Unusual loads by bike

[Artkansas]

Always carry a spare. That way if the bike you are riding breaks, you can put it on the trailer and ride the other one. ;)

http://www.pointhappy.com/gcf/ghostbikeontrailerSM.jpg

[Cosmoline]

Bikes really are amazing. My Kona Hoss carries the most amazing load of all--ME! That means it routinely carries 350 lbs of human plus a hundred pounds of cargo on the back rack and trailer for miles on end. A 200 lb. person could carry another 200 in cargo.

[TheKingFiphtin]

I like doing my grocery shopping with my bike and my backpacking bag. It's a 4700 cu in bag, so I can get away with a lot. Those forty pound bags of dogfood are killers, though. I just put a rear rack on my bike to make it a little easier.

I also used to do all the party supply shopping for my roommates on this crappy huffy with a kiddie trailer. Most I ever carried on it was 2 24 cases, 4 six packs, and a couple bottles of liquor. My roommate used to give people rides with it, too

[Newspaperguy]

Heavy loads aren't a problem. My good bike has front and rear racks while my winter bike has a rear rack only. I've strapped heavy bags of sugar, rice and flour onto the bike. It's no more weight than I'll carry when I'm touring. Groceries aren't a problem either. The biggest grocery runs I'll usually make can be done with a pair of panniers.

Bulky loads are another matter entirely, even when they're light. I remember riding home from the grocery store once with a load of groceries and a big package of toilet paper. I had to carry the toilet paper while everything else was on the bike. The ride home was awkward, especially the starts and stops.

[Platy]

Bringing home two bubble teas is kinda awkward. Water bottle goes into backpack, one bubble tea goes into the water bottle cage, the other one gets shifted to whichever hand I don't think I'll be needing next.

[fbagatelleblack]

I just spent a couple weeks in China. It took me about 10 minutes to find the bikes in these photos I took in Dongguan:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3056/2462160396_dce05f9489.jpg?v=0

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3144/2462159946_8a7ac57de7.jpg?v=0

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2404/2461326555_c07f27c88d.jpg?v=0

More detail here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/cyclesvalhalla/

Yours,

FBB

[Artkansas]

I just spent a couple weeks in China. It took me about 10 minutes to find the bikes in these photos I took in Dongguan:

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2404/2461326555_c07f27c88d.jpg?v=0

Yours,

FBB

They are definitely VC, taking their lane. ;)

[ThreLittleBirds]

a few photos I found
http://www.slightlywarped.com/crapfactory/curiosities/overloaded/5.jpg
http://www.slightlywarped.com/crapfactory/curiosities/overloaded/2.jpg
http://projecthdesign.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/11/bigboda1.jpg
http://projecthdesign.com/2007/10/27/worldbikes-big-boda-load-carrying-bicycle/
http://bikeforpeace.org/images/bike_move-nov_2005/bike_move_nov_2005_boulder%20(15).JPG
http://bikeforpeace.org/bike_move.html

[yogajess]

http://homepage.mac.com/awcg/.Pictures/Bike/Giant/Rug.jpg
9x12 rug

What kind of rack is this in the pic? I've seen it before but don't know what it's called or where to get one.

[Mr York]

That is an xtracycle.
http://www.xtracycle.com/

[AllenG]

Mr. York is right.

[yogajess]

Thanks guys!

[Closed Office]

The China pictures look really neat. I don't like to actually quote the post and repeat the picture because for some one on dial up it takes long enough to download a page with just one picture. I did read that there is more cargo hauled by bicycle in China than there is carried by train in Europe and NA combined.The story didn't give a unit like ton miles, so it might be just more cargo but shorter distances, but that would still be impressive to me.

The cargo trikes in India were also impressive. They have thick non replaceable (also non breakable, by the looks) steel spokes about 1/4 inch thick, and tires that seem to be solid rubber. I saw one of them carrying steel reinforcing bars for concrete that would have taken about 8 men to carry. I used to carry it myself, so the estimate is probably close. I also tend to be conservative to avoid exaggerating.

The best I've ever done is a bag of cement weighing 66 lbs in my backpack from the Home Depot about 9 miles away, and a couple of times microwaves on my rear rack, carefully tied down.