been lusting after one of these.

But what do you build them with Ben 😉

This has got a Sunstar motor – works really well, though had to modify the frame a bit. Talking to 8Freight about how to tweak the frame design.

How about a trailer?
I had a Bakfiets cargo bike when the kids were wee, which was also a great cargo carrier, but sold it once they were riding their own bikes, and now I have a Carry Freedom trailer. It’s a simple, but very flexible carrying platform, with a very good hitch arrangement, and can flat pack in seconds if you want to hang it on the garage wall when you are not using it.
It easily handles one of those large 130 litre Ikea storage boxes on a big supermarket shop, and I have also towed long lengths of timber back from B&Q with it.

Had a Ute for a couple of years, after the kids grew out of the trailer.
It was a bit flexy but its not a bike for hammering, more wafting along, at which is is very proficient.
That sort of bike changes the way you think about local transportation. Even in winter, it became the default choice for local runs. We honestly found ourselves finding excuses to use it. I remember losing the back end in the snow one morning, & us all tumbling off into the snow. The kids still laugh about that now. It became known around work as the butchers bike. We had a fund day at work once, & quite a crown gathered around it in the bike shed. Wherever you go folk stop & ask of it. On the road I never had a single bit of grief, it always seemed to bring out the best in people. Its a shame they are not more common.

Having the ability to permanently stow wet weather gear aboard makes a massive difference. Did the usual trick of carting the Wifes slightly drunk female friends around the park a few times. 🙂
A couple of pics below of it loaded with various loads. It almost became a challenge to fit more & more on. Hills are hard work though. 😀

But, the kids grew up & preferred their own bikes, plus I needed the garage space & sadly she was sold. I use an old Carerra Subway these days, with panniers permanently attached, that’s very much of the same ilk, but I often hanker after another proper Cargo bike.

[url=https://flic.kr/p/fauCcD]IMAG1282[/url] by pten2106, on Flickr

[url=https://flic.kr/p/cvVHmf]IMAG0774[/url] by pten2106, on Flickr

[url=https://flic.kr/p/dJsCjk]IMAG0116[/url] by pten2106, on Flickr

One of these with front and rear carriers?

I have one, it’s amazing how much you can get in them. Relatively long wheelbase so reasonably stable, and full suspension. Crap brakes can be improved.

road train

[img]https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-qhfISyfk66I/TgjnxurYxpI/AAAAAAAAJEE/A2Q3M4dEhE0VHr5uXSKv9Aow4SMgvGUSACCo/s640/P1000825.JPG[/img]

I like the Inbred, Stoner!

I really fancy an old Post Office bike, like this one:

Rod brakes, heavy, slow… perfect! You often see tatty ones pop up on eBay for £50ish. Might look into getting one later this summer. Probably paint it something other than red, though.

[url=https://flic.kr/p/89KH1y]The Beast…[/url] by Ben Cooper, on Flickr

Duffer – Member
…I really fancy an old Post Office bike, like this one:

…Probably paint it something other than red, though.
Got to be red.

Red is for the fast ones used by the telegraph delivery boys. They were positioned strategically around the country like the Pony Express and were known for their speed.

Hopefully you don’t believe that nonsense that they were able to send messages through those tiny wires you see strung alongside the roads – they were actually rest stops for migrating birds…. 🙂

http://larryvsharry.co.uk/ – always fancied one of these after seeing lots of them in Copenhagen.

Duffer, take a look at the Elephant Bike I posted up there. It IS an ex post office bike. Refurbed. Sturmey Archer hub and drum brakes. It also supports a good charity.

Slowoldman – i did see that, but i’m after an old one i can tinker with. Thanks! It also looks like a great cause.

well looks like i bought me an free radical – which will be mounted on an old medium long thorn raven enduro i have in the garage (thats useless for anything else because the designers are stuck in the 90s)

it will suit this perfect as with a steerer extension on the bars will be nice and high up front – and it will fit me and the mrs with only the post going up and down. Got a set of marys and 9speed bar end shifters set asside – along with an old set of bomb proof MX comps – a big un on d521 36 spoke rear wheel with 205 rotor – a set of Deore cable disks with avid levers and some fat spesh hemishere semi slicks. All ill need to pick up is a chain and cassette i think – and maybe some bodging to get a front mech on there -after all it was designed for a rohloff hub – who knows my rohloff may end up on there one day but that requires a wheel rebuild for my fat bike.

