Recommend me a "Cargo" bike/frame

A bit like the
Soma tradesman but ideally with 26″ wheels
http://www.somafab.com/archives/product/tradesman-cargo-frame-set

I like the extended front rack.

There is/was a charity selling off old post office bikes after they’ve been restored by youth offenders or somesutch, which has a sturdy front rack.

Or the alternative of a Kona Ute with it’s huge pannier rack.

IMO a trailer is more useful unless you always carry something, at least then you can unhitch it and use the bike normally. I did consider the post bikes for commuting for that reason, nice big basket for shoes, suit bag, etc.

I like the look of these.

http://www.bikefix.co.uk/8-freight

Fixed-to-frame front racks like that pretty much need the little wheel at the front, and if you’ve never ridden one before I suggest you try first and make sure it is what you really want, they are good for what they’re good at, if you catch my drift, but not that good for much else!

IMO a trailer is more useful unless you always carry something

^ this

Or if you really need massive load carrying on a daily basis buy a proper long-nose or long-tail cargo bike like a Bullit/8Freight/Bakfiets etc. that is a lot more flexible, stable and has better capacity.

If you just want a big front rack for occasional use then get a sturdy porteur rack on the fork (and if needs be proper fork to accomodate it)

Yuba Mundo, is a good option if you end up looking at a long tail bike. (transporting longtails on a car rack etc is a right PITA)

I’d recommend going to a specialist shop like Reallyuseful bike and having a look / test of lots of different types

Apologies for the shameless plug but I’m going to sell my Yuba sometime in the next few months as I’m switching over to a pashley tagalong tandem

i’d be happy with a dutch transportfiets. with a whacking grate crate up front, not as much capacity as a proper bike but plenty for my needs.

Surly Big Dummy? BD on this site used one for many years

What about the Xtracycle wotsits? Anyone use them?

I found that the Surly Big Dummy was more stable with heavy loads than the Ute, the 26″ wheels and the carrying design seems to keep the centre of gravity lower and make it less prone to the speed wobble when heavily loaded.

i think most people who use those and find them useful end up going to a full on cargo bike. the xtracycle bits ( deck, bags, and other accessories ) mostly fit the big dummy, so it’s a slightly less expensive way in to start with, if you’re not sure the whole cargo bike thing is for you.
if you’re already convinced though the big dummy full bike is very well thought out.
i’ve got one i actually need to use 😳

Kona Minute is excellent, I’m a big fan. Decathlon have a sturdy front rack that would take 6 bottles of chablis.

😀

Just type NAHBS cargo into google images for some mind boggling inspiration.

Probably the perfect bike to compliment an electric motor, especially if you have any gradients to conquer.

Depends how much you’re going to carry really. I’ve got a Kona MinUte, the smaller sister of the Ute which is my town bike. I can carry the weekly shop for 2 people on it and without stuff in the panniers it rides like a normal, if somewhat long, bike.

However, my lack of car means I am now concidering a proper, dutch style cargo bike like this.

I bumped into a guy from Mytholmroyd’s “Bakehouse” delivering in Hebden Bridge on a Bullit bike. Expensive but a very serious looking piece of kit.

Here’s a photo off t’interweb

I love the look of the Bullitt bikes – they are everywhere in Copenhagen too.

have you seen the price though? 😯

yep, on a par with a lot of decent MTBs, less than a posh road bike, and a lot less than a small car 😉

I’m not saying they’re not expensive, but when people happily drop 2-3(+)k on a bike for ‘leisure’ use (mostly weekends only) it always surprises me when people think that a similar price for a utility vehicle that you will use every day and in a lot of cases will be primary mode of transport is expensive.

Even the e-assisted ones aren’t outrageous, a lot of money yes, but not when you consider the above.

I know a place that’s selling a bullitt bike, not certain how much though I imagine it may be a make them an offer…

As noted above Really Useful Cycles are good, I’d also put in a plug for Practical Cycles. I’ve bought from both and they were both really helpful.

