London Fixed-gear and Single-speed

this one is mine. its the best thing i ever invested in.

Human Powered Machine is the company.
http://hpm.catoregon.org/?page_id=7

but that is in the States.so hard to get one here.
but very fun to have one.

This is the biggest problem with these bikes for most people in a car replacement sense. You can park a car on the street but you would not want to do that with one of these.

I think I've seen little John pedaling around on a cargo bike. Same company?

Yes. We need more of these about the place.

Indeed. Same as a few folk on here...

Right, another thread-dredge.

I need a cargo bike. I want to be able to carry tent, food, clothes etc. I know that if I pack right, that will all fit in panniers on a regular rack, but I have a dog which will be coming along. It's only a westy, but the weight on the front wheel on the dutch bike is starting to get on my nerves when she moves about.

Given the distances we may do in a day (100km max), I have ruled out christiana bikes and bakfiets as too upright. I figure gear for two can go in the side panniers, the tent can be strapped on top, and still leave space for a dog.

My options are, as far as I can tell:

1. Xtracycle freeradical to add to my Kona MTB. 26" wheels, my own riding position. Slick tyres can go on.

2. kona ute 700c wheels, sensible spoke count, big orange bag (probably get a second)

Prices for last years ute and an xtracycle are pretty close. The xtracycle means extending hydraulic hose to the rear caliper, which is a pain.

I'm leaning towards the ute, but wondered if anyone here had any experience with either / words of wisdom to offer?

Cheers!

Why not get a bike trailer? Something like a lightweight B.O.B.?

I've pretty much ruled out trailers because (a) I want to take whatever I get on the train around the country, and with a trailer, that would probably be really tough, and (b) I think my dog would probably jump out of it whenever she could (lower and closer to the ground). When she's a bit higher, she's got the good sense to stay put.

Have you thought about a Yuba, I have one at my shop waiting a gear part but your welbome to come see. Im in Brentwood on the southend victoria line or just off the M25

Single wheel trailers are good for a couple extra panniers, with the obvious benefit of being removable. Not sure about the dog though (build a rack?)

The Surly big dummy is a nice option too (really, really want one of these)

There was something somewhere about a Dutch couple who did a bike trip around the world (or at least over a very long distance) with their two dogs. I'll have a rummage (pre-Internet version of Googling, for the younger forumengers) and will report back.

For budget reasons, I would say go with the Kona Ute. A mate of mine uses it for his green handyman business, and it's doing him well.

If money is no object, get a Big Dummy. I LOVE the shop one.

Ah yes, the article was in the recent VeloVision, and the related web-site link is:

http://www.cyclinggypsies.wordpress.com/

Specifically here:

http://cyclinggypsies.wordpress.com/dogs-bikes/

1+ and it's made from alu, make it stiffer and lighter, it's lovely to not have a lots of flex when you have too much alu.

also there's some good deal surfacing around the google of the world, something like £550 even.

I like this phrase and will be using it by way of subliminal advertising of the global corporate takeover assiduously in the future. :)

Ash Cycles have a 2009 ute at £470, which is a bargain. Their site seems to be down though. There are others at £550 from last year knocking about on the web. It only comes with a single bag, for some reason, but another bag for the other side (£57) isn't the end of the world.

I looked at the big dummy, but ruled it out on a cost basis. Totally awesome bike, though.

That said, having thought about it some more, rather than taking a whole load of stuff and forcing ourselves to think creatively with long bikes, and give ourselves problems for getting on trains, etc. we're just going to pare down what we take, and travel light(er).

I was thinking of a tubus logo rack, which gets the pannier tops down from the top of the rear rack so I can try mounting a carrier on there for the dog. Somehow. Rack and panniers for the wife, should be more than enough space for lightweight camping.

I need to get a rack on my mountain bike, road tyres, etc. Anyone know if a tubus logo can be mounted on a disc frame? Do I need the QR adapters, or the disco rack, the disc specific tubus one?

The good news is that my wife is so into cycling now that she's put me in charge of getting her a decent tourer. She's tiny (5'2"), so do I go for the surly LHT with the 26" wheels (£999), or do I go for the thorn audax roughly sjsc spec built by me (the same price, but 700c wheels)? Unfortunately for me, the thorn audax is available in bright freaking pink, and the LHT in that size that I've found is "truckaccino" or something -- beige. I have a feeling that careful explanations about geometry and proportional wheels may be in vain.

thanks for all the advice, peeps, invaluable as ever.

http://www.cetmacargo.com/index.html

also another option. I have one and it is heavy, but it works great and has plenty of room to attach everything you need. I put a basket on it with my dog one time, did a catering gig with it on. you can rig it up on the front or the back.its a perfect flat bed.

I would quite like a bike trailer - one that folds up and can be stored in a small place, but can also carry a lot of cargo.
Does anyone have experience of these?

I like the elegant design of the CarryFreedom city trailer:

http://www.carryfreedom.com/city.html

Doesn't carry that much but is rather neat.

That trailer is pretty cool.

