Cyclo-logistics and soft delivery modes: what solutions to deliver fresh products?

The COVID-19 event accelerated a changing logistics: home delivery.

The energy transition had already pushed the development of soft deliveries with 3 objectives:

  • Decongestion of the city centre;
  • Reduction of noise pollution;
  • Reduction of gases, pollutants and particulates related to fuel consumption.

In the case of food e-commerce, an additional dimension is added: cold chain management. How to deliver fresh and frozen products in the city centre with low-carbon and silent logistics?

COLD & CO offers an inventory of the controlled cold chain cyclo-logistics.

Tricycle, cargo trike, cargo bike, boxbike, truck bike, trailer cargo bike, longtail bike pushcart bike… What is the difference ? 

 

Delivery bikes or work bikes in the city centre are developed in different forms. Here is a brief lexicon of these new cycles.

Cargo Bike

 

The cargo bike is a bicycle designed to transport heavy and bulky goods. The cargo bicycle is also used on the streets of major cities around the world for parcel deliveries, food service, just about any package delivery in congested urban areas. It has a crate or tray integrated into its structure.

It will be called  » two wheels cargo bike » or « cargo bicycle » if it has 2 wheels, « Cargo trike » or « 3-wheeled front cargo bike » if it has 3 wheels including 2 in the front and « cargo tricycle » if it has 3 wheels including 2 in the rear.

Example of a biporter : the Douze Cycles

Example of a Cargo Trike : the Urban Arrow 3-wheeled front cargo bike

Example of a rear-load tricycle : the VUF three wheels cargo bike

Cargobike Truck

The bicycle trailer has a two- or three-wheel trailer that attaches:

  • at the centre line of the rear wheel;
  • at the level of the saddle when passing over the rear wheel of the cart bike.

2 wheel trailer toutenvelo :

rear wheel attachement

3 wheels trailer carlacargo :

under seat fixation

 

How to guarantee the delivery of fresh products by bike? How to build its cold chain in cyclo-logistics ?

 
1. Cold Chain Concepts
 

To respect the cold chain and keep temperatures cool or frozen, it is necessary to consider 2 main elements:

  • an isothermal container that will limit heat transfer between outside and inside,
  • a source of cold or refrigerants that will have the function of spreading cold and maintaining the target temperature of your fresh or frozen products.

Isothermal containers are available in different volumes and materials. Many combinations of urban cycling cold chain are achievable between COLD & CO insulated containers and delivery bikes. We also offer you a selection of existing solutions to explain the scope of possibilities. This list is not exhaustive! Do not hesitate to contact us, we will answer your needs and questions.

2. Insulated containers from 80L to 600L 

 

The COLD & CO isothermal containers CarryTemp are boxes with a high isothermal performance.

Delivered with the ATP approval, the refrigerated container CarryTemp complies with the French and international regulations in force concerning the conditions of hygiene and transport of perishable food.

Robust, washable and removable, CarryTemp is very light: its weight-to-volume ratio is extremely low, making it a real asset for transporting fresh or frozen goods by bike.

Fraischeztoi makes its fresh deliveries thanks to the CarryTemp XL6 associated with the tricycle and VUF trailer.
Toutenvelo offers a bi-temperature trailer with a Dibond box for dry transport and the CarryTemp 246L for fresh products.
 
The « Triporteurs de l’Ouest » use the CarryTemp 360L on the Urban Arrow 1500.

3. Thermal CottonInsert for crocodile case/plastic box 600 x 400

 

The 600 x 400 plastic box is a recurring logistics unit in home delivery. Also called crocodile crates, these plastic crates exist in several heights, the most common of which are the heights H310 and H365.Some logisticians wish to keep this logistic unit to move from one mode of transport to another until the final delivery point to save time and facilitate logistics.

In the case of temperature controlled delivery, a tip is to add an insulating cotton insert to the inside of the crocodile case. In this sense, COLD & CO has developed a flexible insert, the CottonInsert, which fits into these logistics handling crates without risk of breakage. The CottonInsert consists of 2 elements that fit into the crocodile box.

Fleximodal’s Runner trailer can accommodate up to 4 crocodile crates on the floor.
The tray of the Douze Cycles bicycle can hold 2 crocodile crates on the ground.
The Bicylift trailer with the Fleximodal Bin Rack can accommodate up to 16 H310 crocodile cases.

4. Solid and Professional Insulated boxes: Distrifresh

 

If you opt for containers dedicated only to the delivery of fresh products, the Distrifresh insulated box from COLD & CO will adapt just as well as the crocodile boxes on your cargo bikes and bicycle trailers.

