Cargo Bikes

Looks like a good design to me. Yes it will be slow, but then how fast do you expect to power your cubic metter of goods. Haj on here (or at least was), has worked with cargo bikes and posted some good tips. I seem to remember mention of rear sterring being more stable. So the central sterring of the Pasley, probably functions well.

I find Pasley's to be overpriced

(here: http://www.lfgss.com/post592833-6.html)

Damn, now I'm yearning after a bellabike again.

Thanks Smallfurry, will have a look

My Pashley on the canal today doing some muddy business, kept going like a tank.
Seems I'm losing it soon though, someone's taken a shine to it and twisted my arm.

Hello, I am looking for a cargo/utility bike that is economic so I can lock outside and with plenty of cargo capacity for supermarket shooping etc. I have seen some cheap ladies bikes
in amazon for up to 200 pounds...
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Ladies-Shopper-Cruiser-Bicycle-Integrated/dp/B004LBIC0E/ref=pd_rhf_p_t_4

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Trad-Butcherbike-Speed-Carrier-Black/dp/B000WFDF9G/ref=pd_rhf_p_t_1

and in Decathlon for 100 pounds...
http://www.decathlon.co.uk/EN/elops-city-88609651/

Any other ideas?

https://www.lfgss.com/thread18853.html

When this is merged, you'll see a few of these recommended. Cheap and cheerful. But would do the job. Kona Africa.
https://shop.konaworld.com/eu/product_images/y/2k10_africabike3__19771.jpg

Kona Smoke. Rutland Cycles were selling them on ebay for £200. Maybe they still are?

Kona Smoke is an excellent choice, wouldn't recommend you to lock it outside though.

also this;

http://www.dutchie.co.uk/vintage-bicycles.html

Don't forget to either put them together properly, or get a decent mechanic to help you to ensure it'll last ( didn't put it together properly, and end up retightened part), I used to have a 1 speed dutch bike that I used everyday and locked outside, heavy but solid;

car hit me from behind, end up having a dented bonnet with broken radiator while I suffer little damage;

minus the light, it's sound.

Hey does anyone know what the Pashley cargo is like?

http://www.pashley.co.uk/products/custom-design.html

Basically another company is buying a sponsored delivery bike for The People's Supermarket. Now when I found out it was actually a Pashley they were getting I had a look and it just seems so impractical, slow and too difficult to balance loads especially for London streets...

Any thoughts of better recommendations that you can think of?

Thanks in advance!

I've no 1st hand experience of using custom cargo bikes but I thought it is worth mentioning that Pashley pretty much invented the cargo bike, and have developed, built and supported all sorts of weird creations over the years. They are THE people to go to for a cargo bike.

I'd talk to them about your concerns / questions etc because they'll probably have helpful answers and maybe designs that workout better for what the co op needs. They're can modify, paint and repair that bike long after it's delivered too. They're built in England. And they're nice people too.

thanks miro, i'm sure it'll be fine

I spend a lot of hours fixing Pashley Prontos.

They are rubbish.

Yes. We need more of these about the place.

^Too much logic for ol' blighty :-(

I spend a lot of hours fixing Pashley Prontos.

They are rubbish.

Is there a better alternative? I mean for real cargo, not panniers and a rack.

I spend a lot of hours fixing Pashley Prontos.

What goes wrong on them, out of interest?

I think of the current crop I'd go for a Workcycles FR8 or a Bullit - sadly it's all academic as I lack space for more bike and live up a fairly narrow stairwell.

That's also my recommendation.

Also Nhatt has made her point clear about the pronto (as well as I) in this very topic, think it's in the first page.

Edit - it's in the second page.

For real cargo, I wouldn't use a bleeding pashley, they can only take about as much as what a LHT that's kitted out can.

IMO, it's all about the Big Dummy, but the Bullit and Bakfeits are great options.
If I was ever to have the money I would buy a Christianna over anything else though. Great bikes.

So, in Brixton the parking people ride something called a Pashley Pronto.
They are extremely heavy, clunky, and ride like the front half of the bike would rather not know the second half. The mudguards that come with them snap off, and it is very difficult to replace them with anything else because they don't have threaded braze-ons. The front wheel is an odd size and makes it difficult to replace the front fork when it gets bent.
I've ridden and worked on Pashley's before, so I know it's not just down to this particular model, they all have similar problems, mostly of weight, weight distrobution (too much in the front end) and odd sized components.

They are, however, fairly inexpensive and nice to look at.

If you can't find it, here is my earlier review.
I had a bit of a chuckle at the "front of the bike would rather not know the back half" bit, nothing like laughing at your own geeky jokes.

Having been to Copenhagen and visit the Larry Vs Harry shop and rode their flagship bicycle - there's nothing better than that, stiff (v. v. important), fast, easy to ride and very convenience.

The Pashley are fine if your only experience were the Pashley itself and nothing else.

While working for Darwin Deli, I though the Pronto were fine, until I've tried the Bakfiet and Workcycles at the time is when I realise just how bad the Pashley were.

The best description I can think of is more akin to drinking decaf in your whole life until you tried the real thing.

For real cargo, I wouldn't use a bleeding pashley, they can only take about as much as what a LHT that's kitted out can.

IMO, it's all about the Big Dummy, but the Bullit and Bakfeits are great options.
If I was ever to have the money I would buy a Christianna over anything else though. Great bikes.

Very nice bikes, yes, but handling isn't the best and at least the old model had quite a bit of flex, so a big guy like me was leaning quite a lot, if the road wasn't totally level.

Leaning? On a christianna? But they steer so well!
I worked on one delivering flowers for awhile, I was super impressed by them.

If you can't find it, here is my earlier review

Ta! Sounds grimly plausible. I'd still quite like a Guvnor, mind, but only because I've got more modern/normal/reliable bikes to fall back on.

Leaning? On a christianna? But they steer so well!
I worked on one delivering flowers for awhile, I was super impressed by them.

Was it the older model with to parallel tubes going under the box or the newer model with one big tube? I'm around 105 kgs, so not the lightest... I'd rather have a "Sorte Jernhest" or a "BellaBike"

Edit: Oh, and rereading your reply, I think we might have misunderstood each other. I don't lean as such, but the frame is so flexible, that I end up tilted to the side...

Thanks for digging that up again !Nhat. Good to hear from someone who's ridden and repaired more modern designs.