Final design = rear rack with panniers and one of these on top:



my stupid dog is permanently standing up anyway, and rarely lies down, so not having the space for her to do that is not a problem at all. I'll bodge something to let me fix the bag to the rack and take it off for train journeys.

If we go further afield with more gear, I'll invest in a big dummy and a basket on top like those bike gypsy folks (great read, by the way).

I'm pretty small (5'7") and would go for 26" wheels myself. I have a soft spot for the Soma Saga partly for this reason.

Only comes in manly blue though :S

The other option is a Kogswell Porteur (650B), which is design to carry front load, come with two fork for that purpose too i think;



Just need them to answer my bloody mail.

There are two things that immediately disqualify that:
1. It's over £350. The one I asked about is only £89.
2. If it's small enough to be used as a backpack, Then I don't need a trailer for whatever fits in there.

Fair eenoof.

This video just makes me happy.
Xtra cycle, with a fixed trick bike and a tent on the back. Then disappear!

That video is amazingly good.

Go with the smaller wheels. The new LHT is out next month, it's a very pretty bright blue.
Smaller riders with smaller frames don't want to have to deal with toe overlap, plus if you ever decide to tour outside of the EU/states then you'll want the 26" tyres. They are easier to replace in other countries.

Hello!

I'm gonna recommend the bikes we design and make here in Amsterdam at Workcycles www.workcycles.com

Heres our FR8 fitted with one of our massive racks (snigger):

http://www.workcycles.com/home-produ...-delivery-bike



And here is a Long Cargo bike:

http://www.workcycles.com/home-produ...cargobike-long

We sell in the UK via
Bikefix http://www.bikefix.co.uk/
and
Really Useful Bikes http://reallyusefulbikes.wordpress.com/

So pay them a visit or come visit Amsterdam.

Happy ridings!

thats really cool, i'd be a bit scared of it tipping over though when the kids start messing around

Yeah I think keeping 3 kids in front of you under control is easy enough...but not sure about this



and I'm especially doubtful about crowd control in our famous Cargobike extra long! Woah!

^^^^^ would that one classify you are a LGV?

If the next few years go to plan I may want to order a fleet of these beasts.
Gardeners in london should all be riding these. I've driven the truck halfway across london for a few binfuls of crap. This is the way.

For transporting my dog, I made a special harness from an old bike top tube. It may not work if your dog's little though.

As for long bikes, I am currently working on making one of my own. I think a wide platform or box at the front would annoy me too much, it'll have to be a longtail - easier to make as well as being easier to work on.

If I could afford one, I would have an Xtracycle, a Yuba Mundo, or a Pashley Courier. I think trying to make a bike with butted tubing/esoteric materials rather defeats the object when you consider the weight it is meant to carry.

Let me tell you, do not get the pashley.

Is it really bad then? I thought it was just the same as the old post office bikes? It doesn't matter, really, as I can't afford any of them. ):

Let just says it's primitive in comparison to the alternative.

you should check out the Kona Ute, there are some good deal floating around the Google of the World.

How is it primitive? Do they have problems with alignment, or finish? What about the Mailstar, as used by the post office? Is it just the big basket being too far in front of the front wheel? I'm not wanting to start an argument or anything, just wondering.

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.

Well there you go. Potential expense saved - Cheers! (:

The strongest and best handling transport bicycle I have ridden. Worked great in London when I brought one over last year. (see http://www.bakfiets-en-meer.nl/2009/...invade-london/)

I agree with Nhatt about the Pashleys; they look ok but theyr'e cheap for a reason. We were regularly fettling the Oxford University's fleet of Prontos when I worked at www.ocw.coop

People..if you spend the money and get a decent bike that will work for you then you'll reap the rewards. Quality and reliability are the most important considerations when buying/building cargo bikes. This guy in Cardiff has started a courier service using one of these FR8's with a massive rack. 250kg (incl rider) is no problem for this bike! (http://twitter.com/Big_Blue_Bike)

My rational side says it's stoopid,
the practical side says it's fooking brilliant...

its stupid as you cant change the bar position without moving your basket and as soon as you go over a bump with a heavy load its not gonna be nice

Nuknow, a velo orange rack is a much better value than this bizarre contraption.

This is what I assume, the velo orange rack are attached to the muguard eyelit of the fork, so the weight of the fork will be near the axles, however that rack in picture isn't attached to anything but the handlebar, so you'll have too much weight on the stem, so you really do have to be careful on how much you want to carry.

It'd be great with a basket support.

I made this, recently, for shopping trips:



Gave it away, though, I have too many bikes.

I see these guys around Dublin a bit. Their bikes seem quite solid.

http://www.velocitycouriers.ie/

mentioned two times...

And yes, they're great! Feels stable at high speed!
Some messengers in Stockholm are running them with fixed gear...

Civia Cycles Loring available with SRAM i-Motion, looks pretty good to me!

Alfine/Gates belt drive

Civia Cycles look like a strange combination of Globe and Salsa.

Look really good though, good find Gabe.

That looks like an majorly versatile frame! Would make a real nice tourer, especially in the larger sizes. Could be good for fixed off-road too!