On cargo bikes

On cargo bikes

30 Apr 2008

Got questions about the environment? Ask Umbra.

Hi Umbra,

After reading your article on the amazing Thermos, coffee, and bicycle commuting, I thought I should alert you (if you're not already alerted) to the Xtracycle (or S.U.B.) as a means for everyday, super-utilitarian biking. I replaced my car with one of these about eight months ago, and find that meeting new "can I haul that on my bike?" challenges is great fun -- not to mention the sense of accomplishment and the general feeling of well-being that comes with pulling one's own weight.

Because the Xtracycle is always on my bike, I can haul odd things (and odd people!) at a moment's notice -- very important for an art student. It's terrific. I still get super happy every time I see my bike -- and most days, it's faster and more convenient than either public transit or driving.

Sara
Chicago, Ill.

Dearest Sara,

Thank you for writing in with this fabulous huzzah for biking. Look, everyone: Sara is from Chicago, with the famous wind and real winters, yet she was able to shed her car and replace it with a bike. She planned ahead and bought a bike in a design suited to her needs. It was expensive, yet certainly cheaper than a car in the long term. And handy: the rear tire on the Xtracycle is farther back and lower than on a traditional bike, configured for a long, hearty rack able to hold people, four panniers, musical instruments -- basically whatever you might imagine. Xtracycle offers a conversion kit for traditional bikes too. (Read our archived interview with company president Kipchoge Spencer to find out more.)

Photo: XtraCycle

The best news, though, is not that the Xtracycle exists and is apparently great, but that it is not the only specialty bike out there. Looking at cargo bikes reminded me that bike hauling is not a derivative of fast, distance cycling. Bikes are a form of transport, and bike hauling is its own established transport activity with appropriate technology to suit. It's not that we must weigh down our inner Lance Armstrong with unwieldy baskets and trailers; rather, we are updating the rickshaw. If you want to haul stuff on a regular basis, there is a bike or bike-expanding attachment for you.

As we know, the internet is a strange and wondrous place, and today it will help us view a few of the many crazily practical, human-powered wheely items ready to render their riders ridiculously happy. Many thanks to the lads at Cargocycling for starting me on this internet tour.

Ask Umbra continues below

ADVERTISING POLICY

Let us first go to Holland. Remember the bicycle-powered ice-cream cart? Picture a large, low box where the ice cream would be, and you've got a bakfiets. These are Dutch-made cargo bikes, perfect for carrying an entire family, groceries for the week, your boyfriend(s) ... anything, really. There are bike and trike models, they have rain covers, and although I've never seen one in person (life can be unjust), they look great. Perfect for flat routes in paved towns and cities with a bike-friendly populace -- which is to say, if your home resembles Holland, these bikes are for you. Bakfiets are available at a few stores in the United States. A nonprofit in Eugene, Ore. seems to make a similar cargo bicycle, as do other European manufacturers. Whether you want to import a bike or not, garner some inspiration with this Dutch store's many photos of various cargo-carrying bicycles.

Photo: Bakfiets

What if you already love your current bike and were somewhat attracted to the Xtracycle 'Free Radical' bike attachment? Maybe one of the many cargo trailers out there is for you. The trailer will attach for Lance Goes Shopping, and then detach for our Tour de France moment (although I'm sure ye actual bike racers would not attach a trailer to your cycle). The list of tailored trailers you can get for your bike is exhaustive and exhausting: trailers designed for pets, for kids, for punks, for surfers, for campers -- in short, for real people. BOB, the baby stroller manufacturer, makes attractive open-bed trailers that attach to most any bike's rear hub. Here is a mini U-Haul type item and a variety of plans for building your own trailer.

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If a new bike trailer seems out of your budget, look around for a used one. I see a lot of used kids' tow-behind bike seats at yard sales, which would be cheaper than a new bike trailer and handy for more than just kids. (The main brand is Burley, ye Craigslisters.)

Speaking of cheaper, this column started with Sara replacing her car. I ask us seriously, is it possible for a cargo cycle, or the panniers and baskets from earlier this week, to replace even a single car trip in our lives? Is there one regular errand we could do by bike, even in the summer? Give it some thought and put some effort into making a summer cycling plan. Maybe together we can lose some carbon weight, and when we examine our ecological footprint in the mirror, we'll like what we see.

