Here’s a nice photo gallery of cargo tricycles in China by BriColeurbanism.

Links:
• Photo Gallery of Cargo Tricycles in China
• Bricoleurbanism.org Website

Larry vs. Harry manufacture a very nice modular bakfiets that can be fitted with a range of accessories such as wooden cargo box, aluminum all weather box, billboards, etc. As for fit and finish, their bakfiets frames are made from oversized aluminum tubing and fitted with modern components that even bicycle geeks like us would love.

Here are the specs for their base model the “Bullit Classic”:
• Powder-coated in black
• Hardened aluminium frame
• Stainless steel nuts, bolts and discs
• 7-gear SRAM i-Motion hub
• Hydraulic front brake
• SRAM Truvativ crankshaft
• Double-bound aluminium wheel rims
• Puncture-proof Schwalbe tires
• Impact-strengthened plastic mudguards
• Fast saddle and handlebar adjustment
• Insurance-approved ABUS bicycle lock

Links:
• Larry vs. Harry website
• Photo Gallery
• Wired Magazine Article

A really cool platform for projection or laser graffiti artists. If you don’t know what projection graffiti is check out Graffiti Research Lab’s Blog. It’s really cool.

Link:
Graffiti Research Lab

So, is this the major game changer that we’ve all been looking for? Or else, is it just another expensive industrial design study that only a few can afford?

Without having ridden one, I can only say that the new Taga Stroller/Tricycle looks amazing. Basically, it is a kid carrying cargo tricycle that converts on the fly into a walking stroller. WOW! Also, it has numerous optional features that allow it to be customized and outfitted in any number of ways.

The MAJOR drawback at this moment is the stunning price and lack of availability. Not yet sold in the US, it has a base price of $2500 without any options. Include shipping, handling, and customs duties, you’re pushing $3000 by the time you’re riding the base model in the States.

Early Verdict: Function and styling that any parent would love, price tag of a good used car.

Links:
Taga Website

It was great to see that some of the large manufacturers are heading into the cargo bicycle market. Hopefully it’ll bring cargo bicycles into the mainstream and make a dent in car traffic.

Check out the Kona Ute. They’ve added this great new longbike to their huge lineup. Longbikes are great for anyone who wants an all around bicycle that they can use for commuting, getting groceries, camping, and to transport small adults or older kids.

Links:
Kona Ute Website
Bicycle Hugger Review

Heh heh… I ran across this gem while doing a search on “product liability”. This is one awesome bike! 17 riders pedaling together around town while drinking beer, eating food, and enjoying the sites. Couldn’t think of a better way then the PedalPub (Het Fietscafe in the Netherlands). What can I say, simply a great time…

Links:
• PedalPub (US Distributor - www.pedalpub.com)
• Het Fietscafe (Netherlands Maker - www.fietscafe.nl)
• Fietscafe in Action (Flickr)

A friend sent me this photo of Google employees using a tricycle to map places where cars are not allowed. They’ve got it hooked up with the same camera and GPS equipment that their specially equipped cars use to capture street views all over the world. Pretty cool idea…

Link:
- Associated Press Article
- Google Maps Street View

Ran across these photos on the web of Deutsche Post using bicycles for inner city delivery.

My friend Frank just sent me this link to a great video of a bicycle being made at Geekhouse Bikes. From the looks of their website, these guys build great custom bicycles. Keep up the great work guys.

Montague Bicycle Company has been making folding bicycles for the US military since 1997. These bicycles are foldable and can be parachuted in with soldiers and marines. They are currently being tested for use by US Army Special Forces.

Check out their website for videos and photos.
Montague Military Bicycles Promo Video Page

I generally try to keep this blog upbeat and focused on bicycles. But, the other day I found a picture I took a couple of years ago during a business trip to China. The photo speaks for itself… The air pollution in China is awful…

This picture was taken in Ningbo City, about three hours drive from Shanghai. In the early 1990s, most people in China were still using bicycles or mass transit. Cars were a luxury for the rich. Back then the air was clean given the size of the population. But now in many of the factory towns across China, your eyes water as soon as you step out the front door.

The sad thing is we keep blaming China for all of this, but most of those poluting factories are making products that are bound for US and European markets. Basically we’ve just exported our pollution creating factories and jobs to China. Anyway, everytime I go to Costco, I always get a sense that I’m just adding to this cycle…

La Petite Reine (little queen) is a French nickname for bicycle. It’s also the name of the small company that operates a fleet of over 60 cargocycles for various client companies such as express delivery service DHL.  Everyday these cargo bicycles and tricycles make their way through congested parts of Paris to deliver parcels with an efficiency that Fedex would be proud of.

Besides the suped up messenger services. La Petite Reine also sells and rents these cargo tricycles to the public.

I thought I’d re-post about these really cool dual pull brake levers I installed on my front load cargo tricycle (2 wheels up front 1 wheel in back). I’ve had them on the trike for about 6 months and they work great! Basically, you can run two brake cables from two different brake sets into one lever and the lever balances the pull going to both sets of brakes.

Inside the lever there is a little mechanism that balances the pull between the two brake lines. That way you have equal pressure going to both front brakes on the trike when you pull the lever. What this means for cargo tricycles is that you can have one lever that actuates both front wheels equally without any brake steering effect. Brake steering is when one wheel brakes harder than the other, which pulls the tricycle violently to the left or right when braking.

In practice, you still need to make sure that your brakes are tuned similarly. Meaning that you can’t have one brake cable totally loose with the other one completely tight and still hope that the dual pull brake lever will work it’s magic. However, if you spend the time to at least adjust your brake cables reasonably, these things work great!

