where to get me a cargo bike

Nearly two weeks in, and it's all going very well.

Does anyone know if there is an identifier or a serial number stamped into the frame of the bakfiets? I found a sticker with a code under the bottom bracket, but that doesn't seem much use in the event of the bike being stolen.

In terms of security, a Kryptolok Series 2 does the job of securing the front wheel, looping over the steering linkage and through the gap between the fork and the steering limiter, while an Abus City Chain X-Plus 1060 allows you to lock the frame between the bottom bracket and the wooden box to most things. Anything shorter (it's just over a metre long) would make life difficult, I think. The City Chain also allows you to loop through the rear wheel and lock at a point just in front of the bottom bracket, which is handy enough if there's no pole or rack to lock to.

tomasrojo wrote: »

Finally, after nearly eight weeks, I have the bakfiets. I went to get it with the Brompton, so it was handy for getting the Brompton home.


Thats a nice looking bike and kids seem to enjoy it too. Do you have a normal bike apart from this one. If you do I wonder how do you find switching between. On my first day on cargo I met a courier on bullitt and he said one you use it and then go back on your normal bike you'll be like a Dumbo - and boy he was right

omri wrote: »

Do you have a normal bike apart from this one. If you do I wonder how do you find switching between.

As Mr. Grieves says, one of my other bikes is hiding in plain sight in the photo. I also have a tourer. I feel like an elephant on a child's trike when I go from the cargo bike to any other bike.

tomasrojo wrote: »

In particular, the steering on the tourer feels incredibly twitchy. The folder always felt twitchy, so I don't seem to notice the change that much. The more forward-leaning sitting position on the tourer makes me feel very far forward too.

Welcome to the club. The only solution is to get on both bikes each day. Which usualy doesnt happen in my case as it's bloody heavy up hill, and I'm spent for the rest of the day

Love the cork!

Doctor Bob wrote: »

Love the cork!

I used the same trick on my other bike, but I used an artificial cork. I think that's better, as a traditional Quercus suber one will gradually rot. Will be ok for a while though!

Must keep an eye out for one of them. Handy.

Recently I carried some 1.5m bamboo canes home from a DIY shop by using the snellbinders (built-in rubber bungees) on my back carrier to anchor the bunch of canes and slotting the other end of the bunch through a handlebar-mounted coffee cup holder. You're making me wish I'd taken a photo now! The next time I cycle with my kite, watch this space.

tomasrojo wrote: »

Another Ikea hack. I needed to get the long chain lock and the u-lock out of the bakfiets box, as it was getting a pain fishing them out all the time, and getting the kids rained on before they were ready to get out.

I had a spare Variera plastic bag dispenser. One hacksaw, some old light mounts, some cable ties and a few rubber strips later:



Seems to work so far. Much preferable to keeping the locks in the box, and cost me €0.00

I am wondering what will you have for us next ?

tomasrojo wrote: »

Bike hack thread?

Carried one of these home on the bike. Cable ties and bowed legs...

Sooooooo, I finally have saved up enough to buy me a Bullitt!!

I'm currently using a Burley Bee to bring my 5 and 3 yo girls to school, but I'd rather have a Bullitt (you know, because!).

To justify the cost, I need to make sure I get another few years out of it, so I needs to have room for the two of them.

I'm looking at these two kinds of canopies:





I think the first is preferable to me, but I don't think it'll have much leeway to grow or much of an improvement over the Burley. The second is more "future proof", but less elegant.
I'm also worried about width, for it to be day-to-day transport I need the girls to want to use it, and not complain about being squashed (like they currently do about the Burley, although I think that's as much because they'd prefer to be in the car - they look fine to me!).

Does anyone have any experience or suggestions before I push the button?

Is there anyone in Dublin (preferably South/South County) or north Wicklow who has one that would be willing to try the girls in yours?

Thanks all!

Does anyone use a cover to store their bike outside? I have been using the Oxford 3 bike cover and while it fully covers my Big Dummy it isn't very durable and after 6 months of daily use it's too torn up to be effective.

Any suggestions welcome.

AltAccount wrote: »

Sooooooo, I finally have saved up enough to buy me a Bullitt!!

I'm currently using a Burley Bee to bring my 5 and 3 yo girls to school, but I'd rather have a Bullitt (you know, because!).

To justify the cost, I need to make sure I get another few years out of it, so I needs to have room for the two of them.

I'm looking at these two kinds of canopies:





I think the first is preferable to me, but I don't think it'll have much leeway to grow or much of an improvement over the Burley. The second is more "future proof", but less elegant.
I'm also worried about width, for it to be day-to-day transport I need the girls to want to use it, and not complain about being squashed (like they currently do about the Burley, although I think that's as much because they'd prefer to be in the car - they look fine to me!).

