If you've got a lot of stuff to haul around, then cargo bikes are great. If you're just commuting, however, they're pretty heavy and cumbersome. Does this mean that if you do both things, then you need two bikes? Well, not necessarily. The TReGo turns your existing bike into a stuff-hauler.
Originally designed as a graduation project by Israeli industrial designer Ofir Yadan in 2012, the TReGo is now hopefully headed for production, as it's the subject of a just-launched Kickstarter campaign.
In a nutshell, it's an aluminum hand truck that temporarily replaces a regular bike's existing front wheel. Its two 16-inch wheels tilt into turns, and are each equipped with a separate hydraulic disc brake – the brakes are both activated by a single lever that's slipped onto a handlebar-mounted receptacle, located above the existing front brake lever.
Up to 25 kg (55 lb) of cargo can be loaded directly onto the truck, or carried in an optional 40-liter bag that gets fastened to it. The truck itself quickly clicks on and off of an included connector, which is in turn non-permanently attached to the bike's front fork once the wheel has been taken off.
When you reach your destination, you can just release the truck from the connector, and push it along as you would a regular hand truck. In the meantime, the connector flips down to act as a sort of "front kickstand."
Should you wish to carry heavier and/or larger loads, plans call for an optional kit that will allow the truck to be pulled behind the bike horizontally, like a trailer.
If you're interested in getting a TReGo, a pledge of US$635 is required. Delivery is estimated for December, assuming it reaches production. The planned retail price is $1,260.
It can be seen in use, in the following video. And for another take on the whole regular-bike-to-cargo-bike conversion thing, check out The Lift.
Sources: TReGo, Kickstarter
