I’m lucky to live in a city where it’s realistic for many to commute and run most errands by bike. I’ve even helped friends move house entirely on bikes. Yet I’d spent nearly no time on a bike purpose-built for the city—strange considering how much time I’ve spent riding, dissecting, and pontificating about touring bikes. My current commuter, a gravel bike with a large front rack, is serviceable, but it’s a bit like driving a two-door sports car to the supermarket.

While I have no need for a full-size cargo bike (or the space to fit one in my flat), mini cargo bikes such as Le Petit Porteur had caught my eye around town over the last few years, piquing my curiosity. Plainly, Le Petit Porteur is not designed for the main topic of this website, and the brand understandably did not want me to test it in this capacity. To their credit, they still provided one for a generous testing period. So, let me tell you about my experiences with Le Petit Porteur, the mini cargo bike that could—including the time I took it bikepacking.

About Le Petit Porteur

The Paris-based brand offers three variations of their distinctive mini-cargo bike: the OG, now in its six iteration; the even more compact Shorty, suitable for people from 155 centimeters; and the Longtail for carrying two kids on the back. All are designed to carry up to 30 kilograms on the front rack and a whopping 80 kilograms on the integrated rear rack. They can be fitted with mid-drive motors, too. This review deals with the OG V6 equipped with the 9-speed Microshift Advent drivetrain. According to the brand, the OG fits people between 170 centimeters (5’7″) and 190 centimeters (6’3″) tall, though I’ll qualify that later.

Their web configurator lets you choose the frame color, rack setup, cockpit, contact points, and accessories to dial in the bike just right for your needs. I chose the standard 40 x 40-centimeter rack, the “sporty” cockpit option for a more forward position, and the dual kickstand. Fenders are included. One option missing in the configurator, and which I specifically requested for the test bike, was a dynamo lighting setup. To me, this is non-negotiable for an everyday bicycle.

This configuration (minus the dynamo setup) currently comes out to a reasonable €1,348 ($1,564). A bare OG frameset costs €690 ($800). At a time when most cargo bikes on the market start well north of €2,000, Le Petit Porteur’s affordable price, coupled with its cargo capability, is no doubt a key selling point for many.

Accordingly, the frames are made in China to a basic but functional spec. Close inspection reveals some rougher welds and paint faults in some areas, but these appear to be optical concerns. At a normal distance, the paint looks great, and the bike receives regular compliments on the street. It’s not very durable, though, which isn’t ideal for a utility bike.

More importantly, the brand says the existing frames will soon be certified to meet the relatively new DIN 79010 standard, which specifies testing methods and safety requirements for cargo bikes with a system weight up to 250 kilograms. The frames are ED-coated for rust protection.

The single frame size won’t fit everyone, and it has a few quirks, such as the rear rack stays conflicting with bulkier brake calipers. The components aren’t anything special yet serve the intended purpose well enough. These trade-offs are inherent to a low-cost offering and not significant marks against the bike—Le Petit Porteur packs incredible value.

Le Petit Porteur OG V6 Build Kit

My first impression was that, despite its diminutive name and mini wheels, Le Petit Porteur is a stout little tank. My build weighed around 19 kilograms, not an insignificant weight to accelerate and lift. Find the full build kit below:

• Frame/Fork: Le Petit Porteur OG V6
• Racks: 40 x 40 cm standard front rack, 50 x 15 cm integrated rear rack
• Rims: 20″ Mach1 Trucky 30 30-406
• Hubs: Shimano DH-3D37 QR dynamo (front)
• Tires: Schwalbe Pick Up 20″ x 2.15
• Handlebars: Ergotec 720mm/9° low riser bar
• Headset: FSA Orbit Equipe
• Crankset: Le Petit Porteur square-taper 165mm crankset with 46t chainring
• Bottom bracket: 68mm threaded, Shimano BB-UN300
• Pedals: DMR polymer flats
• Cassette: Microshift Advent 9-speed 11-42
• Chain: KMC X9 EPT
• Derailleur(s): Microshift Advent 1 x 9
• Brakes: Tektro M280
• Shifter(s): Microshift Advent Quick Trigger Shifter 1 x 9
• Seatpost: Ergotec 31.6mm
• Stem: Ergotec A-Head 90mm
• Frame bags: Dyed in the Wool
• Other accessories: Dual kickstand

The brand will ship anywhere in Europe (and probably internationally if you ask), though your first point of contact should probably be a dealer if you’re near one. Ace Cycles in Berlin-Kreuzberg facilitated this review for me (thanks, Claas!). Ace also carries a nice selection of steel frames worth checking out.

Le Petit Porteur in its Element

Taking Le Petit Porteur to the supermarket for the first time was a revelation. Loading up the bike with a full week’s worth of groceries up front and a six-pack of water on the back was a breeze thanks to the stable kickstand. Riding it home without frame flex or needing to muscle the steering was a joy. The low top tubes serve as carrying handles for lugging the bike up stairs, and the fixed rack means the load doesn’t flop around while doing so.