Does anyone have any experience or suggestions before I push the button?

Is there anyone in Dublin (preferably South/South County) or north Wicklow who has one that would be willing to try the girls in yours?

Thanks all!

I've the first one, 2 kids, 1.5 & almost 4, it's a snug fit but fine for now. There's occasionally tears when youngest tries to hit or grab something from oldest, but hopefully that'll diminish as he gets more words and can communicate better.

I get their creche bags and them in, but wouldn't get much more. I made my own seat as the LvsH only has lapbelts and I needed 3 point harness for little one at 8 months old.also saved 200 euro

Work in leopardstown, live in goatstown if either suit you to try for size, pm me

Nice one, welcome aboard!where'd you pick up a second hand bullitt?

AltAccount wrote: »

Thanks for the offer KenMc, but muchas gracias to Omri for the time, information and testdrive - as of Saturday I became a fully fledged member of the Bullitt Owners Club.

Well chuffed with my new purchase (well, second hand purchase). It doesn't have the canopy for the kids, but I'll get that through ThinkBike. Really looking forward to the long weekend now!

Congrats, congrats! It's a nice start to a great project. They even have di2 on bullitts!

I've put 203mm disc on my front wheel today and moved old 180mm from the front to the back wheel. The 203 for the front is an overkill by a mile. You can see how the wheel is being pulled to the left when braking. This might call for a damper kit... Putting back the rear wheel without any kind of bike stand (I used a big box of Fairy Bio to prop the frame) was a struggle (eventually I rested the saddle on my shoulder and lifte the whole thing up). So need to come up with some sort of custom made repair stand for the bullitt.

omri wrote: »

I've put 203mm disc on my front wheel today and moved old 180mm from the front to the back wheel. The 203 for the front is an overkill by a mile. You can see how the wheel is being pulled to the left when braking. This might call for a damper kit...

Also, I'm in the middle of putting an old set of these on at the moment
http://www.mtbr.com/cat/brakes/disc-brake-system/hope/enduro-4/prd_360157_1507crx.aspx
Pretty sure it's a 205 on the front, sooooooo maybe I should be thinking twice about the upgrade...

AltAccount wrote: »

Also, I'm in the middle of putting an old set of these on at the moment
http://www.mtbr.com/cat/brakes/disc-brake-system/hope/enduro-4/prd_360157_1507crx.aspx
Pretty sure it's a 205 on the front, sooooooo maybe I should be thinking twice about the upgrade...

I'm sure it will be fine although in technical info (on larryvsharry.com) they say max disc it will take in front is 203.

omri wrote: »

So need to come up with some sort of custom made repair stand for the bullitt.

There's two pictures in this sequence that show a cargo bike propped up by the main tube behind the box. It's probably not all that much better than using the Persil Bio arrangement, except a bit stronger and more stable, I guess.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/iamnotacyclist/6123452343/in/photostream/

omri wrote: »

I might have found the solution.


At €14 a pair. So €28 for 3 to put the bike on and one for spare parts + some old tubes to protect the frame. 50cm max height which hopefully will make things comfortable enough.

They won't do alone as you'll be likely to pull the bike off them. If you come up with something to tie them together and something to strap the bike to the stands it will be much more stable.

A winch or some rope around a sturdy tree bough might do the trick.

P.S. This bike has a thru-axle quick release front wheel, whereas I prefer using locking skewers like these:



Does anyone have any suggestions of how to best make the front wheel un-nickable?

AltAccount wrote: »

P.S. This bike has a thru-axle quick release front wheel, whereas I prefer using locking skewers like these:



Does anyone have any suggestions of how to best make the front wheel un-nickable?

I was looking at sixpack nailer 2 but unfortunately couldn't find the right size axle for the front wheel - and its only front wheel that needs it. On bike24 they have 10x135 which might fit the rear wheel if its10mm. The front is 100mm and so far I didnt manage to find anything in this size.

Its a decent day outside so decided to test the cargo bike stand. A little bit of fiddling with the stands positioning and its as stabe as its going to get.

The wheel has to be turned otherwise the steering rod is in the way. At least in this layout. Its possible to position the stands to rest the box on them.

Would advise keeping the kids away from the bike but other than that it does the job. Putting the bike on the stands isnt too difficult either.

Another one.

Not sure about the other questions, but widths are:

Max external width: 585mm
Internal width @ hips: 530mm
Internal width @ shoulders: 565mm