5 October 2026 · Antonia Tunnicliffe

On the road in Bristol, with Priority Express

Jack and Dan ride for Priority Express in Bristol. Both came to the job through a love of working on bikes.

Jack has worked in cycle logistics for ten years. He started on electric bikes delivering food in the Netherlands, then moved back to the UK and joined Priority Express seven months ago.

Dan rides a push bike everywhere. "It's my main mode of transport, and I really enjoy everything to do with bikes" he said. "I thought if there's a way I can work on bikes for my job, that would be great. So that's what I do."

We spent a day with them to see what a parcel round in Bristol looks like on a Pedal 4.

One load, not two

The day starts at 9am. A pallet of parcels is already waiting, usually 30 to 50 stops. Dan loads all of them onto Pedal 4 in one go.

"One massive thing with this is I can load all my parcels in one go in the morning," he said. "The previous bikes could only take about half a load. That meant I had to come back and refill the bike halfway through the day with the other half."

One load means no trip back to the depot mid-round. The day is spent delivering, saving time and energy and allowing the fleet to operate more efficiently.

Mornings are spent delivering. Afternoons are usually customer collections. Jack's are in Brislington, a couple of miles out, where he visits the same businesses every day.

"I go to the same places every time, so I get to know the customers as well," Jack said. "I pick up the parcels, bring them back here, and then they're sorted and sent all around the world."

Hills, gaps and kerbs

Bristol is quite different to Jack's time in the Netherlands. His round runs through the centre of town and past the hospital, up St Michael's Hill.

"If anyone's from Bristol, (they'll know) this is very steep," he said. "It has no problems getting up and down it, even at basically maximum capacity."

The city centre is busy, but traffic doesn't hold the round up. "It can get through any gap I need it to," Jack said.

Parking is where time disappears on most urban rounds. Pedal 4 turns tight and stops where a car can't. "The steering circle is nice and tight, so we can get into spaces that are too small for cars," Dan said. "It means we can stop anywhere in the city."

Every stop, thought through

A street of businesses means dozens of short stops. Each one starts and ends with the vehicle.

"You don't want to be doing something complicated to start and stop the bike when you've got so many business on one street," Dan said. "With this you just tap to unlock and pedal away."

Loading is just as considered. Two doors make larger parcels easy to get in. A lip on the door keeps everything in place. "On the old bikes, letters would slide out," he said. "Now I can put flats right at the bottom and know they're not going anywhere."

The doors hold open in the wind. "The number of times on the previous bikes I got hit in the face by a door in the wind. It's not good!"

Out on the road, the suspension keeps the bike steady. "It's stiffer in a good way. It doesn't feel bumpy, but it doesn't lean too much when cornering."

Dan had trialled Pedal 4 on loan at the start of the year and it surprised him. "It feels more responsive, and the braking is nicer," he said. "I was already excited after the loan. This version is better still."

"It feels like every part of the job this bike has to do has been thoroughly thought through, and built to do what it needs to do."

Less time scanning, more time riding

Only having to load once changes more than the route. With half-loads, every parcel had to be scanned, then sorted into morning and afternoon batches before anything went on the bike. Now parcels go from scanner straight on board.

"Scanning parcels is my least favourite part of the day," Dan said. "Now I get through it about twice as quickly and spend more time riding and delivering, which is what I enjoy. It's made a massive difference to how much I enjoy the job."

Stopped in the street

Pedal 4 gets noticed. Jack is stopped about ten times a day.

"People either know absolutely nothing about electric bikes, or they know absolutely everything and can't wait to tell you," he said. The most common questions are whether you need a driving licence, and whether you can use cycle lanes. You don't, and you can. With no licence needed, delivery work opens up to more people across the city.

Built for the round

The riders who know cargo bikes best notice the details. A door that stays open. A lip that keeps letters in. Unlocking that takes one tap.

Pedal 4 runs parcel rounds with operators across the UK, from Royal Mail to Priority Express. In Bristol, that means climbing St Michael's Hill every morning with a full load.

The logic is the same on every round. A vehicle purpose-built for the job it serves.