If you do a Google search for “dual pull brake lever” there are a lot of companies selling these. I think I got mine for about $12 USD.

I ran into this video about New Urbanism, which is the trend in urban planning which promotes walkable livable cities. This video is a really cool intro to the whole idea. Hopefully the idea of using bicycles for transport in these new cities will take off.

Here’s a picture I took in Korea of a repaired delivery bike. Rather than throw away the bike or broken part, the owner just welded construction rebar to fix a broken crank. I love seeing old bicycles evolve and take on a life of their own. I guess when you have to use your bicycle everyday for work, it’s a completely different mindset from people using bicycles for sport. Things aren’t perfect, but they’re useful.

Weighing in at more than 50 lbs, the Swiss Army Bicycle is the furthest away you can get from Lance Armstrong’s 16 pound Trek Madone 6.9 However, with its elegant simplicity, utility, and low maintenance design, the Swiss Army Bike had what it took to keep the Swiss Army chugging along for almost a century. Although it was phased out by the Swiss military in 2001, if you’re lucky, you can spot some of these bicycles on eBay going for a pretty penny.

Links:
Article written by owner of a Swiss Army Bicycle
Objectbook.com Review of the Swiss Army Bicycle

 Sycip Bikes is a custom bicycle builder that was established in 1992 by Jay & Jeremy Sycip. If you ride regularly on the US West Coast, you’ll occasionally run into a lucky someone riding a Sycip Bicycle. Every time I see one of their bicycles, I’m always amazed to see the innovative design and quality of construction.

I was especially impressed by two bicycles they’ve built, a long bike and a custom delivery bicycle for Boccalone Salumeria (specialty meat company).

They’re definitely one of the finest bicycle builders on the planet and if you’re in the market for a custom bike, it’s worth giving them a call.

Pashley Cycles has been building bicycles in the UK since 1926. They have a range of bicycles from city bikes to cargo tricycles. My favorite in their product line is the Pashley Freighmate Cargo Tricycle.

It has absolutely everything anyone could look for in a cargo tricycle. It has electric power assist, independent steering for each of the front wheels (Ackerman steering), disk brakes, turn signals, lights, and even a horn. This is definitely a great alternative for any business that needs to make local deliveries in crowded urban areas or as a run about for staff working in a large facility.

Their website is: http://www.pashley.co.uk

German manufacturer, Fine Mobile GmBH, builds a fantastic pedal powered human electric hybrid car. It has a top speed of 53 mph (85 kmph) and a range of 80 miles (130 km) per charge. With it’s fully enclosed body and luxury features, it might just be the all weather solution that you’re looking for. The only catch, with a starting price of $26,000 USD (20,000 €) this beauty will be in the hands of a lucky few.

 

Check out their website at: http://www.twike.com

Stoke Monkey is a electric power-assist unit that fits on a extra long chain-stay bike, such as a bike equipped with an Xtracycle setup.  It works by a variable-speed throttle on the handlebar and a tandem-like drivetrain setup.  Once the motor is on, the rider would have to pedal along (like a tandem stoker).  They claim a cruising speed of 30 mph on the flats.

To the right is a Sycip longbike equipped with a Stoke Monkey.

I saw a couple of companies at a bicycle show in Shanghai that were selling leaning quad cycles designed for seniors and mobility impaired. I asked the rep about the quads and he said that they sell quite a few of them to Chinese customers. He said there wasn’t much interest outside of Asia.

I know a few seniors here in the States that would love to ride to the store, etc., but all that’s available to them at the bike shop are mountain, road, or cruiser bicycles. It’s really great to see some companies putting their efforts behind bicycles for special needs even if it is on the other side of the Pacific.

I was so excited by all the bicycles at the show that I forgot to get the Chinese company’s names. Ugh!!!

Anyway, here are some photos of the leaning quad.

OK, this is literally a “Cool” trailer made buy the folks at Bicycle R Evolution. The photo speaks for itself. What a great idea. Fully recyclable body (high density polyethylene - think milk jug material), rain resistant, insulated, and light weight. What more could you ask for when heading to your local store, a BBQ, or beach party.

The New Amsterdam Project is a company that was started in 2006 which offers delivery services by cargo bicycle in the Cambridge, MA area. They also design, build, and sell their own flavor of custom cargo bicycles.

One of the key points in their mission statement is that they would like to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels. In high density urban areas like Boston, cargo bicycles are a great alternative to monster delivery trucks.

Keep up the good work!

www.newamsterdamproject.com

My friend at the product design firm IDEO sent me a link to their winning entry in the "Innovate or Die" competition hosted by Specialized Bikes and Google.  The contest challenged designers/innovators to develop a pedal powered device which has a positive impact on the environment.  IDEO’s entry was the Aquaduct, a cargo tricycle that transports, filters, and stores water for use by people in the developing world.

Dutch company, SmartTrike, makes a fantastic cargo tricycle that comes in a variety of configurations. In the photo from their website, you can see two versions, the kid carrier and the basic cargo box. The tricycle is also available in a other models such as a solar powered icebox version for vending ice cream and soda. Also, the cargo box is available alone as a push cart for vending and moving cargo.

 

Similar to other European luxury cargo tricycles, the SmartTrike comes with a hefty starting price of € 2199 Euros ($3000 USD). The tricycle looks great and has many useful options like power assist & onboard lights. However, it comes at a price only a few can afford.

 

Hopefully enough early adopters will buy these great tricycles and bring the price down to a family budget.

 

Check out their website at: http://www.smarttrike.com