In current discussions about the potential of cargo bicycles for social mobility, the long history of such bicycles is often referred to. In Europe, they were mainly used for commercial purposes until the 1960s, in Asian regions for even much longer. On closer inspection, the historical use of cargo bikes thus turns out to be a prime example of established but unspectacular everyday technologies that attract little attention.

For this research project, on the one hand, difficult-to-access and scattered source material is being collected that provides information on the distribution, costs, use and cultural interpretation of cargo bikes. At the same time, this example illustrates the importance of cultural conditions for innovation processes.