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From the [url= http://www.dirtragmag.com/print/article.php?ID=1200&category=stuff_reviews ]Dirt Rag review[/url]:
As my time with the bike progressed I started thinking less about how to outdo the last load and more about how this bike is great as a daily commuter, because I was always prepared for whatever came up. I could run all of my errands without shuttling the load home in phases. I didn't need to make a special trip with a car or a trailer, and the ride didn't feel different enough from my commuter bike that I missed anything.
We had a kiddie trailer, that I used for shopping trips as well. It was a pain to have to go home to collect it and make a special trip. I never did shopping trips on the way home from work because of this.
Plus, I can't see random cute girls wanting to ride on a kiddie trailer with some plastic boxes lashed onto it 🙂
Mr Agreeable - MemberI can't entirely hate anything that Cycling News describes as "monstrous". But it strikes me that for a lot of these companies it's more about niche-mining, rather than a serious attempt to change the world.
By the way, is that photograph taken at a confusing angle or does that Dummy have a set of Manitou Dorados on the front? [8O]
Dorados are USD forks - they must be X-Verts
[url= http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3337/3299816340_26b53388ef.jp g" target="_blank">
Does that help? With full guards as well. 8)
Matt, I think we may have an ideological problem with trying to persuade you to buy a new thing rather than cunningly modify an existing thing, so not going to overdo it. However, the versatility of the Dummy is really fantastic. It (honestly) just isn't bad at all as a commuter and general pottering bike AND it will effortlessly carry anything. There's just no faffing at all about putting whatever shopping, scavenging etc onto it. I'm sure a trailer is great if you've got one, but unless you're towing it all the time you're probably missing some flexibility that the longtail gives you.
I am still waiting for a random cute girl to want to ride on the back mind. I will report to the forum [b]at once[/b] if it ever happens. My wife is moderately cute, but she doesn't count for these purposes.
I agree with you BD - they are fabulous! I would have one, but to drop the kind of money on them that they cost....Even the Xtra cycle seems a bit on the pricey side...£1800+ for a Big Dummy....ouchy.
I reside in Yorkshire. there are always cheaper ways of doing things...
£1800+ for a Big Dummy
Practical Cycles are doing them for £1500
Where do people store these bikes???
Presumably you need a garage?
And isn't there a problem with leaving a 1.5k bike locked up outside Tescos?
They aren't exactly a thief magnet though, are they? It's not like this sort of bike is common enough to have a strong value on the stolen 2nd hand market. Not yet anyway...
Still going? Crikey!
100
Nice forks BigDummy, haven't seen another pair of Manitou Milleniums for a long time... are yours QR or bolt-through?
Those aren't BigDummy's forks, it's someone else's bike on Flickr. Jon has regular BD steel forks on his.
I have a garage waiting for mine. We used to be able to fit a car in there, so I assume the Mundo will fit.
As for thefts, with a decent lock and sensible locking in a sensible location, I'd be happy to leave any of my bikes outside shops or work. If the worst happens, they're insured. The way thefts round here work, I'd be worried about leaving a full sus bike locked in a garage!
I want a Big Dummy ... I like.
😀
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I'll get a pic or so taken, realised I've been riding it daily for months and never took a pic.
Mine sits almost blocking the hallway and also gets left around Manchester and outside supermarkets and the like, seems okay. Does have a Granit X Plus hung around it though. What's the point if you're too scared to leave it anywhere?
I've reviewed the Kona Ute for the new issue of Singletrack magazine. IMO alluminium makes it lighter and means it won't rust when you leave it out the back of your house because it won't fit in your shed! It's cheap and it's ace.
There's something about the Kona Ute that I don't like. I think it's that it seem to be just a bike with a big rack.
The bags on the Ute look a bit like a mouse's pocket compared to the Xtracycle ones. The price is great though, I reckon you'll see far more of these than Big Dummys once they start to catch on.
Possibly.
But that's how I'd describe a girl I used to know, as well.
Blimey, I didn't realise this had hit 3 pages..!
Mine ... gets left around Manchester
Without, er, wishing to pry, whereabouts in Mcr and can I have a look some time?
