Christiania, Bakfiets etc

Harrybelafonte

Everytime my car gives me trouble I start to wonder about this types of bike again. Don't get me wrong I love cars, always have, but I'm finding less need for them these days. So, has anybody any real world experience in Dublin of using these sorts of bike? Where did you buy it from etc?

tomasrojo

DualFrontDiscs has a Christiania bike.

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=61815334&postcount=412

rflynnr

And I have a bakfiets cargobike which I'm pretty happy with. I ordered it from a UK website: dutchbike.co.uk. My experience with using it to bring the kids to school has been entirely positive but my commute is short and against the flow of traffic. I mightn't feel quite so comfortable if I had to bring them down O'Connell Street during rush hour. I bought it as an alternative to a second car and it's served that purpose admirably.

DualFrontDiscs

tomasrojo wrote: »

DualFrontDiscs has a Christiania bike.

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=61815334&postcount=412

We love our trike! They're not cheap but not as expensive as many of the bikes discussed on this forum. For us it was a great investment.

If you have any specific questions, or would like to have a go, let me know.

Regards,

DFD.

nak

We have a Bullit http://www.larryvsharry.com/english/ it's fast and people seem to stay out of the way in town.

Hans built the bikes with couriers in mind, have even seen a fixed gear one. The metal boxes are great for shopping etc, as they can be locked and left unattended. You can fit whatever you want on the front though, be it kid's seats or a box etc.

Harrybelafonte

Thnaks for the links and info guys. It'll all come down to money in the end. I'd be doing some wuite longish commute journeys with my son in one. He's 5 now so I might get some years out of it. Right now it's a question of money.

tomasrojo

If I had a garage, I'd definitely consider a cargo bike. I use a Bikehod trailer right now, which is great, but for bigger loads and more stability a cargo bike looks great.

You could get many years out of it too. Even when your kid's grown up. I would anyway!

Harrybelafonte

I probably would. I have 2 half knackered cars sitting outside my house. I only really use them for school run and creche pick up so this would solve a good few probs. I cycle back and forth to the car basically. Plus I have a decent garage so it'd work out for teh good. They're damn expensive though. I'd need to commit some kind of bike scheme fraud to get one tbh at the moment

penexpers

If you want cargo carrying posibilties while still having a bike that rides like a normal bike, there is the Surly Big Dummy which uses the Xtracycle add-ons

Complete bike is here

http://surlybikes.com/bikes/big_dummy_complete/

Then you can add on one or two of the new PeaPod LT's

http://www.xtracycle.com/peapod/

I have the Big Dummy already, plan on picking up the PeaPod when they become available over here.

Harrybelafonte

penexpers wrote: »

If you want cargo carrying posibilties while still having a bike that rides like a normal bike, there is the Surly Big Dummy which uses the Xtracycle add-ons

Complete bike is here

http://surlybikes.com/bikes/big_dummy_complete/

Then you can add on one or two of the new PeaPod LT's

http://www.xtracycle.com/peapod/

I have the Big Dummy already, plan on picking up the PeaPod when they become available over here.

Thanks for the heads up. i'm more attracted to the wheelbarrow element of the other two. Prefer being able to see him in front of me.

DualFrontDiscs

Harrybelafonte wrote: »

I probably would. I have 2 half knackered cars sitting outside my house. I only really use them for school run and creche pick up so this would solve a good few probs. I cycle back and forth to the car basically. Plus I have a decent garage so it'd work out for teh good. They're damn expensive though. I'd need to commit some kind of bike scheme fraud to get one tbh at the moment

You have to look at it as an investment. The Christiania is very solidly built and there's not much to go wrong. With appropriate care, it'll last a lifetime. Not to sound too much like a zealot, but it is a life changing thing. Okay, that sounds like a zealot talking, but until you have one, it's hard to explain.

I'm working my self up to an xtracycle conversion at present. I'd love a Bullitt too

DFD.

Doctor Bob

DualFrontDiscs wrote: »

You have to look at it as an investment. The Christiania is very solidly built and there's not much to go wrong. With appropriate care, it'll last a lifetime.

Not just that, but I believe they hold their value well if you ever decide to sell one on. I have a hunch that more people will be taking this option over the years, so I suspect there'd be a ready market for good second hand ones in future. (Equally, I suspect there are few if any second hand ones out there just yet...)

DualFrontDiscs

Doctor Bob wrote: »

Not just that, but I believe they hold their value well if you ever decide to sell one on. I have a hunch that more people will be taking this option over the years, so I suspect there'd be a ready market for good second hand ones in future. (Equally, I suspect there are few if any second hand ones out there just yet...)

+1 on that. I was in communication with Henry from www.workcycles.com and he said 'Here in Holland the market for second hand bakfietsen is so hot that it's basically impossible for a retailer to be involved. Any running, second hand bike from a reputable make (bakfiets.nl, christiania, nihola etc) sells quickly for more than a dealer's cost price on a new bike. We occasionally have a second hand bike (usually ex rentals) but as you can see from the perpetually inactive line on our website it's a rare occasion.'

DFD.

kincsem

I enjoy looking at websites like workcycles.com. I worked in an aircraft parts trading company in the 1990s. One of our African customers ordered a few workbikes and we sourced them. The customer used them to move aircraft parts from the stores to the aircraft maintenance hangars - awkward loads, no fuel cost, flat concrete, unlikely to cause accidents - they were ideal.