Even a large grocery run is hardly a challenge for Le Petit Porteur. It was perfect for my birthday picnic, when I transported over 50 kilograms of drinks, ice cubes, and food to the park with no issue. The bike seemed to chant, “I can do it, I can do it, I can do it!” as it chug-chug-chugged along. One thing to note is the pretty bad shimmy in the steering I encountered, requiring both hands on the bars when loaded up.

The 20” wheels have some interesting properties beyond their obvious benefits for the cargo-carrying role. They accelerate and turn quickly, making for agile handling. I had a lot of fun carving through the city at Critical Mass, Pizza Gravel, and generally while out and about. However, it always felt a little slow, and the long rear end seemed at odds with the quick steering. Berlin’s cycling infrastructure is lacking compared to other European cities—cycling here means a lot of bouncing over cobblestones and hopping curbs, which is particularly uncomfortable on small wheels.

Due to the wheels’ smaller circumference, they spin faster at a given speed, resulting in smoother shifting with a derailleur drivetrain. This lessens the limitation of the Advent trigger shifter to single shifts—1×9 is fine.

I don’t have the kids or dogs Le Petit Porteur is intended to carry, but hauling adult friends on the rear took us right back to childhood, lending merit to the tagline “the most fun utility bike on the market.” The hole pattern in the rear rack allows for mounting proper seats—highly recommended for occasional passengers.

The large 40 x 40 front rack is a challenge to fill out. My large Pelago Rack Bag looked lost in it. Unfortunately, I couldn’t test the Dyed in the Wool Picnic Bag made for the standard rack. In the end, I borrowed a friend’s XXL canvas tote bag, secured with a cargo strap. A basic 40 x 40-centimer roll-top bag would be a great first-party accessory.

A lack of secure parking is a real barrier for owners of regular-sized cargo bikes. With an overall length of around 168 centimeters with the 40 x 40 Rack, the OG V6 is a bit shorter than a regular bike. Propped up on the dual kickstand, the bars can be rotated 90 degrees for easier storage, which is fantastic for small apartments.

During my review period, I commuted 25-30 kilometers round-trip several times a week. For these longer distances, I found myself opting for my gravel bike instead, as it feels faster and more efficient to pedal. Despite choosing the “sporty” cockpit option, I found the position fairly upright as a 178-centimeter rider with longer torso and arms, which probably contributed to the subjectively sedate ride. Folks on the higher end of the manufacturer’s stated height range (170-190 centimeters) should expect a short fit.

Since heavy or bulky loads aren’t an everyday occurrence for me, Le Petit Porteur was ultimately overpowered for my light everyday duty. If a gravel bike is a sports car, Le Petit Porteur is a forklift—great for hauling heavy, dense cargo over short distances. I can’t justify it, but if you’re looking for a full-value cargo bike with a small footprint for shorter hops around the city, Le Petit Porteur is a high-performing, affordable choice.

Le Petit Porteur’s Grand Adventure

Though Le Petit Porteur is clearly not designed for bikepacking, I squeezed it into this role regardless to see how it would do. Sometimes you’ve got to push the limit to see where it lies.

A cozy fall camp-out to a bivouac site with a firepit made use of its prodigious cargo capacity and took us off the slick urban asphalt. My usual camping kit disappeared into a medium-sized Ortlieb pannier and a dry bag strapped to the front rack. This left the other pannier and the racks available for a foam mat, a large bag of firewood, a box of wine, beers, and ingredients for Thai curry for four and a luxurious breakfast.

Le Petit Porteur performed admirably on gravel and dirt roads, keeping up as long as the surfaces weren’t too rough. I can do it, I can do it, I can do it. The bike forded deep sand surprisingly well, presumably due to the higher momentum from the added weight and relatively wide 2.15” Schwalbe Pick-Up tires. The low ground clearance was an annoyance. Catching up after I’d stopped to take some photos had me sweating—I wanted a longer stem or inner bar-ends to get into a more powerful position for extended periods.

While Le Petit Porteur wouldn’t be my first or second choice for bikepacking, I don’t think small-wheeled cargo bikes are unsuitable for bikepacking per se. Mini-velos fill a certain niche within off-road travel, and we’ve seen folks take cargo bikes across some of the roughest terrain on the planet.

Le Petit Porteur fares fine on unpaved roads as long as you aren’t trying to set an FKT or going far. It’s a great rig for bringing the goods to an afternoon at the lake or a mellow overnighter. But if you anticipate touring on your cargo bike beyond the occasional short outing, I’d consider more purposeful options such as the Monopole or an Omnium.

• Model/Size Tested: Le Petit Porteur OG V6
• Actual Weight: 19 kilograms (42 pounds)
• Place of Manufacture: China
• Price: €1,348 ($1,564)
• Manufacturer’s Details: Le Petit Porteur

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