cargo bikes
cargo bikes
we are in the market for a cargo bike to so that my wife can transport her massage couch around and also we can take our 10 month old around. We have looked at many and have, frankly, just become more confused. Does anyone have experience or recommendations? we are leaning towards a 3-wheeler (Nihola or similar) but I still fancy one of those long Bakfiets.....
Re: cargo bikes
Forget the Nihola, the Christiania is much better.
More stable, bigger box and bigger payload. The rider's position is arguably better across the range too, the Nihola feels short and with a steep seat-tube.
I am always looking for a 2nd hand Christiania, I don't have a car so it would make my life a bit easier
Or the 8-Freight is great for long distances. Not great in traffic because of the length, but it rides very well and has a low center of gravity
More stable, bigger box and bigger payload. The rider's position is arguably better across the range too, the Nihola feels short and with a steep seat-tube.
I am always looking for a 2nd hand Christiania, I don't have a car so it would make my life a bit easier
Or the 8-Freight is great for long distances. Not great in traffic because of the length, but it rides very well and has a low center of gravity
It is by riding a bicycle that you learn the contours of a country best,
since you have to sweat up the hills and coast down them.
Thus you remember them as they actually are...
since you have to sweat up the hills and coast down them.
Thus you remember them as they actually are...
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Elizabethsdad
- Posts: 1158
- Joined: 15 Jan 2011, 7:09pm
Re: cargo bikes
I have a Bafiets long john and like it very much. Ride is pretty much like a normal bike. I have riden a cargo trike as well and they do have benefits as regards slow speed stability and carrying bigger loads but their handling does take getting used to. Get in touch with Rob at http://www.reallyusefulbikes.co.uk/ and fix up some test rides. If you are in Southampton at all we could fix up something if you wanted to try mine.
Re: cargo bikes
all cargo trikes have, uh, 'unexpected handling traits' of one kind or another, which I for one would find it hard to live with. I particularly find it hard to ride on a very cambered road; this involves fighting the camber and sitting with a curved/unevenly loaded spine. Horrible.
So I'd chose a two wheeler over a three wheeler, if you think it will do the job OK.
It is also worth thinking about a trailer; for some uses it makes a lot of sense as it means one less bike to maintain if you can tow using an extant machine.
Whatever type of machine you go for, I'd suggest that you take it for a thorough test-ride first.
cheers
So I'd chose a two wheeler over a three wheeler, if you think it will do the job OK.
It is also worth thinking about a trailer; for some uses it makes a lot of sense as it means one less bike to maintain if you can tow using an extant machine.
Whatever type of machine you go for, I'd suggest that you take it for a thorough test-ride first.
cheers
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Brucey~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Brucey~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Re: cargo bikes
+1 for 8freight. Not overly wide in traffic (widest part is handlebars or your load), light weight, steering a tad twitchy. Used them for work for 10 years or so. Go for the Taiwanese (or otherwise eastern) built model (better frames).
If you want a test ride, the retailers are :- http://8freight.com/test-ride.
When I got mine, only Bike Fix had them, so I picked it up and rode it home to Oxford without issue.
It also has a good stand (almost vital!). See http://8freight.com/
Agree with Brucey about 3 wheelers, you can ride them aged 4, but as an adult very hard to control indeed!
If you want a test ride, the retailers are :- http://8freight.com/test-ride.
When I got mine, only Bike Fix had them, so I picked it up and rode it home to Oxford without issue.
It also has a good stand (almost vital!). See http://8freight.com/
Agree with Brucey about 3 wheelers, you can ride them aged 4, but as an adult very hard to control indeed!
Re: cargo bikes
Well, the advantage of 3-wheelers is that no matter what you are carrying, you stop and not holding the weight. Yes, you can litterally have a washing machine in the box of a Christiania and when stopping you are not holding any weight 
The 8-Freight has a pneumatic kickstand that can come down when you stop, right for this problem.
As far as cornering, I always found it amusing on a 3-wheeler with twin fronts. Also, worth pointing out that Christiania has the pivot forward from the front axle line, and is slant so the box does not move on a horizontal plane while steering, this helps a lot in making it more manuvreable. I had used them for over two years day in-day out as a courier, they are amazing vehicles and very well built.
