Need a Lift, San Francisco? Try a Cargo Trike.

Anna McCarthy

Getting things done by bike, one load at a time.

​This rare cargo trike was spotted parked on 18th Street  between Mission and Capp today. We thought it looked like a pretty sweet ride -- even compared to the Beamer parked next to it.

You don't see a cargo trike every day -- Adam May of Mike's Bikes told SF Weekly he only knows of three in all of San Francisco. Yet when it comes to hauling loads on a bike, the Xtracycle trailer is a mildly ubiquitous attachment seen frequently around the city.

Such decked-out rides are a little more streamlined for a city-goer who doesn't want to take up half the road with a tricycle. But freight attachments can be expensive since they're often custom-made. So many San Francisco denizens opt for the generic version: A milk crate lashed to the back of the bike via a bungee cord. It's a little less snazzy but it gets the job done.

If you don't feel like hauling the weight yourself, you can still support cargo trike technology by hiring someone else to do the pedaling for you.