Bikinily,
Umbra

Yours is to wonder why, hers is to answer (or try). Please send Umbra any nagging question pertaining to the environment -- but first check out her FAQs!

The claims made in this column may not reflect the views of this magazine. Neither the magazine nor the author guarantees that any advice contained in this column is wise or safe. Please use this column at your own risk.

Umbra Fisk is Grist Research Associate II, Hardcover and Periodicals Unit, floors 2B-4B.

Comments: (29 comments)

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hauling with the road bike

My husband frequently hooks the trailer to his litespeed titanium bike to haul the groceries. I go with a backpack in the foldable basket. When I stop by the coop I get the stuffable chico bags out of the backpack, put those in the baskets and wear the backpack. And I can still hitch up the really old rickety wooden platform trailer I used to haul my kids 20 years ago (pre-burley). Our kids say we should get a little electric car to haul stuff around town, but I say our human-powered payload is bigger.

by Ineffable at 10:50 AM on 30 Apr 2008

Using Xtracycle on a car carrier?

My main concern with getting an Xtracycle (for which I have been lusting now, yea, many moons) is if and how it can be used with a car carrier. I have a Saris carrier that attaches to the trunk of our sedan-style car. Not often, but sometimes over the summer we visit family and want to take our bikes with us. Can a free-radical enhanced bike be put on one of these? What are other people's experiences here? (I apologize if this posts multiple times--Grist seems to be behaving weirdly)

by jedimomma at 10:52 AM on 30 Apr 2008

Human Powered Transport

My husband and I are seriously thinking of purchasing one of these:

http://www.rhoadescar.com/

We want one that we can haul groceries with or the dogs to the beach. Sort of a two person bike pickup not-truck.

by AnnaCorgiHillFarm at 11:03 AM on 30 Apr 2008

by jedimomma at 11:06 AM on 30 Apr 2008

great!

Geez, Umbra, I just bought my first e-Bike, and now I'm already lusting after this next newest toy! This is no way to reduce my consumption!
Thanks for the heads up - I love it!

by sairen42 at 11:45 AM on 30 Apr 2008

Unsafe At Any Speed

I don't mean to be a wet blanket, but I would advise against any kind of child carrier on a bicycle except in the most restricted circumstances (low speed, and absolutely no cars -- bike only trails).

by jabailo at 11:49 AM on 30 Apr 2008

i LOVE my extracycle

jut put it on a new trek hybrid frame in january on Cape Cod. I'm trying to make the car free lifestyle work on Cape Cod, which is a challenge. But the extracycle makes many things possible, combined with having a "go-fast" road bike when a quick trip to the post office is necessary.

by jayohara at 12:21 PM on 30 Apr 2008

Hip, but impractical p

I'm sorry but to save money and the need to build a new bike that is designed so specifically for hauling groceries and people, why not just buy one of those kid carts that attaches to a regular bike for 200 or so dollars, you can put kids and groceries in that. This way you will not have to buy a new bike and spend 1,800 on the Xtracycle?

Try just getting a run of the mill Trek, Giant or Specialized at your local shop for 300-500 bucks if you even need a new bike. Or get on Craigslist and buy a used one.

Am I wrong?

by rwelborn at 12:42 PM on 30 Apr 2008

Trying to become a biking family

These are some awesome resources, thanks a million! I've been lusting after an Xtracycle for months now, I wanted something that I could cart a baby on and all the stuff you need to bring with a baby. But they are so expensive. This gives me a bunch more ideas. Spectacular!

by jessimonster at 12:56 PM on 30 Apr 2008

Hip AND Practical

In the biking world, there are panier types and trailer types. The xtra mixes the two but is much better (to me at least) than a trailer. The bike feels very stable with the longer wheelbase. And since I never leave the trailer at home, so to speak, it frees me up to pick up stuff at the store on the way home from work without having to bring an empty trailer to work in the morning. So it frees me from having to plan ahead to bring a trailer with me. Plus, all my kids, from my youngest at 6 to my oldest at 11, can ride on the back. There's no way I could fit an eleven year old kid in a trailer. Xtra also sells a really cool baby seat that is a lot like the kind you see in Japan. You know how when you look at something and think, "I don't need that/would never use it/have no desire for it," and then after using it you can't imagine life without it? This bike attachment is that kind of thing, literally a lifechanging product.