They are also modular, as in the same frame you can have open or close box, long or short or with a door or lockable box, or one or two kids seats, there's lotsa options.
All of them, are not toys and you can keep them forever, or until you really don't need them anymore. So I too would advise to test-ride as many as you can, they all have pro's and con's for a given rider.
The 8-Freight has a pneumatic kickstand that can come down when you stop, right for this problem.
As far as cornering, I always found it amusing on a 3-wheeler with twin fronts. Also, worth pointing out that Christiania has the pivot forward from the front axle line, and is slant so the box does not move on a horizontal plane while steering, this helps a lot in making it more manuvreable. I had used them for over two years day in-day out as a courier, they are amazing vehicles and very well built.
They are also modular, as in the same frame you can have open or close box, long or short or with a door or lockable box, or one or two kids seats, there's lotsa options.
All of them, are not toys and you can keep them forever, or until you really don't need them anymore. So I too would advise to test-ride as many as you can, they all have pro's and con's for a given rider.
It is by riding a bicycle that you learn the contours of a country best,
since you have to sweat up the hills and coast down them.
Thus you remember them as they actually are...
since you have to sweat up the hills and coast down them.
Thus you remember them as they actually are...
-
johnnyinnes
- Posts: 1
- Joined: 8 Aug 2018, 1:33pm
Re: cargo bikes
I was also looking at solving the same issue.
How did you get on in the end? Which bike did you purchase and what massage table do you have?
My son is 3 and weighs about 15kg and my massage couch is about 10kg.
I really like the look of the Bullitt bikes but I'm a little concerned about fitting the couch in properly.
Would be great to hear your feedback.
How did you get on in the end? Which bike did you purchase and what massage table do you have?
My son is 3 and weighs about 15kg and my massage couch is about 10kg.
I really like the look of the Bullitt bikes but I'm a little concerned about fitting the couch in properly.
Would be great to hear your feedback.
Re: cargo bikes
So we ended up with a Nihola as we found one second hand but hardly used. It is VERY upright and I am not entirely sure I will ever get on with it, but the 10km round trip to the kindergarten is always fun. And bloody noisy. Monkey (now 2) loves it. We bought a trailer as well, but I have Ritchey drop outs on my mtb/commuter so can't fit the the towing eye to that. Currently using the trailer with either, my wife's city bike (KTM Cita with a LONG seat post or a road bike. My wife has a Tao couch, if that means anything to anyone. It's been so hot lately that she has been taxi-ing around town.
I'm a trendy consumer. Just look at my SM-G900F using hovercraft full of eels.
with a LONG seat post or a road bike. My wife has a Tao couch, if that means anything to anyone. It's been so hot lately that she has been taxi-ing around town. I'm a trendy consumer. Just look at my SM-G900F using hovercraft full of eels.
Re: cargo bikes
If you are anywhere near Oxford, Warlands on the Botley Road (not far from railway station*) stock quite a selection of cargo bikes including Bullet, 8freight, some others whose name escapes me.
https://www.warlands-cycles.co.uk/catalogue/cargo-bikes
(* not that you'd get your cargo bike purchase back hone on the train!)
Cheers.
https://www.warlands-cycles.co.uk/catalogue/cargo-bikes
(* not that you'd get your cargo bike purchase back hone on the train!)
Cheers.
Re: cargo bikes
I've ridden niholas a few times and I felt the same way; I'm not sure I'd ever get on with one.
FWIW if you give one a lot of treatment, it isn't at all unusual to find that the welds that join the various parts of the machine to the headstock crack. I have repaired several machines that have broken in this way. The other thing that often happens is that the tension is lost in the front wheel spokes; if ridden with the spokes not 100% tight, the spokes wear into the hub flanges and the rim, getting looser and looser all the time. A couple of things to keep an eye on, anyway. Probably you won't need to worry about these things for a while yet.
cheers
FWIW if you give one a lot of treatment, it isn't at all unusual to find that the welds that join the various parts of the machine to the headstock crack. I have repaired several machines that have broken in this way. The other thing that often happens is that the tension is lost in the front wheel spokes; if ridden with the spokes not 100% tight, the spokes wear into the hub flanges and the rim, getting looser and looser all the time. A couple of things to keep an eye on, anyway. Probably you won't need to worry about these things for a while yet.
cheers
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Brucey~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Brucey~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~