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I recently hit a bit of a mid-life crisis, but seeing as I couldn't afford a classic Porsche, and I don't know how to drive a Harley, I beat around the bush for about a month, then went and ordered this: What's that, you ask. Well, it's a Larry vs. Harry Bullitt cargo bike. And it. IS. AWESOME! Seriously. I've never turned into a rabid fanboi faster. Three months and 600+kms later, and I'll tell you this; if it gets stolen I'll order a new one before the insurance claim settles. (It should, at this point, be stressed that I have no affiliation with Larry vs. Harry or any other bike company.) We can also cover my wife's cargo bike, which is an electric Babboe Curve Mountain. So, instead of writing a thesis, I'll just let the discussion flow. Things I will for sure cover in later posts:
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Nov 13, 2020 09:47
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| # ? Apr 25, 2024 10:22 |
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Let's talk about the style of bike that is the Bullitt. It's traditionally referred to as a "Long John" and was introduced in 1924. In fact, it was invented right here in Denmark, and was a common sight back in the day, being used by couriers in urban areas. I remember riding a decommissioned postal Long John at one point in my youth. The design has a number of advantages:
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Nov 13, 2020 10:08
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What do you use it for that a normal bike wouldn't work? I'm trying to talk myself out of buying a tawainese ecargo bike from Cyclone that goes danger fast which I absolutely don't need
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Nov 13, 2020 12:58
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Primary use case is hauling my 3-year-old to and from kindergarten etc. But now that I have it I've found that it's pretty awesome for grocery runs too, as well as picking up/dropping off parcels at the post office. My boy and I also sometimes do a Saturday morning run to the recycling place, but that's admittedly mostly to get out of the house for an hour. We did one rather impressive load though:  And post office run:  Link to that Cyclone you're considering?
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Nov 13, 2020 14:28
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Looks handy bolind posted:
Their website is down but normally it lives here, https://www.cyclone-tw.com/ebike.html
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Nov 13, 2020 18:23
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I bought a Bakfiets short for similar reasons, to replace a Burley trailer that my son grew out of (and which I LOVED). The bike is an excellent tool: very handy, well-made, solid, good quality, and it does the job well. It isn't as fun to ride as a normal bike as it is heavier and more cumbersome - the frame is thick tubular steel and there's a whopping maritime ply box in the front - but I still enjoy riding it for shortish journeys (I live in London which is not that flat). One REALLY feels hills. If I did not actively need the exercise I would have gone for an electric version, which would be an absolutely killer machine. I think that electric cargo bikes are the future and should become a lot more widespread. This is the Bakfiets short - it's quite similar to OP's. https://www.londongreencycles.co.uk/shop/bikes/bakfiets-classic-short/ I use it primarily to take my son to and from school (about a 1.5m journey) unless the weather is foul, and for local errands. It is generally a bit quicker than the car to school (or about the same), but more importantly, there is very little variability in journey time, whereas the car can get stuck in London traffic. Plus I get some exercise, and there are no carbon emissions.
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Dec 10, 2020 11:49
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That's cool! How much does a thing like that weigh in at? My mate, who has more or less the worst commute through Copenhagen, bought an electric Omnium and he reports that his commute is now just over half an hour, but with very little deviation, a minute or two, Whereas byt car, good days were a bit faster but bad days were almost double the time, and you never knew which you'd get. My son had a playdate, and I ended up ferrying both kids home, so something like 30kg of kids in the bike. Everything rode like it always does, but getting up hills were a bit slower. Weird when you think about it, because the total loadout normally is 95kg of goon (me), 35kg of bike, 15kg of kid plus various crap, so one shouldn't think that a ~10% increase would be a biggie. therattle posted:I think that electric cargo bikes are the future and should become a lot more widespread. I wholeheartedly agree. An electric cargo bike will solve 80+% of what you use a car for today, while still making it manageable with regards to hills, arriving sweaty, hauling heavy loads etc.
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Dec 12, 2020 07:52
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My wife and I got a second-hand Madsen for next to nothing. It has been working well, but being on top of a hill, we've been considering something electric. It looks like Madsen now sells them for around $1700. Is that a good deal or would I be better served by something else? What is the steering like on the bikes with the cargo area in front?
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Dec 22, 2020 04:34
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How does it handle bike lanes. And are there any good options for kids seats?
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Dec 22, 2020 16:33
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cheque_some posted:My wife and I got a second-hand Madsen for next to nothing. It has been working well, but being on top of a hill, we've been considering something electric. It looks like Madsen now sells them for around $1700. Is that a good deal or would I be better served by something else? Cool! How does it ride? And how much stuff/offspring do you intend to haul? I've never ridden (or even seen) anything LWB like that, though I am aware of the Surly Big models. cheque_some posted:What is the steering like on the bikes with the cargo area in front? It's a simple steering arm/rod linkage, you can kind of see it well on this Bullitt clone. This also means one needs two headset. As for steering feel, it feels a bit weird for the first ten minutes, but once you're dialed in it's like riding any other bike. I'm a pretty solid ride-with-no-hands guy on a normal bike, but I simply can't on this one.
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Dec 22, 2020 16:39
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bolind posted:That's cool! How much does a thing like that weigh in at? I am not sure if you are asking me or OP, but I'll respond. I think I saw somewhere that the Bakfiets short weighs about 37kg - steel frame, big marine ply box, etc. Your friend's experience mirrors mine: car is sometimes a bit quicker, sometimes a lot longer, whereas the bike has very little variability. cheque_some posted:My wife and I got a second-hand Madsen for next to nothing. It has been working well, but being on top of a hill, we've been considering something electric. It looks like Madsen now sells them for around $1700. Is that a good deal or would I be better served by something else? I find the steering very easy. It takes a bit of getting used to the size and slowness of the bike but steering is generally straightforward. I don't use the handlebars much for turning, other than sharp turns - it's mostly just leaning. The bike is generally very well balanced and stable. It's a very good product.
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Dec 22, 2020 20:52
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bolind posted:Cool! How does it ride? And how much stuff/offspring do you intend to haul? It rides...okay. It's very heavy which makes it feel a little out of control at speed (and I think the brakes are a little under powered). The gearing isn't quite what I'd want. You gotta be careful doing things you'd do a normal bike like putting your foot down as you come to a stop because the amount of momentum it has is a lot more than you expect. The long wheelbase and mass means maneuvering in narrow areas is a pain, and requires multipoint turns, not like a normal bike where you can pick it up and turn it or just do a really tight turn. However, it is very stable. We'd probably be hauling a couple toddlers plus miscellaneous stuff. What are the top electric cargo bikes to look at? Preferably with seating.
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Jan 20, 2021 05:13
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| # ? Apr 25, 2024 10:22 |
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cheque_some posted:It rides...okay. It's very heavy which makes it feel a little out of control at speed (and I think the brakes are a little under powered). The gearing isn't quite what I'd want. You gotta be careful doing things you'd do a normal bike like putting your foot down as you come to a stop because the amount of momentum it has is a lot more than you expect. The long wheelbase and mass means manoeuvring in narrow areas is a pain, and requires multipoint turns, not like a normal bike where you can pick it up and turn it or just do a really tight turn. However, it is very stable. In the Long John form factor, aside from Larry vs. Harry's offerings, take a look at Riese & Müller's Load 75. Be warned, though, they're stupid expensive.
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Jan 20, 2021 13:16
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