Cargo Bikes

still like to try one for myself

sure, interested to hear what you think of it!

You can fold that cargo "basket" to save space which is nice,
but apart from that I really wasn't sure why one would not get an Omnium instead..
..these Mulis are € 2.725 base price!!

A 90l concrete bucket is cheap and fits quite nicely.

Sounds like there will be an explosion of ‘cargo’ bikes that are what people have wanted for generations - well-engineered shoppers.

Well yeah? Aren't the vast majority of cargo bikes used for transportation/kid hauling/grocery getting?

Such a fucking bruiser of a cargo bike. I love it.

Stumbled upon a cycletruck I hadn't seen before during morning patina-hunting. Perhaps this was what Frances Cycles was referencing with their Platypus? Absolutely love the color.

Roadmaster Cycle Truck.

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I mean, more like a modern Raleigh 20, or Moulton, than a cargo cargo bike for 100-200kg loads.

Ah yeah, Midtails have become really popular with the Tern GSD and the Xtracycle RFA coming out in the last couple years (shed a tear for the Benno Carry-on/Boost and the Kona Minute never breaking out of niche status). The HSD is kind of "quartertail" if that's even a thing. Honestly, I see it as being to the longtail what the cycletruck is to the bakfiets. Also, you can still clip a Yepp seat into it, which is great!

I'm all for it. Smaller cargo bikes may not be as capable as a proper long-john or a longtail, but they do mean a wider demographic of people -specifically people living in walk-ups in dense cities- getting a taste of that #cargolife that hopefully ends up being a gateway to a more hardcore lifestyle.

If someone gets a "quartertail" and it never leads to a more hardcore commitment, that's ok too - nothing wrong with a broad range of cargo designs on the roads, especially if it means one-less-car.

I’m not sure that bunnytails* are going to be the gateway drug we need, to get more people cycling and more cargos cargoing, but it’s worth a shot.

(*let’s coin it here and now, and wait for the bikeradar thread).

Yes dropper post to easy adjustement. Fortunately we are each on an extremum.
Getting rad is a bonus ;)

Yeah I saw that. Look good and cheap. A little less pro than a wood box which is maybe too much for only one child.

Thanks !

I think E bikes will change everything ... As in, I can already think of a few models that haven't gone much longer in the wheelbase but are very cargo capable with front and rear rack. I mean, why wouldn't you if you get a city style ebike?

Love that bike. Any details of the electrification process? Trying to read up on these things, dipped my toe at the endless sphere forum but got scared and backed out again.

Did the same! Give me a shout on PM if you want any help

On the topic of electric cargo bikes, anyone have any experience with retrofitting hub motors?

I just need a little assist for the hills of Sheffield when loaded (looking at a maximum of 150kg of total weight, and no desire for massive speeds). These front hub motors look nice and simple, and the battery could be mounted under the loading area quite neatly. Will I run into issues with the high torque required on a 20" wheel?

What's specifically 'cargo' about that though? I mean, I can see that most 20" bikes don't have a lot of carrying space, but that doesn't really have much more load space than my RSW-16. It's just a 20" e-bike with a rack and a kick stand.

Referring to this because halfway down a NPF:

Kickstand recommendations for a bike that has no specific mounts for them? After a double leg one ideally

I gave it to the folks at Binova and they did it for me. So basically i have no clue and that is scareing me aswell.
I got the system for free and it works quite ok but I am thinking about converting it back to muscular power from time to time. To be independent from electricity and get back a normal Q-factor. I feel like a duck on it now. Also that big lump of plastic looks way crappier than some nice classic silver mountain bike cranks.
They are developing a smallish motor for the back hub right now, hopefully i can get one to test because that seems like the sleekest solution to me.

What's specifically 'cargo' about that though?

Like anything else, it is what it is because it's marketed as such. I don't have an issue with it being called a light cargo bike; R&M has been doing the same with the Tinker for years and that has a lower carrying capacity than the HSD.

Will I run into issues with the high torque required on a 20" wheel?

The smaller diameter will lower your gearing so torque shouldn't be a problem so long as you can lace the hub into the rim.

This is our promotional cargo. Apparently it has done a few London2Brighton’s with a rider relay. I presume it was pushed up Ditchling Beacon...

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The smaller diameter will lower your gearing so torque shouldn't be a problem so long as you can lace the hub into the rim.

Looks like the biggest problem might be overheating, what with slow speeds up hills and large loads.

Assuming these hub motors all have some kind of throttle instead of an auto-assist?

Hub motors can do PAS as well.

I’ve put off motorising the XC, in part because a suitable rear motor that can be laced to a wide 406 rim is difficult to find with suitable power output. Very worried about keeping it ‘legal’ and just exploding it, and going all out naughty and having issues down the line.

Mids do seem a great option if it weren’t for cost.