Cargo Bikes

gridds,

We have the Douze F1 as on their website. Spec is step-through rear frame, medium front end, Alfine 8 and full canopy for our little man. Chose this over Bakfiets Short and Bullitt. Bought from LGC who were super-helpful and we managed to test all 3 around where we live (they may have stopped offering this though). Needed a bike that both me and my wife will happily ride and is used to drop our boy off at child care and then if I'm riding I head straight into work on it (6-7 miles total each way).

I wanted the Bullitt, but my wife hated riding it and was never comfortable on it, she loved the Bakfiets until she rode the Douze that won her over. For transporting the nipper it's perfect and handle like a dream. It is SO easy to ride. The cable steering enables tight manoeuvres (for a cargo bike!) through traffic and going around switchback turns on underpasses without any foot-down action. The tight turning circle is also useful for manoeuvring through doorways and parking up in a tight space too.

It's not as sporty/stretched as the Bullitt, but in the right gear with decent legs you can still fly along on this beast with a BIG grin on your face. I must say the Alfine 8 gears annoy the hell out of me as you need to lift a bit of pedal pressure off to change so you just can't stomp your way through the gear changes... :)

We're in Ealing, West London if you wanted a look/ride...

Ta!
Tim

@thebrenthamtaffy Thank you so much - that's really useful!

Sounds exactly like what I'm after.

Hopefully soon I'll be in a position to have a look and try for myself/ourselves and make a decision on a purchase.

I must say the Alfine 8 gears annoy the hell out of me as you need to lift a bit of pedal pressure off to change so you just can't stomp your way through the gear changes...

you should be not pedaling at all when you change gear on a hub gear

On a Rohloff it's one of the key features no?

I own/owned alfine 8, 11 and rohloff - and you just get used to easing off pedal pressure during changes

I have to say that my NuVinci N380 has been working flawlessly.

380 degree shifting range - with no notches - Continuously Variable Planetary (CVP) transmission!

Loaded / pedalling - the gears just change without any hiccups / noise.

Would recommend!

Errr, the upside being that when you slam on the brakes due to unforseen circumstances you drop 8 gears without having to pedal a single stroke then spin the fuck out from a standing start. V useful if you're carrying 50kg, for example

You talking about the NuVinci?

Definitely not!

gridds, there is a downside and that is cost. The Douze worked out to be the most expensive out of all the options we looked at. If money isn't an issue then you could also consider a power-assist model which would really help with pulling away at lights and give more confidence pulling out at junctions etc. Bosch & Shimano do great systems, but expect another £1,000 vs. standard! Good luck with it all!

Ta!
Tim

You can pedal, you just need to ease off a bit.

i should probably admit i fucking hate hub gears. I've ridden 4 alfine 8spds and they've all be shit

https://www.fastcodesign.com/3067218/wanted/you-can-now-buy-a-cargo-bike-at-ikea

What are my options if I want a Omnium-like cargo frame that can accompany thru-axles?
Custom frame build?

(emailed Omnium and it was not on the roadmap anytime soon)

Anyone ride or test ridden a cyclesmaximus vantrike? This looks like the kinda size I'm looking for but can't find anyone talking about how it handles on the interwebz

Looks like a modernised version of the 'cargotrike' which is the same chassis as the 'mediatrike' which I've ridden, briefly.

It'd be hard to be positive about the experience but then again, I have no need for a 3 wheeled bike that weighs as much as the moon and can carry either a massive billboard or a shit ton of stuff. If I did, I might feel differently.

Say I wanted to carry a slab of beer to Benelux, what is my go to cargo touring bike?

Pretty sure Bullit's your best bet.

Edit: But this guy rode his Omnium from Copenhagen to Barcelona

Is there much of a second-hand market for these things?

Ultra-cargo-racing? Would watch

I already carry enough shit with bikepacking. Cargo bike racing where you have to drink the slab you're carrying, now that would be fun.

Could try renting from London Green cycles

Crate of beer loaded at the start line, it must be empty by the finish, you're not allowed to pour any away.

That's exactly what I had in mind. On a track :)

I'm not sure. Most people around here seem to hang on to theirs here in Denmark.