Cargo Bikes

Haha! I didn’t even need google to work out what it meant.

Why do you need to get the bike so high? I appreciate bike mechanics won’t want to be bending over working on bikes day-in day-out, but for the rare occasions I need to do anything on my cargo I just do one end at a time on the kick stand and sit on something low.

Sounds fun! Have you ridden a trike before? As mentioned, they ride very differently to a two wheeler so might be a good idea to do a quick, unladen test ride to get used to not leaning. The first time I rode a trike I kept crashing in to the curb going around corners until I got used to the difference.

I don’t need to get the bike so high, that’s just the height I can get it to with the use of the garage steps. I’m just working with what I have.

Results vary with this technique anyway - I’ve not exactly got a huge amount of ground clearance here:

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remove the battery! its like 5kg

I think the easiest way to service cargo bikes is to go to Amey's and bribe him.

Nice one. Thanks for the tip. Any idea how steering works on this particular model?

Haha yeah hopefully it will be fun. The hire company said they'd teach me the ropes first. It's near Regents Park, so thought I'd start with a lap of the park to get used to it, see some Giraffes and the mosque etc. After that it's basically a monopoly loop, but I might cut out Old Kent Road if I get fed up or we take too long.

This sounds like a great day out to be honest.
Trikes just like ride a box with wheels, not a bicycle, but sightseeing speed will be fine.

Derp! Excellent tip, thanks

I know right? It was one of the kids ideas, and I thought a cargo bike would be the best way and give us from freedom from buses, tube, or driving in. We've pretty much been everywhere on the board cos living in London innit, but this should be unique.

Only concern for me is that the hire starts from 11am so we will be hitting peak traffic on a Saturday, would've liked to start the journey nice and early.

You have enough time, so no need to be stressed? No idea how bad Saturday in London is though.
Don't you have summer holidays? Berlin is basically empty.

What about a ramp?

Yeah it's Summer Holidays and meant to be a sunny day, so that might make things busy.
Since it's a Saturday, hire is from 11am-5pm only - not including time spent in induction (another 30 mins?). I need to be back in East by around 16:30 though, with lunch in-between and all.

Was thinking of stopping for food at New/Old Kent Road, as one of my favourite Lebanese places is there, and wraps are easy for the kids to eat on the go. Then back to Whitechapel to hit Commercial St and up City Road to reach and tick off all the light blue tiles, and then return the bike.

I'm now thinking I need to account for toilet breaks and stacking the bike around kerbs and corners lol.

You're right, central parts of both our cities probably quite touristy.
But tourists mostly walk/public transport, no? Can't be as bad as normal Friday afternoon.
Think your time frame is fine. And you won't need 30 minutes to get the hang of the bike. They are more stable with weight, and the one you got with the handlebar all the way is cool. You can make (very slow) really small turns when you move your hands around, putting your hand on the „wrong" side of the bar. The babboes with normal handlebars suck, as you can't do that.

30 mins is how long the store said it would take - documents, child seat setup, quick demo and all that.

Interesting, I think I get what you're saying, but will have to give it a try. And yeah I'm going to have to try and balance the weight with the kids, I'm sure it'll be plenty heavy and stable on that front.

Maybe, I'm commuting through the city all kinds of times and days, and Saturday's aren't particularly wonderful. A lot of the board squares are in tourist hotspots too, naturally.

Hiring stuff always takes long, you're right.
It's possible to put your hand on the wrong side of the bar and pushing it away (at least was on the one I owned) and then the huge thing becomes very manoeuvrable.
This chat made me look at what available second hand...

Oh I get it now. Both hands on one side = more force applied and greater leverage, so increased moment/turning. I've probs got my terms all muddled up.

This will be an interesting experience, at the very least. As useful as cargo bikes are, most my kids are too old, and along with living further out the city, the feasibility of a cargo bike is diminishing too.

To get the bike up the steps, or for some other purpose?

For stunts?

Lol. I reckon I could pull a pretty sick 360 with a little practice.

Thinking about selling my load75 with 6.5k miles on clock. Vario hub, canopy, kids seats. Custom alu mudguards and front and rear shocks been upgraded. Tires and pads with less than 1000 miles in them

What's a reasonable amount to expect? £4k?

Anyone have the actual length of a Load 60? And turning radius? Trying to figure out if it will fit in our storage...

Looking good

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Looking less good

Fortunately it’s pretty easy to get these tyres off and the inner tube patched. Unfortunately the volume of air involved renders a mini pump next to useless. Had to get a track pump ferried to me by my partner.

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Maybe get a cheap one and stash it under the deck in the back?