Worth thinking about what you want it for;
eg for little children Bakfiets are great as you can see them and communicate well, whereas a Yuba Mundo or Big Dummy would probably be better for touring whilst pretending there’s been an apocalypse.

We really enjoyed our Yuba Mundo and I wish I could justify one of those elec assist Urban Arrows. Daughter big enough to pedal herself now so trailer is more practical for occassional extra loads.

Thanks for all the replies! Food for though.
I forgot to say I live at the top of relatively short but steep (13%) hill.

So this puts me off the dedicated Cargo bikes, which I assume aren’t designed for such terrain.

The Kona Ute looks the best option so far.
Although the UBU looks the bizness!

Black space frame – reminds me of ‘land rover’ /moulton MTB…

They could be spec’d with sturdy front and rear racks.

Elephant bikes. Refurbished Postie bikes for a fraction of what pashley would charge for a new one and one gets sent Africa with the proceeds to help out, no brainer. 😀

Slight threw hijack..
I’m looking for an Xtracycle kit if anyone would be interested in swapping it for a Chariot Cabriolet 2

I would second the suggestion above about considering a trailer. I had a Bakfiets cargo bike for carrying the kids when they were wee, which was also great for lugging large amounts of stuff, but I now have a Carry Freedom trailer (not my photo):

Very simple, very flexible, attaches in seconds and flat packs equally quickly for storage. I can easily tow a 130 litre IKEA storage box full of shopping with it.

Gearing choices are v important, if you stop and are in the wrong gear then going again can be a right pain…

Recommend trying something with a hub gear the ability to drop to the lowest gear following an unexpected stop is v handy

Highly rate the nuvinci 360 for cargo bike applications

If you want something that handles almost like a road bike, I’d say the Omniums come closest, and you can put on whatever drivetrain you want. They also make three different cargo sizes, depending on your needs. Not 26″ mind, and a bit expensive:

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I had a Yuba Mundo (version 2, I think) for a few years and loved it. I used it for my 3.5km each way commute, and for jobbing about on. I only got one of the big Go Getter bags for it, which was a mistake, as it limited how easy it was to ride when doing a big shop. I also had a frame-mounted rack on the front and this got much more use than the rear rack. After a while, it needed a lot of work doing to it and I didn’t feel I was making full use of it, so I sold it.

They’re great for doing skids because all your weight is on the front wheel.

I’ve just recently got an Elephant Bike and really like it.

I have a kona ute (from the classifieds on here) and I’ve used it way more than I thought I would, both kids go on the back of it,oldest sits on the bench with a set of add-on bars and the youngest is in a seat (yepp). It’s had loads of stuff on the back however you need to use both bags to distribute weight when loading and keep your arse on the saddle otherwise it gets a tad lairy 🙂
In the winter it’s my permanent commuter especially since I treated it to some hydro brakes from CRC
Only thing I don’t like about it is the kick stand which gets in the way and isn’t very stable but small beer really

Loved our Ute. Went everywhere on it. Did Cannock’s Follow the Dog on it. 30-40 mile road amble.
Hauled two kids to school every day, grown ups around the park etc.

It depends what you want to use it for. Longbikes are great for wee passengers as they tuck in behind the rider. I carried two young children on our Kona Ute for years and still lug the 9 year old about (she can’t ride) when at Center Parcs or riding on Sustrans paths. It’s easy to fit a stoker bar to the seatpost and bolt on a child seat and bmx footpegs. It’s long enough to carry two kids and panniers. You do need to be careful when loading and moving off, it is quite high and unstable until moving. Riding position is just like an mtb, I did Pedal for Scotland on mine, it was perfectly comfortable. Surly BD and Yuba Mundo seem heavier, lower and sturdier than the Ute.

If carrying serious loads, a lower platform would be more stable. A trailer will be the cheapest and most flexible (sorry) option as you probably already own a bike. Plus the load platform is very low. Dutch cargo bikes with huge boxy load areas may be perfect for the job but they’re very expensive and less easy to store or transport. Conversely, a longbike fits on an Avenir Tandem Carrier.

Think about what you want to use it for and decide from there.