by jdham137 at 1:18 PM on 30 Apr 2008

I agree wtih rwelborn

save some cash and buy a used trailer. Yes, it might take a little more planning when you go out, but you can use your existing bike with a trailer and take it off when you don't need it for those long rides or mtn. bike rides...
It's a personal preference, but would be cool if people started using one or the other... if you are strapped for cash, start with a trailer.

by gordo at 1:34 PM on 30 Apr 2008

bike for transportation.

My wife and I just got the Mundo cargo bike made in Germany. http://yubaride.com.

We use it to run errands, to carry tools or even a kayak. It's helping us lower our transportation expenses.

by benoperrin at 1:40 PM on 30 Apr 2008

RE: Hip AND practical

I understand the comfort level thing. I'm still gawking at the price. 1,800 can get you a completely pimped out mountain bike. These are twice the cost of my Mountain bike which was a little overboard in my price range. Most of my riding is trail-riding, which demands costly, well built parts. I just don't see the need to buy such an expensive bike for what it offers. You can get around spending 1,800 with rear additions much like the yubaride bike has on it, or deal with the trailer and save 1000 dollars and take the extra cash and donate it to an environmental cause.

Or, you could even buy both of your kids bikes and teach them how to ride, and you could all buy saddlebags to get groceries in.

Your 11 year old can't ride his own bike?

I was a peddling fool when I was 4.

Just trying to prove more practical ways around chucking that amount of cash away. But I guess if you have it, and a lot of it, buy on. Bikes in general rule.

Ride like this guy!

http://www.tensionnot.com/images/images/Weird_Pics604.jpg ...

by rwelborn at 1:57 PM on 30 Apr 2008

RE: Hip AND practical, 2.

Didn't even see this part of the site, my apologies.

http://www.xtracycle.com/hitchless-trailers-kits-c-4.html ...

Only thing about this conversion that I would find a hassle, is if you wanted to not have it attached when you weren't using it.

by rwelborn at 2:31 PM on 30 Apr 2008

Xtracycle Cost

To the posters concerned about the cost of an xtracycle -- please check out their website (www.xtracycle.com). You do not have to spend $1,800 on an xtracycle bike, you can get the free radical attachment for $450 and put it on any old bicycle that you have in your garage. While $450 is not inexpensive, I have definitely saved that much in gas over the six months that I have owned one. Owning an xtracycle makes it incredibly easy to live without a car.

To the posters who have suggested that one start with a trailer, I say no. I started with a trailer and eventually ended up buying an xtracycle. Now I have both (and use both) but if I'd bought the xtracycle first, that might have been all that I needed. The xtracycle offers so much more than a trailer, in terms of convenience, in terms of safety, in terms of smoothness and (lack of) effort, and even in terms of carrying capacity. As the poster above mentioned, very few trailers can comfortable carry an adult passenger -- the xtracycle does it with ease.

I truly believe that the xtracycle is the best possible investment one can make for bicycle commuting. Within a few days, you will realize that they are well worth their price and that it is hard to imagine life before xtracycle. And I am not usually particularly impressed with 'gear', I just think that the xtracycle has a unique capacity for improving life and transportation options.

by tucsonbiker at 3:20 PM on 30 Apr 2008

Why detach it?

I added an Xtracycle conversion kit to an old mountain bike a couple of years ago, and got rid of the car a couple months after that. Wanting to remove the attachment hasn't been an issue--it's no more difficult to ride the bike with the attachment than it was without it. I can't think of a reason I might want to take it off, in fact. If I were going to be racing, that's not the bike I would use anyway.

So, no, taking it off "when you don't need it" isn't really an option. But that's not an option I think you would ever want to exercise. The whole point is that you have the extra carrying capacity all the time, even if you don't think you're going to need it. A used trailer is indeed cheaper, but I can count on one hand the number of times I've actually bothered to get out and use the trailer I bought at a garage sale a couple of years ago, while I've put 2500 miles on the Xtracycle in that same time.

jdham137 is right: this really is life-changing. It's a pity there isn't a program set up for people who are interested to rent a cargo bike for a month, with the rental going towards the purchase price at the end if they decide they want to keep it. There are a lot of questions about these things where the only way to really understand the answer is to have one yourself for a while.

