XYZ CARGO
XYZ CARGO TRIKE, 2013Introduction:
Manual for
XYZ CARGO
XYZ CARGO TRIKE, 2013
Introduction:
XYZ CARGO takes a completely new approach to building functional cargo bikes, emphasising fair, local design, production and distribution in a socially just and environmentally sustainable way.
By combining bolted, modular, and simple orthogonal construction methods with advanced 3D design tools, XYZ CARGO offers a system that is both highly adaptable and easy to customise. Designed to encourage DIY ingenuity and participation, it moves away from rigid, predefined solutions.
XYZ CARGO bikes are easy to modify, repair, and rebuild, ensuring longevity. With proper maintenance of mechanical parts, they can last a lifetime. For effective recycling, all components can be easily separated into reusable modular parts or raw materials.
Customers can purchase a XYZ CARGO at xyzcargo.com. We deliver fully assembled bikes to your doorstep, or you can choose to build one yourself at one of our frequent DIY workshops.
The ambition driving XYZ CARGO goes beyond simply building bikes and trikes. We aim to transform how we move goods and people, how we produce, share, and distribute resources, and ultimately, how we live. Our goal is to contribute to a fairer, more sustainable world.
XYZ CARGO is a collaboration between N55, Ion Sørvin, and Till Wolfer. It is based on our open-source system, originally called XYZ SPACEFRAME VEHICLES, and is provided under the rules of Creative Commons, as specified here. ( Non-commercial – You may not use this work for commercial purposes. Any use of the works must include proper credits to N55 and a link to www.N55.dk.) The project was initiated by N55 in Copenhagen in 2011.
Construction:
The frame consists of weather resistant, lightweight, standard aluminum tubes. Unlike the singular load-bearing tube seen in traditional bike structures, the main structure is an orthogonal spaceframe of standard aluminum tubes. A series of tubes of varying lengths are produced, holes are drilled and the frame is assembled using stainless steel bolts, washers and nuts. The assembling requires no welding process. Exposed ends of the tubes are capped with a standard PE plug to avoid sharp ends and to prevent dirt from accumulating inside the tubing. The construction makes it possible to place gear wheels and chains within the frame, away from the users. Instead of using ball bearings for steering parts plastic washers can be used. Whenever needed the tubes are reinforced by inserting POM or PE plugs to prevent the tubes from collapsing. All other mechanical parts, bicycle wheels etc. are standard parts that can be acquired all over the world.
At XYZ CARGO, we strive to build a sustainable and fair business. This means carefully considering every aspect of our work—from design to production to distribution.
Sustainability is also about temperance, and wisdom. The goal is not to grow as big as possible or maximise profits at any cost. Instead, it’s about delivering what is truly needed while making a reasonable profit and maintaining a responsible level of activity.
Fair Design:
Fair design means using the right, sustainable materials and ensuring accessibility for all—not just the wealthy. It’s easy to create luxurious designs when unlimited resources are available and prices can be set accordingly. But good design should also be fair and inclusive.
Choosing biodegradable materials isn’t always the best option. Sometimes, using durable materials that can be endlessly recycled is the smarter, more sustainable choice.
Fair Production:
Production should take place as locally as possible to reduce the environmental impact of long-distance transport. Rather than shipping finished goods worldwide, it’s more sustainable to distribute raw materials and ensure that local knowledge and production capabilities are developed. A fair economy means that workers should be paid properly and taxes should support local communities. Infrastructure relies on this balance, which is lost when production is outsourced to underpaid labor in massive factories. Sustainable business is not about finding the cheapest possible labor—it’s about creating fair value exchange between manufacturer and worker.
Fair Distribution
Sustainable Fair Business is built on fair design, fair production, and fair distribution. There is no environmental sustainability without social sustainability.
At XYZ CARGO, we choose to grow horizontally by sharing knowledge and opportunities with local partners around the world for a license fee. This allows us to remain involved in every step—from design to distribution—without becoming mere administrators.
