Cargo Bikes

We will be building on Carla Cargo's plans but beefing it up to raise payload capacity to 350 kg and extending the flatbed 55 cm. They have tested it with a 200 kg overrun brake so seems sensible to use them as a starting point but open to suggestions. This is for a local food waste collection project I'm doing through a nonprofit, for more context on payload capacity. We have an Urban Arrow L and Urban Arrow Shorty as starting bikes for this project but also open to suggestions. What kind of payload was yours and how did it the trailer behave? Any suggestions very welcome.

I’ve still got this Maxi-Cosi adapter and bench booster seat going spare - free if you can pick up at Ealing.

Both in good working condition and neither cheap if you buy new.

2 Attachments

The trailer was handling great with this load, just need to get stronger wheels, ive made 2 extra dropouts to test how it would hadle with 5 wheels just incase, but ideally looking for some tougher wheels, like from a rickshaw.

1 Attachment

Anybody hacked a motorcycle steering damper on a long-john?
Finished the full rebuild / overhaul on the stainless steel bargain-cargo, but has awful front wheel wobble above ~20km/h

1 Attachment

👍

Can you not just use a cane creek viscoset?

Not a hack but when I used to ride Bullitts a couple of them had the Larry Vs Harry version. Made a massive difference!

That's a decent looking rig... where are you based?

Possible, anyone who we build their (bought somewhere else) cargo for, we strip the lowers of the fork and ram them full of Circlon fork grease. Its not as fancy as SRAM butter, super fork seal stuff (green), but the basic forks with a chrome stanchion aren't exactly low friction in the first place. Keeps the moisture away from the sliding bits as long as poss and seems to keep them working longer IME.

They never really needed a damper, every time i've ever seen someone elses bullitt and they've said they have 'speed wobble' or it rides nervously has been because either
1) assembled wrong from new and no one ever fixed it
2) Loose or wear in one of the headsets, wear in the ball joint, bent forks and/or combo of 1).

Same for many other long john style bikes with rod steering, usually worn, loose or setup wrong. THOUGH they can have speed wobble due to load and frame flex, but its almost never this, usually the above.

Closing the shop for now, will be back in UK in a few years.

It could easily have been either of those! The boss fixed the bikes himself and clearly had no idea what he was doing.

Yeah well, would be an easier install for sure. Price is steep tho for essentially only an upper part of a headset. Any chance You have personal experience with it?

I just moved to Bristol, but often in London. The rig got seized in France, apparently you cannot have sound equipment in some regions :/

Received the "original" Spinner suspension forks. Do all suspension forks come with this sort of label on? It was a bit dissapointing as similar label is on the £65 forks I bought a month ago. Maybe they're a weak as each other?

2 Attachments

Pretty sure that's just a liability thing?

Recommended rain cover for cargo bike?

Just get a big motorcycle one.

If it's a trike it might be worth looking at quad bike/ATV covers as well

I really rate the bike parka one I've had for a year and a half on my bullitt. Super light, easy to put on/off, zero issues, no hint of rust at all and it's been in my front garden the whole time.

👍👍

Yeah was looking at these but they’re sold out or due for delivery end of August. I picked up an XL Oxford motorbike one for now but might look into these as they look better quality

good deal

It is.
Highlights how much dealer margin is in R+M products though if you can knock that much off for a demo unit with less than 20 clean miles on it.

#wishes I was an R+M dealer, maybe I'd own a yacht or a time share in morzine by now!

Yeah - I managed to squeeze 15% off price of mine but 25% off retail is a good deal!