As for car carriers, I don't think that the kind that puts the bike in back of the car (attached via trailer hitch or straps on the hatch/trunk) will work. The kind where you take the front wheel off and put the bike on top of the car might work. Basically, I think you'd want a tandem carrier.

by rjl20 at 7:00 PM on 30 Apr 2008

Moneybags Mcgee

We're saying get a trailer and deal with it, if you have no money. As for you, you bought a trailer, than an expensive xtracycle. Which I really doubt you will put an adult passenger on back. Seriously people, when you are over a certain age, invest your own bike. I love to see you carrying a adult and hit a nice sized hill. I take it since you've recently gotten out of the drivers seat to pedal you're not going to be Lance Armstrong. $450 is expensive, that's as much as a new bike itself.

I bike and ride a bus, I doubt a gigantic bike can fit on a bus bike rack. So, there's another reason those giant sized bikes aren't really that cool. To each his own, though. If you like it ride on.

I must say, you are really representing Xtracycle with passion, do you work for them tucsonbiker?

There are still great ways to not have to fork thousands up for commuting.

Heck for that price anyone could go buy a cheap plug-in electric scooter if you don't like the exercise...

by rwelborn at 8:42 AM on 02 May 2008

Save green and be a peddlin' machine

Question for tucsonbiker...

"While $450 is not inexpensive, I have definitely saved that much in gas over the six months that I have owned one."

You ride 500-600 miles a month to work/errands? That is really impressive. Hats off to you my friend, you must have legs of steel.

So if thats the case, and the Xtracycle is making this all possible, I will suggest people to go get one.

Kudos

by rwelborn at 8:55 AM on 02 May 2008

why so skeptical?

My husband has an Xtra attached to a old mountain bike. I ride on the back when we go get groceries. It's even kinda comfy since he added foot posts. We can fit a full week's worth of groceries in the side bags. It's awesome!! Makes a boring, dreaded task kinda fun. We use it for all kinds of other hauling, too.

Check one out before you dismiss it out of hand.

by pumpkinproper at 9:33 AM on 02 May 2008

re: save green and be a peddlin...

Kudos, 500-600 miles a month is not that unreasonable for an all-seasons biker. I put in about 450 miles a month just commuting to work, with errands, socializing, and the occasional long ride probably adding up to around 600. And I'm no athlete, I just enjoy it and find it the most convenient, ethical, and fun way to get around, even in Chicago. I don't own an xtracycle and probably won't get one (messenger bag works fine for me, with a milk crate on the rack if I need more storage), just wanted to point out that any person can be a cyclist without getting lots of fancy gear.

by heatherbikes at 9:57 AM on 05 May 2008
[ Parent ]

Cheap(er) Hauling Bikes

I know that many are put off by the 1,800 dollar price tag on a cargo bike and it is the reason I use a home-made trailer. However, Kona just came out with a new bike that I now covet for only 800 bucks. It is not as versatile as the Xtra, but for 1,000 dollars less, I'd do it.

by dbaecher at 8:53 AM on 07 May 2008

Kona Supplement

Here is the link, for the Kona Cargo bike:
http://www.konaworld.com/08_ute_w.htm

by dbaecher at 8:54 AM on 07 May 2008

The longtail advantage....

I have to say as an ex-trailer owner and a current Xtracycle rider the longtail bike is an incredible improvement. Just for starters dragging an empty trailer around is a nightmare as they bounce, skitter and weave behind you. They also have the nasty habit of hooking things like parking meters and sinking wheels into drain grates. We won't talk about tracking or curbs.