 

5. Thermal bags to the transport of fresh or frozen products

 

Ideal for the delivery of fresh and frozen in small volumes, the OneDay Fresh and OneDay Freeze bag from COLD & CO is a cooler bag.

Its technology ? It presents inside its walls a thin layer of gel distributed on both sides. Previously frozen, the OneDay bag gives off its cold battery and thus ensures an autonomous cold for your bike deliveries. The OneDay Fresh version keeps fresh products between 0°C and 4°C when the OneDay Freeze keeps frozen products below -16°C.

In addition to a delivery of dry products, the OneDay Fresh or Freeze bag fits easily into your cargo bicycle and offers a chain of cold in complete autonomy and mobility, ideal for an eco friendly delivery by bike.

6. Insulated Covers

 

If your entire pallet of fresh products must not suffer any loss of load or temperature variations, the solution is to cover it with an insulated coverOur insulated covers are robust and washable and perfectly adapted to the logistic conditions of high handling. The height can be easily adjusted thanks to a scratch system to adapt it to the size of your cargobike Truck.

 

7. And to have a complete cold chain…

 

… Maintain your temperatures with refrigerants
… Control your cold chain with temperature indicators and recorders

🚲 Cyclologistic & cold chain: the Coopérative Bio d’Île-de-France relies on Narvélos equipped with Carrytemp refrigerated isothermal boxes from COLD & CO

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🚲 Cyclologistic & cold chain: the Coopérative Bio d’Île-de-France relies on Narvélos equipped with Carrytemp refrigerated isothermal boxes from COLD & CO Lire la suite »

Fresh express delivery without refrigerated trucks: reinventing last-mile logistics

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Delhaize and home delivery of frozen foods

DELHAIZE tells the story of our cooler bag Our client ? Delhaize is the benchmark for Belgian supermarkets. The store chain places great importance on maintaining the temperature of its ambient, fresh and frozen products throughout the supply chain, from order preparation to the customer’s home. His needs ? An isothermal container that integrates with

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Between performance and environment: How to face the new challenges of e-commerce?  

In 2023, e-commerce has become an essential part of many consumers’ daily lives. Unfortunately, they are often poorly informed about the impact of online orders and, by extension, the impact of logistics. During SITL 2023, Marc Cottignies, expert engineer at ADEME, Sandrine Neveu, deputy CSR director of the Mail and Parcels Service Branch at La

Between performance and environment: How to face the new challenges of e-commerce?   Lire la suite »

La Poste decarbonizes its urban logistics 

During the SITL 2023 (International Transport and Logistics Week), La Poste, through the voice of its director of urban logistics (La Poste Courrier et Colis) Jean-Louis Carrasco, explained its plan to completely decarbonize its urban logistics by 2050. La Poste, which is the national postal service of France, is indeed seeking to reduce its carbon

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Covid: the invention of a start-up in Montpellier to respect the cold chain in vaccine transportation

Transport of the vaccine against COVID-19  France 3 Occitanie presents the association of a pharmaceutical isothermal bag with a traceability of temperature maintenance: A temperature recorder from KOOVEA combined with MedicalCase medical coolers from COLD & CO. Millions of doses of Covid vaccines are currently being shipped around the world. This is a challenge for transporters who

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Transport at controlled ambient temperature between +18°C and +25°C : a logistical challenge for medical devices

The thermal challenge +18°C to +25°C at the heart of medical logistics In the field of the transport of medical devices of in vitro diagnostics (IVD), some entities face a particular challenge: maintaining a strictly controlled temperature between 18°C and 25°C, regardless of the season. In both winter and summer, this requirement for thermal stability

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COLD AND CO showcases its products at the « Salon des Maires et des Collectivités Locales »

21/22/23 NOVEMBRE 2023 PORTE DE VERSAILLESPAVILLON 6 – H10 Come and meet us and discover our range of products dedicated to the transport and storage of your heat-sensitive products. Our solutions are particularly well-suited to the new uses of local authorities for transporting food products, as well as to the new urban challenges of energy

COLD AND CO showcases its products at the « Salon des Maires et des Collectivités Locales » Lire la suite »

La Petite Boucle & La Laiterie de Saint-Malo : the cyclologistic at the service of fresh and local

How to deliver ultra-fresh products in the heart of a tourist city like Saint-Malo, while respecting the cold chain and reducing the environmental impact ? This is the challenge brilliantly met by La Petite Boucle,cooperative specializing in cyclologistics, in partnership with the Laiterie de Saint-Malo. A logistics hub in the heart of the port Since

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