Cargo Bikes

Thanks guys - encouraging answers!

How many kids do you have?
I’m still squeezing an 11 and 5 year old into a madjax box with a Bafang on a bullit.

Just the one, the 5-yo.
Might want to squeeze a friend in as well sometimes.

Should be fine then.

Def a squash and a squeeze with my two at their age, but apart from the occasional shout (from me to them to shut it) is fine.

Always liked these Onderwater tandems:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/144632415933

Edit - posted here instead of tandem thread by accident but still kinda relevant.. :)

Lol, same! (+Dog)

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Proof of squash

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First ride on the Bullitt today. Went down well, initially thought I might turn the seat around. But actually quite nice to chatting/signing having him facing me.

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Having some trouble trying to find a place that will service a second hand urban arrow xl. Any places in south east or just London broadly?

Yours?

What’s the issue with it? I have a friend who may be willing.

Otherwise tried Flying Dutchman bikes, Fully charged or London green cycles?

My boss bought one from auction and it’s been sat for a while, he reckons he’s tried a couple official distributor shops in the city that won’t service it because it wasn’t bought from them. I reckon he’ll need to go down the official route so I’ll look into some of those shops. Cheers man!

PedalMe might be able to help. They've done a couple of minor jobs on my works' UAs, not bought through them.

That kickstand weighs a ton but it is so damn practical.

so sick!

wow! saw this again and is soooo good!
could you take a picture of the way you get the box to play well with the omnium platform... thx!

That kickstand weighs a ton but it is so damn practical.

yeah, shame to ruin a weight-weenie build like this ;P

Maybe on warranty I can understand this, but paid bike work is bike work*. A lot of city shops are going to be too small for a cargo to even fit, let alone be abandoned for weeks until owner bothers to collect it again

*Maybe there is something on UA bikes that a dealer/not the original source of the bike, once they spot an issue, they cannot unspot it, and becomes warranty, therefore becomes a THEM problem. Have found many mftr's the last few years basically scraping dealers off their system for reimbursement for work done under warranty.

Edit- ignore me soz

Really enjoying the babboe now I’ve got a bit more used to the handling, we’ve done every nursery run since getting it in the bike and find it very satisfying to to be using the car for such a short journey, I don’t feel the need for the motor to be functional as the ride is only ~mins and there’s one hill that’s perfectly manageable for both me and my wife, but I have two issues.

1) gears - I’d like more of them, it’s I’m currently 7 speed and it’s lacking on both the top end and bottom end. I’ve been eying up a di2 mtb group set, would want/need a new rear wheel to accommodate the cassette(?) but also to get ride of a few kg of dead motor from the rear axle…

2) lighting, the bike has really nice mounting points for lights but the ones on there are pathetic, and if the bike is going to be used in winter won’t do the job of being seen or seeing… I don’t want to be changing batteries all the time and ideally I’d like something that just lights up when I set off… so thinking of switching one of the front wheels for a dynamo hubbed wheel, can one dynamo power two front lights?

can one dynamo power two front lights?

I think it’ll be fine, just make sure you get a 6v 3w dynamo- (not one for a small wheel, think they’re 3v, 1.5w or something).

Bullitt is short in the leg beginning around 5. Raising the seat will help. If you have just 1 kid then width is not a problem but length leg space maybe. I think for 1 kid that age seat on the rear with a cage around it (eg tern short haul, quick haul, gsd with a clubhouse) will give you from now untill they refuse to get on.

Thanks. Good info on Bullitt.

The long tails seem very practical but I like the idea of being able to take at least one of her friends which is why the box bikes appeal. I know you can put two on a GSD but it feels a bit less impulsive somehow.

Modern decent dyno lights (supernova, son, lupine etc) running on 3w source are plenty enough. You can get higher wattage e bike battery powered lights too, but don't go wild, the higher tier ones are for proper offroad MTB use, enough to burn the feathers off an owl no bother.

Nexus 7 is pretty slow feeling and not the most reliable. Have found most Euro cargo and hybrid bikes that come with a IGH are geared way too high for general UK use, with the gears in the 55-130" range, when really you want more like 25-30" up to maybe 85-90" max, never gonna use higher than that pushing kiddo's around. Try getting a much larger rear cog and/ or a small chainring, cheap and easy mod to see if it makes the bike more useful.

Nice! 26" in the rear and gum version? Want to fit that in my new Bullitt.

Long johns suit younger kids 0.5 to 5 years x2. Long tails suit 6 - 10 year old x2.

I wouldn't put a 3 or 4 year old on a long tail without being in a seat with seatbelts, they either try and climb out, can't hold themselves in, or most commonly, fall asleep then slump over the rail or can fall out of the gap. When they are older/taller the long tails work well. Can't as easily get that nice washing machine you found on the side of the street home on a long tail though ;)