Longtail advantages:

Price: $450 gets you a fully functional unit that works with the bike you have. My fully rigged Townie/Freeradical combo, with footsies cost me less than $1000 including shipping and bike shop assembly. (more now)
Load: I load two 18 gallon rubbermaids in the freeradical and I can put a kid or another storage bucket on top. Try that with a trailer.
Ride: The ride is smooth and stable. It rides and behaves just like your bike with no crazy trailer behaviour. The single track ride means that you know where all your wheels are going.
Space: Longtail bikes average 1/2 a wheel length longer than your existing bike. Much smaller and easier to handle than a bike and trailer.
Freedom: I catch myself cursing at times when i take the car. Several times I have sat in traffic or circled for parking when I could have just slid up to my destination with the Xtracycle. Imagine cruising past the crowds coming back from your fourth of July fireworks easily carrying folding chairs, a cooler and blankets; I've done that. Ditto sliding right up to a parade fully rigged out with no parking hassles or going to movies in the park.
Class: I look like a balding Fozzie bear. I can tell you I get a LOT more attention on my Xtra with a load than without. I won't tell you what most bike trailers in my town are used for but it isn't classy. If you go for the fully rigged Big Dummy frame that $2k is going to get you the quad-cab pickup of bicycles. A bike that can literally go everywhere and carry anything that you can strap to it; comfortably.
I'm not advocating any particular bike or setup. There are other longtail cargo bikes out there than the Xtracycle and hopefully more will be put in production. I'm saying check out your options.

Put the Carbon Back

by Pangolin at 11:38 AM on 07 May 2008

[new] RE: Hip AND practical

Of course she can ride her own bike, but she really enjoys riding on the xtra.

by jdham137 at 5:57 AM on 08 May 2008
[ Parent ]

bed bike

I've got an electric BOB Ibex tied to my racing bike (different skewer and a throttle cable stay on the bike) which also works on my recumbent. I only use the trailer when I know what I want (Xtracycle is always with you, big benefit) but with the trailer off it is an 'unmodified' bike for a performance freak.

The BOB is good but what I really want, though, is a bike to carry a queen-sized bed or plywood. Anybody have one they like?

by bryantheresa at 4:28 AM on 09 May 2008

Not for everyone, but I LOVE my Xtracycle!

Everyone needs to assess their own situation when it comes to transportation, but mine is straightforward. I have 2 kids- 2 and 5. The older likes to ride her bike, but is frightened if hills, too young to ride in any kind of traffic, and still uses trainers. We go back and forth to school 2x per day- a little over a mile, with some short but steep hills. I also buy groceries- about a mile away, and I go to the shopping center- 3 miles, but largely flat. We are a 1 car family, but that "car" is a light truck, so it gets lousy milage in city.

I bought a trailer initially, but I'm cursing having done it. It cost $200- and that is cheap for a bike trailer! I did so much damage to it in only 2 months of owning it that I doubt I'd get $50 for it now. I flipped it pulling it with no kids in it, damaging the cover. I bent the flag trying to get it in and out of my basement to store it. It was a PITA to get in and out if the yard- and you can"t back it up. Bike commuting with a trailer is a joke- which is probably why I never see anyone doing it.

Then I got an xtracycle- it is perfect! No more having to take the trailer on and off to get it in and out of the yard. No more worrying that someone will steal the trailer while the bike is locked up. Carrying the kids is WAY easier as payload than towing. I can still attach my trailer if I want- and carry an extra kid. (theoretically I could pull and carry 4, but I don't have the legs for it!)

Plus, if I'm just heading out for a quick errand and a kid says "I wanna come!" I can just say- "Hop on."

I saved $80 last month on gas- in my first month of owning my xtracycle. Yes, I used to spend $2-3 per day driving between home, school, and errands- all less than 5 miles away, usually much less.

As for the danger associated with kids on bicycles.

I keep on the bike routes
When uncertain, I use the sidewalk- something you can never do with a trailer

and

3. My kids are way more likely to die from the effects of inactivity- obesity, hypertension, etc- or the effects of global warming- famine, drought, armed conflict, extinction of all life on the planet- than they are to die in a bicycle accident.

One Irish study found that years of life lost to inactivity related disease outnumbered years of life lost to bike accidents by 20 to 1. And that is in a country with no helmet law.

I can see why not everyone would want one- but I'm LOVIN"IT!

by ecomommy at 10:23 AM on 09 May 2008

Cost vs. Benefit Ratio of Xtracycle

One more thing...

