Ride On article: cargo bikes

[just4tehhalibut]

I had this pointed out to me, a rough review of cargo bikes available locally. http://rideons.wordpress.com/2012/07/05/ditch-the-car/

There's a few errors, such as that the Yuba is the only longbike sold with accessories to take children. Wasn't sure about what was said of boxtrikes:

"The box trikes are completely unlike conventional bikes. They are stable when stationary but when in motion and turning they feel like they will tip over at any speed greater than walking pace. They also feel unstable if the ground is not level. The steering is also surprisingly twitchy and this increases to something like speed wobbles when your speed picks up, such as enjoying a downhill. These are surely characteristics that a box trike owner will get used to but initially at least there’s little scope or motivation to go fast in a box trike."

There goes my dream of buying a boxtrike in Melbourne and riding it back over the Nullabor, loaded up with Haighs chocolate and other goodies that you can't buy over here.

And they missed covering the Xtracycle Freeradical bolt-on cargo extension that could be added to any bike, Terracycle's Cargomonster bolt-on for recumbents, the recumbent cargo bikes and trikes, even the crank forward Hammetruck. And the Surly Big Dummy, the king of longtails.

[il padrone]

There goes my dream of buying a boxtrike in Melbourne and riding it back over the Nullabor, loaded up with Haighs chocolate and other goodies that you can't buy over here.

The Dutch two wheel cargobikes are stable in use and cornering, flip down legs make them very stable when stopped. Go Bullitt!!!





Come over to Melbourne and buy one from Dutch Cargobike .

[find_bruce]

Thanks for posting the link - there were a few bikes I hadn't seen before - interesting to see a downward shift in both price and weight.

I have briefly ridden a box trike & that is entierly consistent with that brief experience. That + the 50 kg weight put me off.

I have been for a decent ride on the gazelle cabby and it was a hoot.

There seem to be quite a few more aluminium bikes since the Bullitt broke new ground - it will be interesting to see how they survive becuase a common feature of long bikes is frame flex and flex is not at all good for aluminium. Not so much will it crack, but how soon will it crack. The Bullitt design is intended to prevent flex by using 2 big box sections, but the other alu bikes don't seem to have changed the design at all.

[find_bruce]

The more I think about a cargo bike, the more I am not particularly enamoured with the current commercially available designs. A single or double chassis with a wooden box on top that adds nothing to the structural integrity is pretty much the same flimsy design principle used in cars and trucks up until the 50s - MG TF anyone ??

I am much more interested in the cargo area using a spaceframe for what, if done properly, will result in greater rigidity for less weight. There is a bloke in Portland, http://www.tomscargobikes.com , who appears to use this approach

A few good examples of the frame then the finished bike
Number 55


Number 52, the sleigh bike


Number 47


Of course for me to make one I would need to significantly improve my welding skills to make anything like a neat & safe job