The nature of Robbrecht’s work as a photographer and filmmaker demands a high degree of flexibility. “After years of car sharing, I recently started leasing a fully electric car because my mobility needs – both privately and professionally – were no longer in line with the possibilities of on-demand car sharing.” Car sharing, as Robbrecht got to know it, usually requires a certain degree of planning ahead and fits in better with a regular 9-to-5 job and a daily routine that is more predictable than that of a freelancer, being involved in multiple projects at the same time.

“Since Belgium does not have a dense public transport network, I need an electric car for out-of -city transport and to travel greater distances – for family visits, shoots at distant locations or for transporting large camera equipment.” But Robbrecht’s passion for cycling urged him to find an alternative for the days moving to and from Brussels.

As a cyclist, putting in the weekly hours on his road bike, Robbrecht never considered an e-bike as an option for his mobility needs. He used a regular bike to go shopping and to cover all his daily distances. But living in Forest takes its toll: Robbrecht always needs to climb about 100 metres in altitude to reach his house – many would call it “exercise”. On hot summer days, the climb demands some freshening-up and a change of clothes, before Robbrecht can hop on the bike again and dash down into the city for his next appointment.

“Honestly”, Robbrecht remarks, “today, I would have a hard time managing without the Load.” For him, the bike evolved into the perfect means of transportation within the city of Brussels, but also for medium-length journeys in nearby areas – every type of transport within a range of 20 kilometres, in his experience, can be best conquered with the Load: simply, because it is the fastest way to cover ground in urban traffic.