SPEED & VOLUME: CHOOSE YOUR RATIO

Studies show that a two-wheeled cargo bike can perform more drops-per-hour than a cargo van in a 10km radius of dense urban gridlock. A two wheeled bike can cut through gridlock, is light and fast, and parks easily anywhere.

For distances that exceed 10km - or for any larger package deliveries - a three wheeled cargo bike is larger and simply carries more. However, this added volume comes at a cost to speed. High speed point-to-point efficiency is reduced due to lower speed and increased size.

Efficiency, in other words, is a measure of speed versus volume. A low volume two-wheeler for short distance trips in urban areas will always outperform a higher volume three wheeler. For longer journeys in less density a larger volume three wheeler will be more efficient than a two wheeler.  

If you opt for a tricycle versus a bicycle, you have to know the difference between a Tadpole Trike and a Delta Trike. Cargo tricycles began in Europe and Asia but found their evolution in Europe. As the cargo tricycle evolved, the wheels moved up front. Why? Because two wheels up front (Tadpole designs) are lower, faster, and lighter. Best of all, they corner quickly and lack the slow and tippy one-wheel steering of a Delta trike. Quality also followed this evolution. Most Delta Tricycles are low-quality bikes made in China whereas almost all Tadpole bikes are made in the EU and built on decades of real use-case experience. Tadpoles generally feature better quality frames, parts, and especially motors.