Rear wheel steered Cargo Trikes

[Dewey]

A complaint I have read with tadpole style front box cargo tricycles where the rider turns the whole box to steer is they tend to track the camber of the road/trail surface i.e. if you are on a road with a steep slope down towards the gutter it tends to pull the whole trike towards that side. Given that unloaded cargo trikes typically weigh between 100-150lb, and the front box can add a cargo load of 250lb, plus the weight of the rider, this can lead to handling issues such as when mounting kerbs, and control problems for lighter riders with the additional weight of children in the box. The advice I've read from cargo trike riders is to ride slowly at all times. Different manufacturers have come up with various ideas to improve handling: Nihola steers just the front wheels rather than the box plus wheels; while Butchers & Bicycles and AddBike tilt the front wheels to allow the rider to lean into the turn. A third solution is to take a delta trike configuration and turn the rider around 180 degrees so the rider steers the rear wheel and the front box/wheels do not turn independently. Turning around the rider means the chain drives the front wheels, to get the chain under the box and maintain a straight chainline the designers use a chain tensioner and an IGH. A brand called Sorte Jernhest made this trike design, and has rebranded as Black Iron Horse. Another Danish brand called BellaBike sell this type of cargo trike in Europe. The BellaBike electric option uses a TSDZ2 mid-drive kit motor with a torque sensor, previously they used the now defunct Sunstar motor so the trike can also be converted using any mid-drive kit motor such as a Bafang BBS or Pendix.

Older electric assist version using a Sunstar motor

 

[indianajo]

Anybody that rides one of these lives in a world where global warming has not occured. In my world, winds are getting higher and higher, and usually shift while I'm in my destination to be in my face both ways.
Ford & Mercedes box vans are about $50000. If someone needs a box that big he needs a Harley 3 wheel model.

 

[rich c]

I can't imagine how twitchy that rear steer would be at first. It would certainly have to be a slow speed learning experience with the vertical steerer tube and not being able to lean or see the steering tire. As to the box size, they have it rigged for 3 kids. That's let's you bike pool to school.

 

[Dewey]

A Danish manufacturer of this design is Black Iron Horse, a rebranding of Danish cargo bike company Sorte Jernhest. This is the Pony model powered by a Shimano Steps e6100 motor (60nm), 400wh battery, and a Shimano Nexus Inter-5e IGH. Currently there are four N. American dealers, all in Canada: