where to get me a cargo bike

mr spuckler

Good to note as well that CSS actually have it in stock, whereby there can be long lead times with some of the others.

dingbat

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118750209#Comment_118750209

I've a friend who has the Cube. Loves it. I tried it, as did Mrs. Dingbat. It's a fine bike. We much prefer the Urban Arrow (primarily the seating position and overall balance of the thing so it's a personal preference I think) but when you look at the components the Cube is definitely a lot of bike for the money. Far more value than the Raleigh Stride 2 or Babboe, for example.

As other poster said, the fact that it's actually in stock somewhere is no small thing.

CantGetNoSleep

I test rode a Carqon Cruise today (in the Netherlands). Does anyone have any experience of one? I haven't ridden an Urban Arrow so can't compare, but value wise it looks quite good, maybe only the Cube Cargo Hybrid gives a similar value

Listendernow

I've fairly small transport needs and so was considering getting one for going between a few short distance destinations instead of buying a car. The only issue is most people I see who own one of these things live in Dublin, has anyone got any experience using a cargo bike outside of Dublin? Currently living south of Dundalk atm.

Effects

I've seen a guy on twitter who used one in rural Galway I think.

It depends on what distance you need to travel really.

tomasrojo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119026520#Comment_119026520

I had some friends with a kid that lived in Celbridge and neither drove, so they had an electric-assist Bullitt. They seemed to be doing well with it, but I've fallen out of touch with them, so I don't know how they got on as the kid got older, or whether they had more kids.

Listendernow

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119028155#Comment_119028155

I see, I've no plans on having kids or anything, I just well appreciate the utility of a boot but I'm not sure how well received a big massive bike would be on slightly more rural roads. They seem to take up a huge amount of space and I'm not sure how I could lug it back to Dublin to get it serviced...

Ferris

you could consider a long tail cargo bike. You can put big panniers on them. Decathlon do one, also the radwagon. Yuba do a mid drive ebike too but it’s much more expensive than the other two although it looks the business. Also any bike shop can service ebikes really.

Cabaal

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119029565#Comment_119029565

Thing about two wheeled cargo bikes is really they are not much wider then a normal bike, its just they are longer.

Currently I use a cycle trailer and this creates problems for me as its much wider, not so much on rural roads but within towns with very limited width on cycle roads due to bollards or path width. I wouldn't have this issue with a two wheeled cargobike,

On rural roads the trailer forces people to slow and overtake with more space because they don't want to damage their cars :)

LeoD

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119026520#Comment_119026520

I live a few miles outside Limerick city in what is considered a rural area and use a cargo bike for nearly all trips into and around the city (5-7km away) as well as local trips going in the opposite direction (school runs, GAA club, etc). Bike was bought from Greenaer just under 6 months ago and about 6 weeks ago a spoke broke. I would have taken it to Cork to be serviced for the day out/fun but I don't think I could fit it on to the Limerick-Limerick Junction train so Greenaer covered the repair in a local shop in Limerick. While a cargo bike is big compared to other bikes, it's by far the smallest vehicle on the roads around me and in general I think people are more amazed than anything when they see it - the usual comment is "that's the job"...

Effects

Take the wheel off and bring just that?

Listendernow

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119035312#Comment_119035312

Cheers! What bike did you get by the way? This is great info, how did you manage to get it into the shop ? The bike I'm looking at, the R&M load 60, definitely seems like I would need to get a van to lug it to a shop for a service if it became impossible to move it.

LeoD

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119036064#Comment_119036064

Removing the back wheel of a belt driven Riese & Muller is beyond my skillset.

Effects

No worries. It's a challenge I'd gladly take on. And then curse myself for doing it at the same time 😂

LeoD

Edit: In response to q from Listendernow

R&M Load 75. The bike was still rideable so I cycled it 7km to the shop with my road bike in the front. That is about the only issue I see with a big lump of a bike like this if the shop you bought it from is nowhere close (ie: in another city). Greenaer are supposed to be opening a shop in Limerick later this year so I'm sure they'd offer some collection service if a bike they sold was immobile. I don't foresee having any more issues though so not having a shop locally shouldn't be a problem. But I didn't do a whole lot of research either before purchasing so didn't consider after sales service - I just wanted a bike from anyone who could get it to me asap - I didn't want to be waiting 3-4 months. I'm really happy with it (apart from the broken spoke) - the torque and the continuous hub gear are a joy and the main reason I got it was that riding the kids around in the front of a bike is more enjoyable for me and them. But I got rid of a car to justify the purchase - we went from 2 cars to 1. I think it'd be hard to justify the cost otherwise.

tomasrojo

I don't have electric assist, so the only barrier to servicing my bakfiets for a local bike shop would be the space required. I only have ever, as alluded to here, brought the rear wheel to a shop for servicing. I've been able to replace and service anything else that's needed it myself, though I thought long and hard before taking the rear wheel off (roller brake and gear hubs, and no option of putting it on a stand or turning it upside down).

(Not saying anyone should learn to service or replace everything if it's not their thing. Just in case it sounded like I was.)

what_traffic

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/111483675#Comment_111483675

Am in the market for an electric version of this bike. Have the manual Workcycles FR8 last two years and its a fantastic machine. Thinking of going the electric, the soon to be 4 & 2 year old are only going to be getting heavier. Anybody any experience of them here OR the Neodrives Z20 rear wheel motor?