Going to fit motor assist to the front as well as its a climb all the way from the city to ours with the last 3 miles being steep when loaded.

Front and rear racks + a trailer on my rove al worked well but aukward loads were still aukward to load due to limited footprint and the trailer needing clearance to turn…… Hopefully this is the solution we were looking for to go back down to 1 daily car.

Getting there .

Bafang hasnt arrived yet though 🙁 was supposed to be here yesterday :@

more features in the dash than my landie 😀

I used to have a Ute but had to sell it when I moved to a place with 10 steps down to get in the front door.

I’ve recently been lusting over something like the elephant bikes but just found this on ebay: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vintage-Trade-bike-Trike/322279332167?_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D2%26asc%3D39012%26meid%3Dd57e282f52d64a20885f46ba13133993%26pid%3D100005%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D15%26sd%3D152263836729

“other than that a steering stabiliser, big centre stand, 26″ wheels or a smaller rear (low center of gravity)”

I’d agree with the first two – but I’ve a MINute with 700c wheels, and never noted an issue with being a bit taller…

Never ridden a ute, but the minute (2/3 the deck size) is truly great!
I’ve had the WHOLE family on it (Me, the wife, and 2 kids!)
I often have the 6 year old on the back, and the 18mth old on a wee ride in front.
The pannier bags are huge and tough, so great for shopping too.

I’m currently looking at dutch style cargo bikes for the wife – she’s got a pretty pendleton, but now the baby is less babyish, she’s probably NOT going to want to go in the trailer much any more…!

I’ll grab a photo of myself and PictonRoad racing our kiddie laden Minutes at the BigBikeBash…!!

DrP

3 wheel cargobikes handle terribly.

Through work I’ve used a:
Christiania box bike 3 wheeler
and a converted pedicab

would much rather a two wheeler.
two wheelers i’ve used are:
MCR truck (awful thing)
Bullit bike (awesome thing)

I really want a Bullit. I have absolutely no use for it though.

thats a kona sutra frame

with a 26″ rear wheel tick – albe it with a very fat spesh hemisphere semi slick on.

it has a hebie steering damper on tick

it has a side stand atm but im looking into making my own version of haulin colins rolling jackstand

Im not paying 140 quid for the Xtra cycle stand – it needs to be platinum coated for that kind of money.

IMO short of the panniers and the actual freeradical i think that most of the xtracycle componants are very over priced. Id never have bought a new one. (i do understand the concept of low production volume = high price )

example – i fancy some running boards on the wide loaders for passengers instead of the canvas – they are £99. (or $99……in the us) Or i COULD just get a couple of bits of birch faced ply and make my own….. (which i will be although probably not spending out on ply and just using some scrap pine from an old wardrobe)

Or the 40 quid foam pad for the top deck. 1. The wife reckons she doesnt need one and 2. They make scooter waterproof padded seats that fit just fine for a fraction of the cost.

TBH if this one were to break i think id canabalise a couple of frames and crack out the welder or brazing kit to make my own big dummy a like similar to steve of steve-workshop. http://www.steves-workshop.co.uk/vehicles/cargobike/cargobikeindex.htm

The motor arrived yesterday.

Acceleration is brutal -to 15.5mph 🙂 or at least it will once the speed sensors extended today to let it reach the rear wheel.

Glad I bought a programmin cable going to set up a soft start or it’ll eat drive trains.

Gonna have to buy a gear sensor though it’s like riding a rohloff atm. Stop pedaling let the motor cut out change gear and start pedaling again .

Don’t think I’m gonna have any issue with loads. Motors good and strong 🙂

Gotta run errands tonight. Drop off beer bottles and a step ladder at a couple of mates then head in the other direction to go see metalhead. Will see what real world range I get