Sure, electric cargo bikes may indeed be very useful, but they're also pretty darn long and heavy as compared to regular commuter bikes. That's where the Frolic comes in, as it can be quickly converted from the one to the other.
Currently the subject of a Kickstarter campaign, the Frolic is made in France by Avignon-based startup Gambade. The bike is actually being offered in both electric-assist and non-motorized analog models.
When you just want to ride around town without hauling anything, the Frolic takes the form of a plain ol' step-through-frame commuter. In order to convert it to a cargo bike, you start by hand-loosening a nut in the top of the handlebar stem, and pulling apart a coupler in the front hydraulic brake hose.
You then just pull the fork (and the attached front wheel) out of the bike's head tube, insert the wheeled cargo module's steerer tube into that head tube, then tighten everything back down and reconnect the brake hose. The whole process is claimed to take about 45 seconds.
As far as specs go, the Frolic sports a chromoly steel frame (which is available in two sizes); a Shimano Cues drivetrain (9-speed for the ebike, 11-speed for the analog); Shimano MT420 hydraulic disc brakes; an Ergotec Comfort saddle; plus 26-inch wheels with Mach1 Trucky 30c aluminum rims and Shwalbe Big Ben Plus puncture-resistant tires.
The ebike version additionally packs a 250-watt Virvolt 900 mid-mount motor, which is powered by a down-tube-mounted Hailong lithium-ion battery. One charge is reportedly good for a range of 90 to 120 km (56 to 75 miles) in the non-cargo configuration, or 60 to 80 km (37 to 50 miles) in cargo mode.
We're still waiting to hear back about the top motor-assist speed, although if the Frolic is anything like most ebikes, it will be 32 km/h (20 mph) in North America and 25 km/h (16 mph) in Europe.
Like the bike itself, the cargo module features a chromoly steel frame, along with a 150-liter wooden box that can manage a load of up to 65 kg (143 lb). That load could consist of two small children, accommodated in optional seats and safety belts.
Weight figures for the Frolic range from 11 kg (24.25 lb) for the analog model in the non-cargo configuration, up to 40 kg (88 lb) for the ebike model with the cargo module attached. Those figures are for the smaller of the two frames, with the larger coming in 400 g (0.9 lb) heavier.
Assuming the Frolic reaches production – and if everything else works out – a pledge of €2,950 (about US$3,067) will get you the analog model, while €3,550 ($3,690) will score you the ebike version. Those numbers are 40% off the planned retail prices.
The commuter-to-cargo-bike conversion process is demonstrated in the following video. And should you wish to temporarily convert your existing bike into a cargo bike, check out the Argo Cargo Kit 2.0 (formerly known as The Lift).
Sources: Kickstarter, Gambade
