Cargo Bikes

motor cycle cover

I really need to get one of these. Down the side of my house is completely exposed and the sun destroys everything as much as the rain and wind.

Big dredge, but I've just ordered one of these from Yuba for $999 and am also electrifying it. How has it been for you? Any regrets/changes you'd make? I ordered a kickstand, too, only to realize that it already comes with one, lol. Is your battery there because it doesn't fit anywhere else? What size chainring are you using?

As I start getting this beauty sorted I’m struck by its slightly funky handling. Maybe all cargo bikes have funky handling, but something jumps out at me: the (clearly home made) yoke for the steering at the front is 80mm from rotational centre to the rose joint, whereas under the handlebars that distance is 60mm. This gives you an uneven leverage- if you turn the bars loads, the wheel turns by not so much. Is this a standard cargo thing? It feels weird to me

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Think thats pretty common- see what others think too…

Kinda been mentioned by a few people but imo with almost anything related to handling cargo bikes ride it loads and if it still feels janky after a couple of weeks then maybe think about how to improve it.

I converted it for @playswellwithotters so you'll have to ask him, but I think he's loving it still.

Battery is there because it doesn't fit in-between the two downtubes.

The bullits have two mount points at the fork side allowing for you to choose a relaxed or aggressive steering profile.
Ive always had mine relaxed but used to have a dampener attached, decided to remove dampener recently and now I suffer from over steering the wheel to right when im parking up and the fork flipping around. I reckon having it further out is a benefit for that reason.

Ah yes, sorry, missed that it said 'a friends.' Thanks.

Hey JB. I'm loving the Yuba. It's not perfect, but it's bloody good.

Main complaint would be that there's a lack of good design in a couple of places, e.g. the pin lock for the front wheel is a brilliant idea but the execution is a bit faffy.

Also, their website and marketing material has fudged a photo of a set up with two child seats on the rear that cannot possibly work without massive heel overlap, so we had to cut a new hole in the 'Kombi deck' to fit it.

I paid for the deck and runner boards but probably don't need them. I've just ordered a second Urban Iki seat - hoping to squeeze two of those on the back with one of their 'ring' handle bars.

It's a 42 chainring.

Roger that. Glad to hear its working out.

I know the photo you mean. I won't be hauling any kids anywhere so that's no issue for me. Just some dogs in a dog crate. That seat is very cool, though.

Good to know about the lock. I have one of those ordered too.

Damper for sells?

I've just ordered a Tongsheng motor for my Yuba. Good to know someone else is converting at the same time - watch out for messages from me when I get stuck.

I'm going to be listing my onnium this week if anyone is interested. With the thule seat and omnium bracket.

All being well Il have the first iumentum in the UK. I'll likely have to pick it up from Brussels though

Cool! Unfortunately the Yuba is gonna take a few weeks to arrive - which I didn't realise when ordering. I could've price matched Yuba and got it from somewhere else faster... Oh well.

Bafang kit was ordered on Monday and is arriving today, though! I ordered it on AliExpress 'from China'. Turns out 'China' in this case is 12 miles away from where I live in a very industrial part of Los Angeles. Ha.

Be keen to see how you go. I want a hauler but won't pay for a tern or bullitt.

Was checking the Urban Arrow this morning, thought "that chain's getting a bit worn, should replace that soon" - cut to 4.30 this afternoon. Sat on the side of the road for a couple of hours waiting for an apprentice to come out with a new chain because he rode for 45 minutes in the wrong direction. Curse my thighs of steel.

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You don't carry a few links spare?... Amateur! 😂

(clearly home made) yoke

it's not, it's a production cargo bike with the mods by a good professional framebuilder
source - was my bike

I have to give Schwalbe a public apology as I was previously saying that their cargo specific tyres - the Pick Up - were making the front end of my Douze feel super heavy.

I had all 4 steering cables replaced by London Green Cycles and they were the issue - not the tyres.

Now my steering issues are rectified, the tyres feel great.

On that note, do you know what kind of replacement parts one would need should one have to do this by oneself?

Wow!

A few months ago bike shop replaced the chain on my UA. Two weeks later & the chain was dragging on the front plastic gearbox cover. I tried removing a chain link but then it was too short, so I've now fitted a chain tensioner which works just fine! Has anyone else on here had this issue?

It's the first time it's happened to me in 5+ years of riding cargo bikes! I'll be carrying spares from now on though.

few months ago bike shop replaced the chain

It’s v possible they didn’t shorten the chain enough when fitting. What style of dropout do you have? Rocker (new style) or forward facing horizontal? In either case the wheel has to be as far forward as possible when sizing the chain.

I found that the cheapest chains ‘stretch’ absolutely loads as well.

Vertical dropout - no forward adjustment at all. Could be the chain thry replaced (original one) was better quality than the new one. Anyway, I'll try & remember to check the chain wear regularly & replace it with my usual KMC Z100 or whatever it's called these days

Are you sure it's not a rocker dropout? You insert the wheel vertically in to the rocker dropouts on our UAs.

There is adjustment available for chain tensioning with the vertical drop.

Before sizing a new chain- you need to loosen (don’t remove!) these three screws, and wind out the grub screw (which I’ve pointed to but you can’t see. Repeat this on the other side too. Give the wheel a sharp kick and the whole thing should rock forward, pivoting on that top screw. When it’s as far forward as possible then you size the chain. tension by winding the grub screws back in evenly checking the wheel is staying centre.

Make sure these 6 screws are nice and tight before setting off because it will f you up if they’re not!

Lots of shops / people who aren’t familiar with these bikes don’t reset the wheel position when sizing the chain, so there literally isn’t enough adjustment to get good tension.

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