Most people who I think of as "bike riders" are young to middle age men. My husband is a good example. He has a fancy road/racing bike- which cost over $2000.

Furthermore, many of the "bike guys" I know own several bikes- mountain, road, racing, etc, several of which were not cheap.

These bikes serve to give the owners thrills, keep them looking good naked, and reduce their need for a car.

One the other hand- my Xtracycle cost $275 for my bike- a size small Giant Cyprus, $450 for the Free Radical, $100 for installation, $200 for the child seat for my 2 year old. So all told it's a little over $1000. It is my only bike.

My bicycle transports three people almost everywhere they need to go, and brings food, clothing, gardening supplies, etc. to our home, it also gives me and my kids thrills, keeps me looking good naked, and reduces my need for a car. Decent payback for the price, I think.

Any guy who thinks their wife should skimp on how they transport the kids and get groceries- because for the same price they could get an awesome new toy for just themselves- should be punched in the arm and forced to eat leftovers.

by ecomommy at 11:01 AM on 09 May 2008

Another Xtracycle endorsement

Most cheap trailers are reated for 100 lbs max and will break if overloaded too much. My Xtracycle kit bike was rated for 200 lbs I think but never broke even though I often severely overloaded it, including carry large, heavy men on it. I'd still be using it today if it wasn't destroyed in a fire.

I haven't replaced it though because it wasn't perfect. When heavily loaded mine would wiggle and flex. It never broke or caused an accident but it was unnerving. I expect the custom bike with the integrated frame is much stiffer than a bolt on kit setup although the price is higher than I want to pay. Since I weld, one of my to do list things is to eventually build my own.

As for the comments regarding issues like not being able to get the bike on a bus or wanting to be able to sometimes ride an unencumbered bike both are potential issues, but one of the beautiful things about bicycles is there is almost no ongoing fixed costs of ownership, so if you have the space having more than one is not too big a deal.

I have several bikes and the Xtracycle was one of my favorites. The other favorite was a small Dahon folder which I use in combination with transit in foul weather. I could carry the folder easily on the back of the Xtracycle and once I discovered that I found good cause to do so on many occaisions. The folder was my favorite loaner bike for visiting friends and family because it could instantly adjust to fit most anyone. A typical scenario would be a friend or family member flying in from out of town. Since I don't drive I would pick them up at the local train stop by arriving on the Xtracycle with the folding bike. Unload the bike for them and then load up their luggage on the Xtracycle.

Recently I built a big cargo trailer that can haul multiple passengers and their luggage, sheets of drywall or plywood, or things like refrigerators and pianos. I also use it for the smaller hauling that I used to use the Xtracycle for so I don't absolutely need another Xtracycle. But I do miss it.

btw, I also live in Chicago and it is very flat here. Without hills one can haul amazing loads - and I've built bikes with electric assist which vastly exceed my own unpowered capabilities.

Anybody sitting on the fence regarding a trailer or Xtracycle I encourage to go for it. Being able to haul cargo vastly increases the utility of cycling. At the minimum, equip a bike with a sturdy rear rack and panniers, enough to do modest shopping. Get in the habit of doing that and you'll eventually want/do more.

by SpeedEBikes at 11:14 AM on 29 May 2008

I'm right there with you ecomommy!

My kids 5 and 7 have been riding on the back of my Xtracycle for 10 months now. We go every where on it - school, soccer, grocery store, library. Rain or shine, cold, wind, snow - we're out there riding. My husband has one too and commutes on his. We have a car but rarely drive it anymore.

I've told anyone who will listen that my Xtracycle has changed my life. You don't get that from trailer owners. I was so happy to say bye bye to my trailer when I got the Xtracycle.

As for safety, I ride on the road and in traffic and I'm not afraid for my children or for myself. We're way safer on a bike than we ever were in a car.

As for the cost, it was worth every penny. We bought 2 kits and my husband built them up mostly from parts he already had. I've saved plenty of money by riding my bike almost exclusively. The cost of the Xtracycle is trivial compared to that of vehicle ownership (gas, insurance, maintenance, parking etc).

Anne
http://carfreedays.wordpress.com

by carfreedays at 9:21 PM on 11 Jun 2008
[ Parent ]

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