Background:
Public spaces in our cities are dominated by dangerously fast, heavy, noisy and polluting cars. The majority of cars are used for transporting one or two persons. The constantly increasing number of cars cause traffic jams and make them inefficient and slow as a means of getting from one point to another in the city. Most cars are using fossil fuels, hereby destroying the environment on our planet with co2 emissions. Our children and we move around in the city constantly risking our lives. The car industry, a large concentration of power with close connections to politicians and decision makers, are now trying to convince us that electrically powered standard cars are the answer to the traffic problems in the world. But the pollution is just moved elsewhere and electrical cars are just as dangerous to persons as traditional cars. Moving 100 or 200 kg's of body weight using a machine that weighs 1000 kg or more is just plain stupid and must be unacceptable from any sane societal point of view. Cars make sense for long distance transport and in rural districts. But in the cities, they are a leftover from less democratic and more brutal times. Before the cars invaded our public space, things and people where transported not only using horsepower, but also a variety of push- carts and large cargo bicycles. Its possible to do that again. Especially combined with intelligent public transportation. Persons could get their daily exercise in a productive way instead of mindless training in time and power consuming fitness centers. N55 proposes that persons reclaim the streets and use them for non polluting, safe, light-weight transport and pedestrians. This would free up large quantities of public space which could be used for cultural purposes, growing food, micro businesses etc. Wide bicycle-lanes should be established to allow for a great diversity in human or small semi-electrical powered vehicles to emerge. There is a tendency that the industry and hereby large concentrations of power prevent us from producing things ourselves. They attempt to gain a monopoly over the delivery of things needed for our everyday lives. There is already an enormous difference in the prices the industry pays for raw materials compared to what an individual person must pay. Because they have an interest in selling as much as possible, the industry provides low quality products that breaks down fast and are being disposed of. Its necessary that persons takes back the control of production of anything from housing to vehicles, make themselves able to repair and produce things by understanding and mastering everyday life technologies. XYZ CARGOs can be seen as an attempt to encourage such behaviour.
Environmental impact:
Substituting cars with human powered vehicles would obviously have a vast impact on the worlds CO2 pollution. To produce aluminum requires large amounts of energy and it's production is therefore often situated in close to renewable energy sources, such as hydro-power. However, because of it's low melting point, recycling and remelting aluminum requires much less energy than recycling most other metals. Aluminum is the third most common mineral on Earth and roughly half as strong as steel but weighs a third. So Aluminum has a better weight/ strength ratio than steel. Because of its unique ability to oxidise fast, it protects its own surface with aluminum oxide and is therefore highly weather-resistant. If the correct alloy is used, no surface treatment involving poisonous compounds is needed.
History of XYZ CARGO, originally called XYZ SPACEFRAME VEHICLES:
In 2011, the Danish-based artist group N55 by ion Sørvin, was invited to create a public artwork in Belgium. Together with Till Wolfer, we developed the first XYZ SPACEFRAME VEHICLE, the XYZ ONESEATER, in N55’s studio in Copenhagen. The blueprints were published as open source under a Creative Commons license, allowing people worldwide to build their own versions.
This sparked the idea of creating a socially and environmentally sustainable local production of cargo bikes. At the time—and still today—most cargo bikes were manufactured in Asia, which neither benefits the local economy nor the environment.
In 2012, we introduced our first commercial model, the XYZ CARGO TRIKE. It was a great success, leading to the establishment of a production facility in Copenhagen, soon followed by another in Hamburg. Over the years, we have continued developing and improving new models.
Thanks to the modular construction of XYZ CARGO bikes, countless customisations have been made to meet specific needs. They have been used as transport solutions for goods and people worldwide, as well as for demonstrations, street sales, social events and so on. XYZ CARGO bikes have also been featured in art exhibitions and permanent collections.
Today, the main studios producing XYZ CARGO bikes are located in Copenhagen and Føns, Denmark, as well as Hamburg, Germany. Additionally, licensed sub-producers in various countries manufacture the bikes independently while operating their own businesses.
XYZ ONESEATER and XYZ TWOSEATER prototypes, 2012:
Maintenance:
Spare parts are cheap and easy to produce. This eases the repair and maintenance of the XYZ CARGO bikes. Moving parts must be kept clean and grease applied on a regular basis.
Models:
Currently we have developed the following models:
All models can be equipped with a 250 W electrical motor.
We are not sharing construction drawings for our commercial models.
XYZ ONESEATER- construction drawings avalable here
XYZ TWOSEATER- fair product
XYZ CARGO TRIKE- fair product
XYZ CARGO BIKE- fair product
XYZ CARGO FOURWHEELER- fair product
XYZ CARGO TRUCK- fair product
Example of XYZ CARGO WORKSHOP:
By N55, ion Sørvin and Till Wolfer
XYZ CARGO BIKE: N55 in collaboration with Till Wolfer and Jesper Rølund
Thanks to:
Architect and Inventor Erling Sørvin for support and inspiring discussions, Anne Romme, for our necessary ungoing dialogues about urban planning and politics, and the guys at Christiania Bikes for their patience and willingness to share their knowledge. Also thanks to Thom for the DIY drawings And Lene Slot Hansen and Jacob Coln for their kind assistance in the realization process of the first vehicles.