I love overhearing people astonished at the amount of bicycles in Oxford when they visit. I Googled to see if anyone could quantify them but to no avail, so taking a guess based on, say, 18 per cent of the Oxford population, which currently stands at around 150,000, there must be some 27,000 bicycles out there.

Within that number there seems to be a growing popularity for a less than ordinary bicycle – mainly I see some wacky bikes when somebody has to carry an unusual load. This is happening more than ever in Oxford as congestion on the roads continues to put people off driving.

It seems to me we may be on the brink of a resurgence in what we call the cargo bike – just as the postman gives it up for good, the community around him picks it up.

It’s great to see more and more people utilising pedal power over the engine. Perhaps it’s a sign of the times, perhaps its ecological reasons – whatever it is, it’s fun and great to see. I can’t help but stop and stare when I see a cargo bike go by.

With a bit of imagination it’s easier than ever to carry more than just yourself on a bicycle. Some do it for work, some for the school run and for some it’s the daily commute with a little more baggage than the rest of us. I have found myself lusting after these cycles in the recent months – so much so I am thinking of joining the growing ranks, but there are so many to choose from.

Family trikes are a common sight in North Oxford. Many families have more than one child to transport to school and the tricycle is a good if not slightly slower way to do this. Work trikes are also becoming more of a common sight – Bebe’s bacon baps at the station offers commuters a hot locally sourced breakfast on the run and the same business owner Alan Joyce can also be found offering local ice cream from a work trike on the entrance to Port Meadow.

It’s not as easy as it looks riding a tricycle – you have to steer hard to avoid the camber of the road and must also forget you have balance as it’s really not needed.

Over the years in Oxford I have seen various ways of transporting by bike. I have seen girlfriends manoeuvred around on butchers bikes or the sturdy racks of Dutch bikes (including myself), babies carried in trailers, front or rear seats or both!

Children towed with a tag-a-long or on tandems, dogs in baskets, trailers, even custom-built bikes. Plumbers and decorators with trailers, vegetable sellers with recumbents, Christmas trees delivered by trike, pedicabs taxiing passengers and, one of my personal favourites, a set of sofas delivered to my front door by my knackered partner using our oversized trailer.

As the family continues to grow and baggage seems to increase, I’m joining the ranks of the cargo-hauling cyclists of Oxford. Personally I prefer two wheels and will myself be looking to purchase a Gazelle Cabby. My partner already says I like to carry the kitchen sink around with me – well, with my soon-to-come cargo bike, I think I will.