Cyclist rubbishes social media outrage at video of him carrying Christmas tree and kids by cargo bike

A London cyclist has shut down criticism from some of the 40,000 people who have viewed a video of him transporting his Christmas tree home by bike, after the post attracted comments from some who suggested the trip put his kids in danger, despite them in fact being safely sat on the cargo bike's two kids' seats while the tree was strapped securely to a footplate.

Perhaps the public's cargo bike education could do with some work, (reading road.cc Simon's first-hand account of borrowing a cargo bike to carry a chest of draws across London might be a good place to start), Rich from Hoxton in east London, pointing out the legally converted electric Yuba Mundo V2 longtail cargo bike can more than handle a short trip carrying two children, an adult and a Christmas tree.

This year’s #Christmastreebybike #Christmas #London pic.twitter.com/w3NjLDxofM

— Rich (@hoxtonrich) December 17, 2023

"They have a good footplate which can hold the weight nicely and it can strap on very securely leaving the two kids seats still clear," he explained to road.cc. "We use the bike for everything — school runs, days out, ferrying kids, carrying heavy things."

The video has caused some outraged commenting online, numerous responses to Rich's post accusing him of putting his kids in danger, one reply calling the Christmas tree-carrying "irresponsible" and another "absolutely ridiculous".

However, Rich responded to the critics: "The absolute state of the triggered loons in the replies to my Tree By Bike. My 5mph cargo bike ride on a cycleway is not putting my kids in danger! Your driving at above 30mph in a 20 zone is putting my kids in danger.

"If a motorist failed to see a six-foot man on a large bike carrying a seven-foot Christmas tree and two kids in broad daylight on a 20mph designated cycleway it would indeed be the driver's fault. Is the problem that the tree doesn't have fairly lights?!"

> "But tradespeople can't carry their stuff around by bike" – oh yes they can! How cargo bikes are changing the way people work

"We are obviously very mindful and fearful of road safety and the only thing that stops us using it more is lack of safety on certain roads/routes which means not all local journeys are currently possible this way with the kids," he explained further to road.cc. "But with a carrier bike and enough safe streets/routes there is no need for the average family to drive a car here."

Rich and his kids picked up the tree from Essex Road and pedalled it home for "probably only 3/4 of a mile". "We get a tree every year by bike (usually from Columbia Road Flower Market) because we don't have a car and it's hard work carrying by hand. Plus the kids love it," he added.

Thankfully, most seemed to understand the workings of a cargo bike, and its shocking ability to carry more than one person and a heavy load, one initially sceptical reply saying: "At first glance I thought 'that looks dodgy'. But when I thought about it, what makes it potentially dangerous would be cars whizzing about around them. I did far worse when I was a kid. The kids have helmets now and they are safely seated."

"Comments on here… Some people genuinely fear bikes. I can't see what worst possible outcome could be. They're going 5mph," another added.

Christmas tree + cargo bike + kids = total joy!
If only the naysayers would actually give it a go instead of resentfully whingeing from the sidelines.

— Dulwich Wood School Street (@DWSchoolStreet) December 18, 2023