[img] http://images.fotopic.net/?iid=yw602n&outx=800&quality=70 [/img]
there you go...
my favourite bits are the stoppy brakes and the 6 speed hack of the 8 speed XT cassette on the Hope ProII singlespeed hub a'la Jeff :o)
ourmaninthenorth - it's outside the shop most days, you're welcome to take it for a spin. If you can't work out which shop then you need to get to know your Manchester bike shops better!
I quite like the Kona Ute. I don't think its really supposed to be like the BigDummy. Its half way between a normal bike and the BigDummy, making it a bit easier to store. It can still take a passenger and its 1/3 ish of the price.
I had some concerns about the length but in reality it's only half a wheel longer than a 'normal' bike. It's the bloody bars that get in the way in the hallway mostly!
mocha - I don't know, but I'll work it out. Assuming you mean central Manchester, rather than one of its 'burbs?
[url= http://www.surlybikes.com/dealers/pop_INTL.html ]look here :o)[/url]
Thought it probably was (honest, I was going to work it out). I'll pop in next time I'm passing (and you're open).
Ute bags are bigger for 09 IIRC
I leave mine locked up all over the place. They aren't really theif magnets as they aren't fast & stick out like a sore thumb!
serious question for the big dummy and Xtracycle owners
Is a cargo bike loaded up with booze/ a family shop realisticly rideable up a big hill?
I live on such a hill - and am perfectly happy to grind up it on a singlespeed with a loaded up bag with a laptop/ bottle of milk or whatever
Just wondering if its a serious option for me - of if I would find progress up the hill just too slow and it wouldn't get used enough
Is a cargo bike loaded up with booze/ a family shop realisticly rideable up a big hill?
If you can do it on a SS with a small load, you'll be fine on something with gears, even with a big load.
Ed is well placed to comment after riding the Ute up some hills, but a loaded cargo bike will give good traction so as long as you have suitably low gearing you can ride it up hills even with a load. You just won't be doing it quickly and they generally aren't condusive to out of the saddle climbing. Sit and spin all the way.
Cyclescheme to me
Dear Mike,
Your voucher request has been submitted.
😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀
Mike, I think you meant 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8)
miketually = smug git... 😉
Looking forward to the pictures of it lugging suitably preposterous cargo (Cute girls included).
Just +1 on the lugging things up hills. I can haul my wife up Wimbledon Hill and Putney Hill, if that's a useful poit of reference. I sweat, but it's OK. As others have said, traction is excellent, the thing cannot wheelie, and with the bottom end of an mtb gear range you can just get on with grinding away.
Mocha, that looks great, and Mike, looking forward to seeing it!
miketually = smug git...
Invoice arrived on Saturday, so signed the hire agreement today. Our finance guy was impressed that I'd managed to spend £999.99 🙂
Should get the voucher by the end of the week 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8)
Thank you, Mike. Please stop waving it around now....
🙂
ED-O....have you reviewed the 08 or 09 Ute? I ordered the 09 model at the end of November...and am still waiting. The container's due to dock this week so I'm hoping to have it by the end of the month.
I am planning to use the Ute on the school and supermarket shopping run. I will report back when it - finally - arrives.
Looking forward to it coming....looks like a lot of laughs could be had!!!!
I'm hoping to have my Mundo at SSUK in June, if anyone wants to try one out.
Thanks BigDummy.
I've just Alfine'd mine and also ordered some of those big bars some nice chap pointed me in the direction of t'other day. Have yet to try out the Alfine, will do on tomorrows commute. Thought was that I actually only had 18 gears anyway and used few of those so the hubgear made sense. 42:20 at the moment btw.
On a related note, I measured my chain for wear while swopping things around and was surprised that it already needs changing after 4 months. Does anyone using a cargo bike experience similar rapid wear issues? It's the weight of it I guess.
I strongly suspect that my chain is dying a horrible death too, a delicate mixture of limited maintenance and heavy use, plus collossal weight and the ridiculous length. I propose to run the whole lot into the ground then change it. 😉
well, that's the attraction of the alfine a little bit. As long as I don't let it get too far gone it's just a £4 sprocket instead of a £30 cassette.