgas, but others give the battery a prominent place in/on the frame where it can be removed relatively easily, such as with the Kuiperbelt or Onemile. And yes, it was inevitable: a real cargo bike, based on a pure fat bike, the Cargo Buddy from Ruff cycles. This is the merging of the two, currently most current bicycle design trends.

New longtails variants

2022 already signalled a strong rise of the 'longtail phenomenon'. Looking for an alternative to the cargo bike, the bicycle industry sees opportunities for more uses by means of an extra-long luggage carrier on a frame with extended rear forks. Tern is an important pioneer of this design movement.

The Creme and Smart Velo brands have made a longtail variant with a relatively large front wheel and small rear wheel. Many people continue to associate small wheels with less pleasant driving behaviour, especially in places where the road surface is bad.

Designers who visit the Eurobike usually first visit the exhibition of the prize-winning innovations. This year the expo within the show was a bit disappointing. The prize winners looked very modest. No beautiful displays, no extra highlighting and virtually no explanation about the background of the design, let alone anything about the jury's vision.

I think it is worth mentioning the Centurion ultra-low entry e-bike. The contemporary e-bike frame with the 'in-tube battery' has a cunning extra lowered part that even the most rigid senior has a good chance of wriggling his or her foot over. What I do wonder is whether the handlebars have not become too far from the saddle due to the frame extension that the lowering entails for the mid-engine.

Cargo bikes better in terms of design

Innovation in the bicycle industry has always come in waves, and those waves flow effortlessly into each other. The emergence of the cargo bike made the bicycle attractive to many young families as a safe, affordable and healthy alternative to extensive car use. The electric support is perhaps the most logical application for this category and is therefore widely offered.

The cargo bike has now really come of age. Design-technically, cargo bikes are no longer converted bicycles with a box screwed on. For example, the frame often runs logically from the rear fork to the front.