Thinking of getting the FR8 RWD

https://workcycles.com/product/workcycles-fr8-rwd-family/

"

The Fr8 ‘RWD’ (Rear Wheel Drive) is a smooth and sophisticated electric assist system made by Neodrives in Germany. A torque sensor and well developed software make it the most natural feeling e-bike we've ridden. The 36V Z20 rear wheel motor has a 612Wh battery and 5 levels of assist, it packs a powerful response and has no disturbing noises while riding. As the motor is built into the rear wheel this is the first bike we’ve produced without an internally geared hub. The WorkCycles Fr8 RWD Family comes with a SRAM rear derailleur and 10 speed 11-36 tooth cassette, ample gearing for all your transport needs.

"

LeoD

How often do people get their cargo bike checked/serviced? I thought these bikes would be bomb-proof but it seems that due to the extra weight they usually carry, they need to be serviced quite regularly - particularly the wheels as spokes tend to loosen more.

tomasrojo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119116800#Comment_119116800

On the bakfiets we have you can tighten the spokes with a small adjustable wrench. The nipples (quiet down the back) are too large for a normal multisize nipple wrench (I said quiet), but a small adjustable wrench is ok, if you're careful.

I just tightened up both wheels, but it was the first time I did it in about six years. I had to do it a few weeks after buying it and then didn't need doing again till a few weeks ago, when I could hear a regular pinging noise when there was no traffic noise.

I've had to replace a fair few parts generally (cable inners a few times, on the third set of tyres, few inner tubes, front roller brake once, front dynohub once, and just recently the gear shifter) because it's done a large distance (over 45000km, I think). I think a general service once a year might be enough for a bakfiets, with visits for anything that's bothering you apart from that. I drop off the rear hub-geared wheel to Dara in Bee Cycles every year or two to get him to service it.

My feeling is that it doesn't need servicing that often, and it needs cleaning and lubing less than bikes people in Ireland would be more used to. The bakfiets has a very Dutch design though. Not sure about other cargo bikes.

Cabaal

The bike delays continue, still waiting on my bakfiets. Hopefully some progress in the next few weeks!

I'm thinking about security, I have a ground anchor out the front and I'm going to put another at the side of general locking.

I'm also thinking of buying https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B000AOA3W6 to compliment the wheel lock and chain I have, I'm thinking insurance is out. It costs as much as our car to insure. But I do want an extra level of protection so was thinking of getting this

https://powunity.com/en/product/e-bike-gps-tracker

Anyone have experience with GPS trackers?

Squidgy Black

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119179823#Comment_119179823

I’d advocate going with a Vodafone smart sim, 3 quid a month and then getting a SIM card tracker like the TKstar tk905.

Would be wary of signing up to a subscription that relies on a companies eco system that could shut down at any point vs the likes of a sim plan that you can just swap out

Effects

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119179823#Comment_119179823

I think I'd personally prefer a second chain to a ulock. I've got a couple of Krypto Yellow U locks that I have anchored into the ground myself, and an Abus granite chain to lock to that. As well as a second chain with Abus lock, but not as strong as the granite.

Keep meaning to get around to putting an alarm sensor on it as well, hooked into my house alarm.

I often test locks with an angle grinder, and find chains harder to get through than u locks.

Effects

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119180615#Comment_119180615

3 quid! What do you get for that?

Squidgy Black

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119181654#Comment_119181654

It’s a specific sim and plan only for GPS trackers and other stuff like alarms or remote cameras etc that need to broadcast a signal. Either uses sms or data (depends on the device), but they’re “worry-free” limits, so basically unlimited because the devices use so little.

Effects

Ah ok. i must look into it. Was wondering if it would work for a remote CCTV camera, but maybe not suitable for the data used.

what_traffic

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119105633#Comment_119105633

Ordered and paid 1k deposit on this during the Week. 4-5 month wait. Expected delivery is October 2022

tomasrojo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119181652#Comment_119181652

Interesting to hear you say that about chains being harder to cut with angle grinders. There is a school of thought (that I follow) that a u-lock and a chain is a good combination, because the former is more difficult for bolt cutters and the latter is more difficult for angle grinders. But for our cargo bike, I use a chain, because it's not a given at all that you'll get er enough to a stand to u-lock the frame, given the box is so often in the way, and the unusual shape of the frame.

Though in this case, since I think the scenario is locking the bike at home outside the house, I'd say a gold/diamond-rated chain and similarly rated u-lock would be good.

Out on the road, I use a 110cm Abus Granit CityChain X-Plus (which has some mixed reviews, but I think mostly in the context of a motorcycle lock), an old silver-rated u-lock to secure the front wheel, the built-in rear-wheel frame-lock and a tex-lock plug-in chain. It at least provides a broad palette of challenges for a thief who then has to store and sell on a giant bike that still is a nice interest. But out-on-the-road is a lower security scenario than leaving an expensive bike outside the front of your house every night.

Cabaal

Still waiting on cargobike to show up, had hoped to get it in May but DBS could only advise recently that its scheduled for production now.

Really would have liked to have it at beginning of the summer 😕

buffalo

On the off-chance anyone had a Babboe and now grown children, I'm looking to get a baby&toddler and 1-2 child seats for a Babboe. The former is €100 and the latter are just shy of €50, so if anyone has one lying around that they're not using I can take it off your hands as a favour ;) or pay you a fee for it.

Cabaal

Good news from DBS, bike is delivered and if I had a way to collect it today I'd have it.

Delivery is now arranged for next week. Happy Days! 😁