Nippy even in bends: igus bearings make agile e-cargo bike low-maintenance

In times of air pollution and the threat of traffic jams in large cities, alternative means of transport are more important than ever. Cargo bikes have become a pillar of the traffic turnaround, as they are particularly popular as an electric version: according to the German Bicycle Industry Association (ZIV), 39,200 e-cargobikes were sold in 2018 - a growth of 80% compared to the previous year.

The Cologne-based company chike specialises in e-cargobikes. The start-up has already won several awards, including the Eurobike Gold Award, one of the most prestigious prizes in the bicycle industry. And chike also performs very well in comparative tests in bicycle magazines and is the test winner of the large cargo bike long-term test by BIKE BILD.

The special thing about their product: the transport bike is compact, light and manoeuvrable. A sprung tilting chassis ensures that the rider can lean into bends just like on a normal bike.

Problem:
The developers at chike were looking for suitable rod ends and plain bearings for a new type of sprung tilting chassis that would make their cargo bike just as manoeuvrable in bends as an ordinary bicycle. The requirements for the components: they had to be lightweight, low-maintenance and weather-resistant.

Solution:
With igubal® rod end and cylindrical iglidur® plain bearings, the perfect solution has been found. The rod ends are used on the track rods. Made entirely of high-performance plastic, they are resistant to corrosion, dirt and temperatures down to -30 degrees. On the control arm and in the tilt lock, the dry-running plain bearings ensure practically maintenance-free, durable running. In contrast to metal solutions, the injection-moulded components are also very light and cost-effective.

Manuel Prager, CEO of chike, explains how his brother Tobias Prager, a graduate physicist, came up with the idea of developing the innovative transport bike: "When my brother and sister-in-law had their second child, they started looking for a transport bike for the city - as an alternative to the car. However, the bikes on the market were too long or too bulky and cumbersome for them. That's why he developed chike. An electric cargo bike that, at 73 centimetres wide, is compact enough to fit through all standard doors and, at less than 2 metres long, is as light and manoeuvrable as a classic bicycle."

At the heart of the chike is a sprung suspension system. It makes the bike manoeuvrable and the rider can corner like a normal bike. This also makes it possible to raise the centre of gravity and mount the child seat above the wheels. This results in a narrower track width compared to classic three-wheeled cargo bikes. "The design of this tilting chassis with a double wishbone system was one of our biggest challenges," recalls Prager. Among other things, we had to find suitable components - such as rod ends for the tie rods or plain bearings for the wishbones, which are lightweight, low-maintenance and weather-resistant.

Chike found what he was looking for at igus®. igubal® rod ends are used on the tie rods that transmit the steering movements to the front wheels. The special feature: they are not made of metal, but are made entirely of plastic. "The bearings are corrosion-free in damp or wet environments, insensitive to dirt, temperature-resistant down to -30 degrees Celsius and therefore ideally suited for use in a cargo bike," explains Kai Schmitz, technical sales consultant at igus®. "The bearings also have damping properties and therefore improve the riding experience. Last but not least, they weigh only a fifth of conventional metal bearing housings and are cost-effective."

igus® products are also used in the control arm bearings and in the tilt lock: cylindrical iglidur® plain bearings. Their speciality: unlike metallic solutions, they do not require lubrication. This is because a solid lubricant is integrated into the material. During operation, micro-abrasion ensures that particles of the lubricant are released and create a self-lubricating effect on the shaft surface. The advantage: low-wear and maintenance-free dry operation that is easy on the owner's wallet. "Our cargo bikes are no more maintenance-intensive than normal bikes, because the tilting technology is practically maintenance-free," confirms Prager.