Tern and Xtracycle Introduce the Cargo Node

Tern and Xtracycle, both leaders in innovation for folding bikes and cargo bikes, respectively,  have combined forces to create a high-load capacity folding cargo bike, the Cargo Node.  The Cargo Node is a full sized cargo bike that folds into 1/3 of its size, providing the usefulness of a cargo bike to apartment-dwellers and space-limited people who previously couldn’t consider it.

The Cargo Node weighs 54 lbs (24.5 kg) with a load capacity of 350 lbs (159 kg). It comes in one size, but has the size adaptability that the folding bike model is known for – its suggested rider height is 5’2″ – 6’5″ (158 – 195 cm). The bike is available in Black and White, and as well (for up to fifty backers), Reflex – a reflective paint that appears charcoal during the day, but turns the bike into a giant source of reflective visibility at night.

Some built-in features of the Cargo Node include a hidden tire pump in the seat post, integrated lighting, a front luggage socket, a tool-free adjustable handlebar stem, an electricity-generating hub, Xtracycle’s CarryAll bags, and an OCL main joint to fold the bike in half.

How did this brilliant bike come to be? According to the Kickstarter page, the founders of Tern and Xtracycle ran a small experiment a few years back combining a few of Tern’s full-size folding bikes with Xtracycle’s bolt-on cargo rear racks and found the “Franken-bike” to be huge success. Building on that experiment, they eventually came up with the design for the Cargo Node.

The Cargo Node creates opportunities for many bike riders – it enables space-limited people to gain the many benefits of a cargo bike, making car-free living much easier in urban areas.

The Cargo Node folds in ten seconds, reducing the size of the bike by length, height, and volume. When folded, the bicycle should easily fit in a six to eight person elevator (so for the first time you can take your cargo bike into your apartment), your hatchback, or a living room corner. The possibilities are endless.

Tern and Xtracycle have launched a campaign on Kickstarter to bring the Cargo Node to market. The campaign launched early September, and will run until mid-October with small sized donation rewards shipping out in November.

The Cargo Node is a sustainable form of transportation that can take you anywhere while carrying virtually anything. Tern and Xtracycle are proving that there is still room for serious innovation within the bicycle model by taking a bike that fits everything and altering it to fit your life.

Editor’s note: This article originally stated that the Cargo Node was the world’s first folding cargo bike. A reader reminded us that other similar bikes are already on the market and we have since updated the article to reflect that reality.