Cargo Bikes

The blue one may have a less space with a normal fork, but then you have to keep cargo and wheel separate. Hm, what would work.... oh I know, a fender and something structural. Like a fork.
I don't get the argument with the brown frame at all, they already have the necessary room built in with the frame structure taking up the space where a fork would go. Weight wise I'll bet that the custom steering linkage + the frame at the front is more than just a fork.

Looks expensive.

It looks like the brown one has some sort of front suspension going on.

It gets the center of mass over the front wheel a lot lower (>15cm) for large cargo.

More photos here:
http://www.cargobikeforum.de/forum/index.php?threads/the-sub.173/page-2

I don't get your answer: are you referring to the load platform itself or?
And 15cm lower than which bike?

Artsy fartsy post.

...San Francisco design agency fuseproject teamed with SyCip Design, another SF local, to create a clean and modern looking trike that would not look out of place on the pages of Wallpaper* Magazine....

The lock thing is cute. ^

Want a cargo.

Yeah lock thing is good

Wonder how effective the front mudguards are.

lock looks super awkward and it will probably mean the bike gets kicked in for being in the way all the time. Just sayin'

Zero.

I know Donky were discussed years ago, but I just noticed that there are 2 for £250 each on ebay:

http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&id=152054169254&globalID=EBAY-GB&alt=web

At that price it's got to be worth it for the frame and rear wheel.

Not a cargo bike but a new trailer from a French company called FlexiModal.

From their site:
Designed around a frame making lever office, BicyLift allows the lifting and removal of the load to be transported without additional energy input that the weight of the operator. This principle subject to a patent (No. 1,561,087) can lift 180 kg with ease and reliability.

Characteristics

• lift capacity: 180 kg
  
• format supported: pallet / pallet box size 1.20 × 0.80 m
  
• unladen weight: 25 kg
  
• Overall Width: 1.15 m
  
• Chassis: steel and aluminum
  
• wheels: 20px2.15
  
  

More info and a video on the site.
http://fleximodal.fr/

An extra 180kg added to your normal bike brakes might be a bit hairy. Looks impressive though.

I like the idea that it just weighs 25kg (without the wooden pallet). Can be easily carried to and from a storage place.

Yeah, just because the trailer can withstand it doesn't mean that it's easily done in real life @tallsam. I don't think it would be a problem on a completely flat road though, without many starts and stops.

'only 25kgs' that seems high to me

re ?

^ want!

just got this cargo trike:

Riding it 15 minutes to get it closer to home (no actual space for it at home, hence the overzealous locking nearby) showed me just how different the handling is on a trike! Any ideas on how to improve this (handling specifically, but also the bike more generally) on the cheap? Or is it just a matter of getting used to it?

Drop the seat as far as it will go.

From the very few people i know who have ridden normal roadster or racing trikes.
Cornering at speed can be exciting, on the racey trikes they sort of hang off the side like in motorcycle sidecar units as you corner.
You have to adapt to the limits of the trike rather than expect to get a similar ride to a 2 wheeler.

On the plus side, you can't fall over (unless trying a high speed corner) very stable in ice and snow.
Changes could be costly for marignal gains, but tyres and brakes would be a good start.
The box is home made, that could be made lighter.
It's really a case of getting used to how a trike handles and living with it.
Does look a good working bike :)

The plan for replacing the box is actually to put a little kiddie seat for my 3.5 month-old (and possibly her friend) until the mrs agrees she is old enough for the baby seat on the back of a normal two-wheeler.

brakes definitely need attention - not sure if I can be bothered with new tyres, as they are an annoying 24" size, and the current ones don't seem terrible.

Goes without saying that seat will be replaced, and most likely the seatpost as well, as it should really go further into the seat tube than it is currently. Wish I could get the stem out further, but its already quite long, and some other bars would be nice, but as you say, marginal gains...

Just a heads up re: carrying a small baby. Any bumps that are enough to shake their head are not good - make sure they can sit unsupported, holding their head up, before you put them anywhere near a bike. My son was 8 months I think, and even then trips were short.

This is CTC advice, not some bullshit 'always wear a helmet' government advice.